TAP top app download banner
theAsianparent
theAsianparent
EnglishFilipino
Product Guide
  • Money Tips
  • Building a BakuNation
  • Becoming a Parent
  • Ages & Stages
  • Parenting
  • Health & Wellness
  • Education
  • Lifestyle Section
  • Become a VIP
  • Press Room
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Community
Login
  • EnglishFilipino
    • Articles
  • Money TipsMoney Tips
  • Building a BakuNationBuilding a BakuNation
  • Becoming a ParentBecoming a Parent
  • Ages & StagesAges & Stages
  • ParentingParenting
  • Health & WellnessHealth & Wellness
  • EducationEducation
  • Lifestyle SectionLifestyle Section
  • Become a VIPBecome a VIP
  • Press RoomPress Room
  • TAP RecommendsTAP Recommends
  • ShoppingShopping
  • CommunityCommunity
    • Community
  • Poll
  • Photos
  • Food
  • Recipes
  • Topics
  • Read Articles
    • Tracker
  • Pregnancy Tracker
  • Baby Tracker
    • Rewards
  • RewardsRewards
  • Contests
  • VIP ParentsVIP Parents
    • More
  • Feedback

Privacy PolicyCommunity GuidelinesSitemap HTML

Download our free app

google play store
app store

Which reading stage is your child at?

3 min read
Which reading stage is your child at?

Wondering what you should be looking out for in your child's reading journey? Find out what the different reading stages and development here.

reading stages and development

Learn all about reading stages and development of a child here!

Many parents count reading as one of the cores of educational development. Yet many are unaware of what or where their child should be in terms of reading stages and development as they grow up. We list down the key competencies that you should observe in your child as they master reading.

Language development

Since language mastery is part of reading mastery, it is important to encourage your child’s language development from the time they are an infant. Here is what you can look out for from the ages of zero to one. At this infant stage, kids usually begin to:

  • imitate sounds they hear in language
  • respond when spoken to
  • look and focus at pictures
  • reach for books and turn the pages with help
  • respond to stories and pictures by vocalizing and patting the pictures

From the ages of one to three, your toddler should be able to string some words together and will not just show an interest in the books but actively participate in it.

The descriptions above describe the pre-alphabetic stage of a child’s reading development. At this reading stage your child should also be able to recognize words according to their shapes. While this displays a marked improvement, a child at this reading stage might still confuse words with similar shapes. The word ball, for example, could be confused with doll.

Partial alphabetic stage

This reading stage is marked by children being able to identify the letter alphabet with the sound it makes. What this translates to is that your child might be able to recognize the word boundaries in print and usually the beginning and ending letters and sounds of a word.

For example, the word ‘cat’ – they might be able to recognize it from the front ‘c’ and end ‘t’. However at this stage, your child would be prone to confusing words that start and end with the same words such as ‘cart’ and ‘can’t’.

 

Click Next page for more. 

 

reading stages and development

Another reading stage in the development process is called the alphabetical stage, find out what all it encompasses!

Full alphabetic phase

As the name suggests, at this reading stage, your child has already memorized the sounds associated with their corresponding letters in the alphabet. They can also recognize the letter visually and sound it out, which points to the first steps in spelling and phonemic awareness. This usually happens when your child enters kindergarten. The writing exercises in school will encourage your child’s alphabetic awareness as well.

Once your child becomes more adept at recognizing the alphabet and spelling things out, they should pick up reading at a faster pace and move on towards not just rote reading but reading with comprehension.

Did this information help you figure out what kind of reading stages and development that a child goes through on their reading journey?

Remember that this is just a guide and there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to reading stages and development. However, we do suggest that if your child is having trouble recognizing letters despite starting school, it would be prudent to consult with a learning disability specialist to rule out any reading problems.

Check out this video on parents reading to their babies and how it’s helped the child’s reading and language development.

Article originally published on: theAsianparent.com

If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ to stay up-to-date on the latest from theAsianparent.com Philippines!

Partner Stories
Four Findings Every Parent Should Know About Brain Development
Four Findings Every Parent Should Know About Brain Development
New to the Mom Game? Celebrate Mother's Day with These Awesome Deals and Activities
New to the Mom Game? Celebrate Mother's Day with These Awesome Deals and Activities
From Past to Present: How NIDO® 3+’s “You're My #1” Song Connects #1Moms and Their Toddlers
From Past to Present: How NIDO® 3+’s “You're My #1” Song Connects #1Moms and Their Toddlers
Parents, here's what you should do when your child sees you and your spouse fighting
Parents, here's what you should do when your child sees you and your spouse fighting

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

GypeBrene

Become a Contributor

  • Home
  • /
  • Parenting
  • /
  • Which reading stage is your child at?
Share:
  • "I'm Glad You Shared That": A Simple Phrase That Can Change Your Child's Life Through the Power of Non-Judgmental Listening

    "I'm Glad You Shared That": A Simple Phrase That Can Change Your Child's Life Through the Power of Non-Judgmental Listening

  • How to Communicate with a 2-Year-Old During Tantrums and Meltdowns That Give Moms a Headache

    How to Communicate with a 2-Year-Old During Tantrums and Meltdowns That Give Moms a Headache

  • Teaching Kids to Learn from Problems: 10 Everyday Situations as Examples

    Teaching Kids to Learn from Problems: 10 Everyday Situations as Examples

  • "I'm Glad You Shared That": A Simple Phrase That Can Change Your Child's Life Through the Power of Non-Judgmental Listening

    "I'm Glad You Shared That": A Simple Phrase That Can Change Your Child's Life Through the Power of Non-Judgmental Listening

  • How to Communicate with a 2-Year-Old During Tantrums and Meltdowns That Give Moms a Headache

    How to Communicate with a 2-Year-Old During Tantrums and Meltdowns That Give Moms a Headache

  • Teaching Kids to Learn from Problems: 10 Everyday Situations as Examples

    Teaching Kids to Learn from Problems: 10 Everyday Situations as Examples

Feed

Feed

Get tailored articles about parenting, lifestyle, expert opinions right at your fingertips

Poll

Poll

Participate in interesting polls and see what other parents think!

Photos

Photos

Share the photos of loved ones in a safe, secure manner.

Topics

Topics

Join communities to bond with fellow mums and dads.

Tracker

Tracker

Track your pregnancy as well as baby’s development day-by-day!

theAsianparent

Download our free app

Google PlayApp Store

Mums around the world

Singapore flag
Singapore
Thailand flag
Thailand
Indonesia flag
Indonesia
Philippines flag
Philippines
Malaysia flag
Malaysia
Vietnam flag
Vietnam

Partner Brands

Rumah123VIP ParentsMama's ChoiceTAP Awards

© Copyright theAsianparent 2026 . All rights reserved

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it