Reading & Literacy Interactive

The Path to Fluent Reading: A Developmental Timeline

By Sarah D. Sparks — October 02, 2019 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Some of the most important pre-literacy skills begin in infancy. This timeline shows examples of the milestones children meet on their path to fluent reading.

Explore the Series: Getting Reading Right

Related Tags:

Related Reading
How Do Kids Learn to Read? What the Science Says
Phonics vs. Balanced Literacy: A Classroom Comparison

Source: Education Week
Reporting & Visualization: Sarah Sparks

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Recruitment & Retention Webinar
Hiring, Retention, and Fill Rates: A Data-Driven Sub Strategy
Explore what keeps substitutes coming back and hear how one district rebuilt its substitute hiring process and improved its fill rate.
Content provided by Frontline Education
Early Childhood K-12 Essentials Forum Early Childhood Education: Building Essential Skills for Success
Join this free virtual event to examine the biggest challenges in supporting young children, from preschool through elementary school. 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Absenteeism Webinar
Attendance Isn't an Attendance Problem
Boost attendance by strengthening relationships, belonging, and support with practical strategies from Doug Fisher & Nancy Frey.
Content provided by Corwin

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Reading & Literacy Can Lighter-Touch Tutoring Programs Benefit Kids Too?
A short, classroom-embedded tutoring program showed persistent gains in student improvement.
3 min read
A tutor helps students at Benjamin O. Davis Middle School in Compton, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.
A tutor helps students at Benjamin O. Davis Middle School in Compton, Calif., on Feb. 6, 2025. A new study shows that shorter, less intensive tutoring can be effective.
Eric Thayer/AP
Reading & Literacy Dolly Parton's Legacy Extended From Country Music to Literacy
The iconic singer, who died this week, founded Imagination Library to support children birth through age 5.
4 min read
West Hollywood CA April 1977 - Dolly Parton performs at the Roxy in 1977
Dolly Parton performs at the Roxy nightclub in West Hollywood, Calif., in 1977. Photo by Nancy Barr Brandon /MediaPunch /IPX via AP.
Nancy Barr Brandon /MediaPunch /IPX via AP<br/>
Reading & Literacy First Reading. Then Math. Is the 'Science of Writing' Next?
Integrating reading and writing can lead to better student outcomes in both areas, studies show.
4 min read
Teacher Donnie Piercey goes over the results of a writing assignment called "Find the Bot" during his class at Stonewall Elementary in Lexington, Ky., Feb. 6, 2023.
Teacher Donnie Piercey reviews the products of a writing assignment during his class at Stonewall Elementary in Lexington, Ky., on Feb. 6, 2023.
Timothy D. Easley/AP Photo
Reading & Literacy A New Phonics Debate Shows How the 'Science of Reading' Movement Is Evolving
Growing momentum behind 'linguistic' phonics has raised questions about how best to use classroom time.
6 min read
Students at R. Brown McAllister Elementary School use exercises in phonemic awareness during literary instruction on March 19, 2025, in Concorn, N.C.
Students at R. Brown McAllister Elementary School practice exercises in phonemic awareness during literary instruction on March 19, 2025, in Concorn, N.C. Consensus exists that teaching students alphabetics, including phonics and phonemic awareness, is critical for reading—but which methods are the most efficient?
Cornell Watson for Education Week