Text Characteristics

Stages of Reading Development:
Reader and Text Characteristics
Stage 1: Emergent Reader
Appropriate Grade Level:
Pre K-K

Leveling System:
DRA
Fountas and Pinnell

Book Levels:
A-2
A-B

The beginning student characteristics are:
Knows less than half the alphabet
Has no concept of word
Has little phonemic awareness
Recognizes a few sight words
The major focuses or goals are:Understanding that print carries the message
Directionality: left to right, top to bottom, return sweep
Match voice to print; “one to one” matching with finger; tracking
Locate some newly learned known words
Use picture clues heavily
Determine the difference between letter and word
Recognize and reproduce all letters of the alphabet
Distinguish and use beginning sounds (esp. consonants) andsome ending
sounds
Recognize at least 10 sight words
Text characteristics:
Large, easy to see print with ample space between words
Text consistently placed
Repetition of phrases and patterns
1-2 word changes
High frequency words are introduced
Text is predictable
Illustrations provide strong support
Simple books with one line of one to six words per page
Children can focus on print andgradually increase their control over
words
Most books focus on topics familiar with children and support the use
of prior knowledge
Books focus on a simple story line or single idea, with direct
correspondence between text and pictures
One or two lines of print per page, with a variety of punctuation

Stages of Reading Development:
Reader and Text Characteristics
Stage 2: BeginningReader
Appropriate Grade Level:
Late K-Early 1st

Leveling System:
DRA
Fountas and Pinnell

Book Levels:
3-6
C-D

The beginning student characteristics are:
Starting to develop print-related understandings
Recognition and Production of at least three quarters of the alphabet
Understand concept of word
Ability to “one to one” match or track print
Beginning to attend to initial soundsin words
Recognizes at least 10 sight words
The major focuses or goals are:
Recognizing and reproducing all capital and lower case letters of the alphabet
Using beginning and ending consonant sounds
Recognizing at least 50 sight words
Reading simple text fluently
Using sentence context and pictures or word recognition cues to decode
words
Text characteristics:
Longer sentences, morelines of text on the page
Change in sentence patterns
2-3 word changes
Change in punctuation
Illustrations offer some support
Some repetition
More attention to print is needed
Larger range of high frequency words
Increase in vocabulary
Stories explore familiar topics in a variety of ways to offer new viewpoints
to readers
Simple sentences may have introductory clauses set off by punctuationTexts may be patterned but not as predictable as Levels A & B
Increase in vocabulary
Tense in sentences change
Stories cover familiar topics but may introduce new, more abstract ideas
Text contains more compound and multi-syllable words in a full range of
punctuation

Stages of Reading Development:
Reader and Text Characteristics
Stage 3: Fledging/Progressing Reader
Appropriate GradeLevel:
Early/Mid 1st

Leveling System:
DRA
Fountas and Pinnell

Book Levels:
8-12
E-G

The beginning student characteristics are:
Independently demonstrates directionality, one to one matching,
locating known words, and using beginning letters
Can quickly and automatically recognize approximately 50 basic sight
words
Are equipped with the knowledge necessary to begin independentlydecoding and begin the comprehension process
Can easily read text with simple sentence structure and significant
picture support independently and fluently
Confirms words with beginning and ending consonant sounds
Reads familiar text with fluency of phrasing or voice
Checks and confirms predictions using more letter knowledge
Becomes comfortable discussing what they are reading
The major...