Based on Fries's approach, we can extrapolate a possible progression of reading development:
1. Pre-reading: This stage involves developing phonological awareness—understanding the sounds of language—and print awareness—understanding that print carries meaning. This aligns with Fries's focus on the connection between spoken and written words. Children at this stage may recognize familiar words or logos but don't yet decode systematically.
2. Initial Decoding: This stage focuses on learning to decode (sound out) written words using phonics. This is crucial in Fries's model, as it forms the foundation for fluent reading. Children are learning grapheme-phoneme correspondences (letter-sound relationships) and blending sounds to read simple words.
3. Fluency Development: This stage builds on decoding skills. Readers become more automatic and efficient at decoding, allowing them to focus more on comprehension. Emphasis shifts from sounding out words to reading words quickly and accurately. Fries's emphasis on practice and exposure would support rapid progress in this stage.
4. Reading for Comprehension: This stage represents the ultimate goal, where reading is used for understanding and gaining meaning from text. Fries's approach emphasizes the importance of a rich vocabulary and background knowledge to aid in comprehension. This stage requires moving beyond simply recognizing words to engaging with the text's meaning.
5. Advanced Reading: This stage involves critical reading, analysis, and the application of reading skills to various genres and purposes. While not explicitly discussed by Fries, this is a natural progression from a solid foundation in decoding and comprehension.
It's crucial to remember this is an interpretation based on Fries's overall approach, not a directly stated model of stages. He focused more on the *processes* involved in learning to read rather than strictly defined stages of development. His emphasis on systematic instruction in phonics and the link between oral and written language are key components, however, that influence how one might conceptualize a learner's progression through reading acquisition.