The Stages of Children's Langauge Development

The development of children's reading isn't based on age, rather it is based on their experience and how long they spend at each stage.


When a child is growing up it is common for a parent or carer to read to their child. Around the ages of 0-4 children are essentially memorising passages of books and focusing on the pictures in the book. This is building a foundation for the child to begin to understand language and patterns in language. The child may also begin to attempt to write by scribbling on a page.


Around the age of 5 the child begins to understand the sounds that construct words and those sounds have specific letter combinations. These early readers should be starting to learn to read short words and their own name. Possibly beginning to write their own name and some of the shorter words they can read. They might be able to read longer words if they are phonetically regular and also read new words which consist of one syllable.


Up until the age of 8, children should be reading at an increasing fluency. They should have a good strategy on figuring out what the next word will be but they may still need assistance for the harder words. They are able to write some of their own ideals down and possible answer questions about the text they read.


After this the child will begin to read more independently and will be seeking out books about their interests. They will begin to the exposed to unfamiliar syntax and vocabulary. They will begin to understand the impact of the text and have open discussions about it.


When they get to about 15 they should be about fluent in reading. They will be able to think analytically about the text and form their own opinions on it. They will be reading to gain information and for a variety of purposes. They may also be able to write essays about the texts they have read.  When they get to around the age of 18, reading should be more efficient for them than listening.


References:
-Pacific Resources for Education and Learning. (2012). Stages of Reading Development. Available: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/stages-reading-development. Last accessed 11th Sep 2015.
-Literacy Development. Available: http://literacy.nationaldb.org/index.php/literacy-development-continuum/. Last accessed: 11th Sep 2015
-Ramoso, K. (2012). Stages of Reading Development. Available: http://www.slideshare.net/KarRamoso/stages-of-reading-development. Last accessed 11th Sep 2015.