As we discussed last week, it is helpful to have a “roadmap” so you can know what to do next with your child.
The late Dr. Jeanne Chall provided such a roadmap many years ago. While she is not often referenced any more, I believe that what Dr. Chall highlighted is still as relevant today as it was when she first published, Stages of Reading Development in 1983.
Regardless of whether the child does or does not have a learning disability, the concept is that a child is somewhere on a continuum from the first stage (referred to as Stage 0, by Chall) through to the final stages (Stage IV and V).
When you embrace the stages, these can be used as guideposts, helping you to know what should be done currently and what should be the next step.
Here is a thumbnail of the Stages:
Stage 0: Typically Stage 0 goes from preschool through kindergarten. Within this stage children should be learning their letters and the sounds that go with them. If a child is struggling with learning letters, it doesn’t presume the child has a disability, but it certainly is something to monitor and may represent a “red flag” of later difficulty.
Stage I: Children in Stage I usually progress from the end of kindergarten through to early first grade. The primary skills of this stage include being able to automatically read basic sight words, while starting to show early decoding of basic word patterns such as ones that have consonant-vowel-consonant patterns, such as “rip,” “tab” and “get” or nonsense words, such as “tat,” “bif” or “rab.” When a child struggles within this stage it is not time to wait. Try and seek tutors who specialize in developing these skills with sensible, research supported methodologies.
Stage II: Stage II typically corresponds to the second through to the middle of third grade. This is a fun stage, as you can move into reading real books for practicing and reading out loud. Doctor Seuss was a genius in recognizing how this stage should be practiced. Have the child read out loud a lot. Make it as fun as possible.
Stage III: Once your child is in the third stage of reading development, they are now reading fluently and word decoding is no longer an issue. They have moved from “learning to read to reading to learn.” Typically, this stage corresponds from the middle of third grade into middle school. Within this stage, you should be practicing an array of different comprehension skills, such as developing inferences and increasing vocabulary.
Stage IV: Typically, Stage IV is high school and beyond. Within this stage, sophisticated reading is taking place, preparing the child for the more complex reading that often occurs within high school and college.
Take Away Point: The descriptions above are basic thumbnails of what Dr. Chall described within each stage. They help to guide you on what should be targeted to enhance skills and move the child along the continuum. It is crucial to understand what stage your child is in their development.
Hope this roadmap makes sense for you. Please email me if you have questions or comments at drselz@shutdownlearner.com.