Stages of Reading Checklist

A reading teacher I know handed out this wonderful Stages of Reading checklist at a presentation I attended. I have been using the checklist to track Jacob and Rosa's progress learning to read. Before I received a copy of this checklist, I had no idea there were so many milestones to be reached as a child learns to read. Teaching a child to read can require a great deal of patience and this list has helped me see the progress we are making which I might not have noticed otherwise. This list can also help a parent see where a child might need some extra help.

Stages of Reading

Emerging Reader
Stage One
__Engages briefly with books shared one-on-one
__Relies on others to read or share books
__Begins to recognize some letters
__Recognizes first name
__Recognizes last name
Stage Two
__Enjoys having books read to him/her
__Enjoys looking at books on his/her own
__Repeats words or phrases from familiar books
__Makes up own story with books
__Identifies some letters
__Identifies most letters
__Has an awareness of environmental print (signs, logos, cereal boxes)
Stage Three
__Responds to books read to him/her
__Begins to choose books on his/her own
__Retells a story by looking at pictures after repeated listening experiences
__Knows how a book progresses from beginning to end
__Knows the difference between a letter and a word
__Identifies all the letters
__Begins to hear consonant sounds

Early Reader
Stage Four
__Engages in reading reenactment
__Memorizes some texts
__Shows directionality by running finger along lines of text (left to right and top to bottom)
__Reproduces consonant sounds
__Uses initial consonants to identify words
__Begins to remember a few high frequency sight words
Stage Five
__Matches print words with spoken words in new text
__Rereads familiar stories
__Reads self created written messages
__Retells a familiar story without the book
__Uses pictures as cues when reading text
__Predicts story events, words, and story endings
__Needs encouragement when reading new words or books
__Uses both initial and final consonants to identify words
__Knows what vowels are
Stage Six
__Reads using one-to-one correspondence and self corrects errors
__Begins to develop fluency with familiar books
__Needs help to select appropriate reading material
__Builds on his/her high frequency sight word vocabulary
__Uses beginning, middle, and ending consonants to identify words

Developing Reader
Stage Seven
__Discusses and retells story to demonstrate understanding
__Compares or contrasts own experience with story
__Makes connections with other literature
__Reads new text one word at a time but shows some evidence of phrasing
__Corrects most errors that interfere with meaning
__Uses a variety of strategies when reading
__Comments on character, plot, and setting when prompted
__Chooses new, as well as, previously read books
Begins to analyze words and make connections
__Word family patterns
__Small words within a larger word
__Blends
__Consonant digraphs (sh, ch, th, wh, ph)
__Short vowels
__Long vowels
__Silent e
__Y as a vowel
__Digraphs (ai, ay, ea, ee ei)
__Diphthongs (au, oi, oy, oo)
__Prefixes/suffixes
__Compound words
__Contractions
__Recognizes high frequency sight words (aprox. 50)
__Is moving toward independence
Stage Eight
__Reads fluently with expression most of the time
__Recognizes which errors are important to self correct
__Demonstrates comprehension of reading material through discussion and retelling
__Changes expression and inflection when reading aloud
__Answers and understands written questions
__Uses prior knowledge to make predictions
__Makes good use of reading time and chooses to read
__Selects appropriate reading material
__Views self as reader
__Retells story including setting, sequence of events, main idea, characters, and conclusion
Stage Nine
__Reads fluently with proper expression
__Rarely makes mistakes
__Demonstrates higher levels of thinking skills in comprehension of reading material
__Picks up on nuances in books (humor, sadness, injustice, etc.)
__Makes informed predictions using prior knowledge
__Makes connections independently
__Chooses to read for a variety of purposes
__Welcomes challenges as a reader
__Reads a variety of reading material (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, etc.)