Reading and Writing with Children

Stages of reading

The learning to read / reading to learn framework (Chall, 1983) can help you decide when and why to use various tutoring techniques and strategies. This framework does not provide rules about what you should or should not do with your students. It helps you to decide which techniques and strategies make the most sense for your students, based on their strengths and learning needs.

Learning to read — Kindergarten to grade 3
What students are learning	the mechanics of reading the relationships between letters and sounds (“phonics”) how to blend sounds to form words the relationships between word families using context to figure out meaning
Good activities	reading aloud together playing word games writing together
Your role	teacher to help your students learn and strengthen basic reading and writing skills

Although learning to read is the focus of the primary grades, many students do not learn these skills for a variety of reasons that may include disabilities, learning difficulties, poverty, violence, low parental literacy skills or second‐language issues.

Reading to learn — Grade 4 and up
What students are learning	how to focus on meaning higher‐level thinking strategies how to figure out new words based on the relationships between words
Good activities	building on prior knowledge developing predicting skills sharing strategies for interpreting a text
Your role	facilitator role model share strategies for interpreting a text

Starting in grade 4, the focus of the curriculum changes from learning to read to reading to learn. Students are expected to read fluently and use their reading skills to learn about geography, about history — about life. If students are still struggling with learning how to read, they will find school work increasingly more frustrating.