From beginning to competent reading and writing...
Ideally, we are all life-long learners. If we look at things this way, there is no competent reading and writing level. (I know I would struggle to read a medical text book or write a law brief.) That being said, there must be a level where a child arrives at "knowing how" to read instead of "learning" to read. What is that level? How can we recognize it?
There are many signs that point to competent reading and writing.
One is that it becomes enjoyable to read and write, instead of something
laborious. A child might stay up reading with a flashlight under the
blankets or choose to read at lunch instead of playing on the monkey
bars.Another sign is that reading and writing becomes a valued means of getting and passing on information. No longer do children need to rely on someone else to read to them, help them look things up, or write for them. They can do it themselves--and they do!
Nine-year-old Joshua has entered competent reading and writing stage.
- He can read books on his level very quickly. He reads about 2 Hardy Boys books every week.
- When he reads aloud to his little sister, he reads fluently and animatedly enough that she begs him to read to her frequently.
- He is able to comprehend what he reads, so long as it is on his reading level. When he tried to read the book Eragon, although he could read all of the words, he got bored very quickly because it was too hard for him.
- Joshua has an easy time pulling meaning out of what he reads and tying things together. He loves to put himself in the place of the characters that he reads about and figure out what he would do.
- Joshua has improved a lot with his writing over the last couple of years. He is able to organize his sentences in such a way that they are grammatically correct, and convey ideas in an enjoyable way.
- His spelling is constantly improving. A year ago, he would write a five sentence paragraph and have 6-7 spelling mistakes. Now he might only have one or two. He does very well with capitalization and punctuation. He knows all of the basics, and now is learning when to use semi-colons, etc.
- His vocabulary skills are developing more every day. He talks like a little adult at times, yet still struggles with proper pronunciation and meaning with some words. For example, he frequently uses the phrase ‘exposed to’, instead of supposed to.
With the basics of reading and writing behind them, children at this stage are ready to soar! There is still much learning to do, however. Here are some tips:
- Although children who have reached the competent reading level can read the words in nearly everything, be aware of their social, emotional, and cognitive level as they select reading materials. It is important to guide them to read things that fit the whole child.
- Encourage them to read a variety of genres--stories, biographies, non-fiction, poetry, and so forth.
- Encourage writing. Make writing fun and engaging.
For all of the stages of emergent literacy, click on the links below.
Awareness and Exploration
Experimental Reading and Writing
Early Reading and Writing
Transitional Reading and Writing
