CHAPTER III


 STAGES OF ADULT READING



 There are four stages of adult reading ability. The adult who
has attained true functional literacy has passed through three of the
four stages of reading. He has reached a point where he can develop
his reading power and speed on his own. He can engage in the general
adult reading world. Newspapers, some magazines, and many adult books
are open to him. He can develop his general knowledge through communi-
cation devices designed for the general public.

 The first stage of literacy training is the introductory stage.
This stage is similar to the first three grades of school in terms of
readability levels of materials and the reading skills that are taught.
In this stage, the adult learns to recognize several thousand words
that he already has in his listening vocabulary. He learns many of the
basic word attack skills and uses them to teach himself new words. At
this stage, students should learn that writing is merely language that
is written down, and that the reading task is that of rapidly translat-
ing written symbols into oral symbols utilizing appropriate stress,
pitch, and intonation.

 The second stage of literacy growth is the elementary stage.
At this point, the adult has learned many of the mechanical aspects of
reading and he can respond to most words automatically. With many of
the mechanics of reading out of the way, he is better able to concen-
trate on the more complex comprehension skills. Literal reading is
stressed at the introductory stage and continued into the elementary
stage, but at this level, great emphasis is placed on the higher inter-
pretive skills. Reading to learn rather than learning to read becomes
the adult's objective. In terms of readability and skills taught, this
stage is comparable to grades four, five and six.

 The third stage of adult reading is the intermediate stage. At
this stage, stress is placed on depth of meaning, flexibility in read-
ing, and developing competence in reading in occupational areas of
interest or necessity. Emphasis is placed upon gaining competence in
materials written for the general adult population. This stage is the
transition stage from special materials written for people who are pre-
paring for entry into the world of adult literacy to materials written
for the general literate adult population.

 The fourth stage of adult reading is the developmental stage.
When he has reached this point, the adult is truly literate and can
develop both his power and speed of reading on his own or with minimal
help. There he is free to pursue his special interests, satisfy his
curiosities, and build his knowledge, limited only by his capabilities