The first stage in reading comprehension development is the initial learning of the alphabet and the decoding of what letters look and sound like. Around ages four and five, most children are able to read simple sentences and can link the sound each letter makes with the appropriate letter in the alphabet. According to the Institute of Reading Development, a child begins to complete stage one and enter stage two when he is fluent in simply written, easy-to-read books, and his thinking begins to shift from simple letter and word identification into the meaning and comprehension of the words and phrases of the text.
Stage two of reading comprehension development begins when the child starts to read independently and for understanding rather than simple letter and word identification. Once a child can read independently, he can graduate from "easy readers" to children's novels or small chapter books. Children will also begin to transition from reading out loud to reading silently to themselves. Reading independently will help children learn to read for fun, as well as teach them larger words and slightly more complex sentence structure. As a child learns to read independently and confidently, he will begin to absorb the context of the books. A child will outgrow stage two -- around third or fourth grade -- when he can fluently read and understand children's novels.
The third stage of reading comprehension development is reading for understanding. During this stage a child should be able to simply see most words in a children's novel and automatically understand what the word is and what it means without needing to sound it out or look it up. Most children in this stage will begin to find reading to be more fun, informative and imaginative and much less work. Without needing to stop to sound out or comprehend the words, the children in this third stage will read with more flow and better absorption of the text. A child will transition to stage four around middle school when he can begin to read critically.
Starting in middle school, children will enter into the final stage of reading comprehension development: critical reading. This stage begins around middle school and continues into adulthood. The cognitive transformation that comes with puberty and aging will help the child to read critically. Critical reading allows the child -- or any reader -- to be able to consider the text in a more experienced and analytical way. This will not only help the reader to almost automatically comprehend fiction and non-fiction books, but also more difficult textbooks and other complicated texts.