Over the course of my two decades as a literacy specialist, I have observed distinct reading behaviors across various age groups and grade levels. While some of these behaviors may look like reading, not all of them truly are. In fact, many students get "stuck" in one mode of reading; often appearing independent because they meet surface-level benchmarks, while lacking the deeper skills required for true comprehension and independent learning.
In this blog, we will briefly explore three common behaviors that are often mistaken for reading, and the one essential behavior that sets students on the path to becoming lifelong learners.
What Is Reading, Really?
Reading is far more than simply calling out words. My working definition:
"Reading is a dynamic process that connects print to the brain through a complex interplay of cognitive and linguistic skills, including eye coordination, comprehension, speaking, questioning, inferencing, and making personal connections to the text."
Whether the text involves words or pictures, the ultimate goal of reading is comprehension. True reading requires a reader to think critically, make inferences, analyze, form opinions, and synthesize ideas; all while navigating the structure and meaning of the text. You can also explore other definitions of what reading entails, provided by organizations like the International Literacy Association (ILA) to complement this perspective.
Reading Behavior #1
Picture Reading
This is typically the earliest form of “reading,” where children narrate stories using only the images in a book. It’s common among toddlers, preschoolers, and even early-kindergarten students. Picture reading plays a valuable role in early literacy by nurturing vocabulary development, imagination, storytelling skills, and understanding of narrative structure (e.g., beginning, middle, end, characters, setting, and conflict/resolution).
📝 Tip for Growth
Encourage children to dictate their picture-based stories and write them down. Then, let them practice reading what they have “written.”
"What is thought of can be spoken; what is spoken can be written; what is written can be read." (Unknown).
Reading Behavior #2
Memorization & Mimicking
Some students “read” by memorizing familiar texts or mimicking what they have heard before. While this involves some literacy awareness, it does not reflect actual decoding or comprehension. This strategy often acts as a coping mechanism; used to mask reading difficulties and avoid embarrassment.
📺 A great example of this behavior appears in Season 1, Episode 4 of “Abbott Elementary,” where a student impresses others with high reading scores, only to later be revealed as relying solely on memorization.
📝 Tip for Growth
Use unfamiliar but level-appropriate texts for assessments. Incorporate echo reading or shared reading to model real reading behaviors and build decoding skills. In addition, the facilitator or parent can use the Language Experience Approach (LEA) to capture an experience of the reader. Sight words and new vocabulary can be taught separately and then introduced in context for easy decoding as well as for increasing fluency and confidence. See LEA at the end for more on its use.
Reading Behavior #3
Word Calling
These students can read fluently and articulately, often impressing teachers and parents. However, they may not truly understand what they are reading. Without comprehension, fluency is just word-calling, not actual reading. Unfortunately, this is where most of our students are functioning. Fortunately, these readers are not focused on tying to decode words; they are fluent and confident. Therefore, with this ability, they need to learn strategies to enhance comprehension.
📝 Tip for Growth:
Support these students by developing comprehension strategies. Practice summarizing, recalling key details, and answering questions across all comprehension levels (literal, inferential, and critical).
Note key details while reading by underling them, be able to quickly retell, determine what type of questions are being asked and where to find the answers. See the eBooks – 7 Powerful Tips to Master Reading Comprehension Questions, The Four Places Answers to Comprehension Questions Are Found and The Three Types of Reading Comprehension Levels. All of which highlights strategies specific to strengthening comprehension skills and locating answers to questions easily.
Reading Behavior #4
Reading for Understanding (The Goal!)
This is where true reading happens. These students not only read fluently but also interact deeply with the text. They ask questions, infer meaning, analyze the author’s intent, and connect the text to their own experiences and background knowledge.
Reading for understanding incorporates all earlier behaviors but elevates them into a cohesive, thoughtful process. It requires decoding, fluency, expression, comprehension, and the ability to synthesize information. These skills should be taught and practiced for mastery.
Skilled readers:
- Engage with both pictures and text.
- Read between the lines.
- Make predictions and verify them.
- Detect tone, purpose, and perspective.
- Know where to find answers to different types of questions.
📘 For further reading, check out the E-book: “The Four Places Where Answers to Comprehension Questions Are Found.”
📝 Tip for Growth:
Intentionally teach and assess all reading skills—decoding, fluency, comprehension, analysis, and critical thinking. Develop a culture of thinking deeply about texts, not just reading them aloud. C onnect with the text by relating the text to experience, text to world and text to text.
Final Thoughts
Every child begins their reading journey somewhere—often with pictures, memorization, or fluent word calling. But the goal is always the same: to move toward reading with understanding. Only then can students truly unlock the power of reading, not just as a school skill, but as a life skill.
📊 Parent Tip: Enhancing Reading Behaviors by Grade Level
Pre-K to K
Reading Behavior: Picture Reading
Tips for Parents:
1. Ask open-ended questions about the pictures: "What do you think is happening here?"
2. Encourage storytelling by letting them "read" the pictures aloud.
3. Write down their story and read it back to them—connect spoken language to print.
Reading Behavior: Mimicking / Memorizing
Tips for Parents: Introduce pattern books with repeated phrases to build confidence.
2. Point to each word as you read together to model tracking.
3. Mix up sentences to check for real reading vs. memorization. Here is an example of pattern books: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you hear?
Reading Behavior: Word Calling Uncommon at this age, but if seen:
Tips for Parents:
1. Ask questions like “What do you think this means?”
2. Model thinking aloud while reading.
3. Read books with fewer pictures to encourage focus on text meaning.
Reading Behavior: Reading for Understanding
Tips for Parents:
1. Discuss the story after reading: “What was your favorite part?”
2. Make connections to their life: “Does this remind you of anything?”
3. Play "why" games to build inference skills.
Grades 1 – 2
Reading Behavior: Picture Reading
Tips for Parents:
1. Encourage describing details beyond the obvious.
2. Ask them to write sentences about what is happening in the pictures.
3. Pair picture books with beginner readers to bridge skills.
Reading Behavior: Mimicking / Memorizing
Tips for Parents:
1. Use unfamiliar books to test decoding skills.
2. Encourage decoding using phonics or chunking strategies.
3. Do "echo reading" where you read, and they repeat with finger tracking.
Reading Behavior: Word Calling
Tips for Parents:
1. Ask questions during reading: “Why do you think that happened?”
2. Pause often to retell what’s happened so far.
3. Use audio books and have them follow along to model expression and comprehension.
Reading Behavior: Reading for Understanding
Tips for Parents:
1. Talk about character choices and feelings.
2. Draw or act out scenes to check understanding.
3. Ask questions at multiple levels (literal, inferential, opinion-base.
Grades 3 – 5
Reading Behavior: Picture Reading
Tips for Parents:
1. Use graphic novels or nonfiction with visuals and captions.
2. Ask them to interpret charts, graphs, and diagrams.
3. Have them create picture summaries after reading a text.
Reading Behavior: Mimicking / Memorizing
Tips for Parents:
1. Have them read aloud new material.
2. Ask decoding strategy questions: “How did you figure out that word?”
3. Create word games that emphasize breaking words into parts.
Reading Behavior: Word Calling
Tips for Parents:
1. Focus on comprehension questions after every paragraph.
2. Use high-interest, leveled texts to push beyond fluency.
3. Have them highlight or note key details as they read.
Reading Behavior: Reading for Understanding
Tips for Parents:
1. Practice asking "thick" vs. "thin" questions (deep vs. surface).
2. Use journals to reflect on what they read.
3. Discuss author’s purpose and point of view after reading.
The Language Experience Approach (LEA)
LEA is a literacy strategy that connects spoken language with written language. It is based on the idea that learners can use their own experiences and oral language to develop reading and writing skills. It can be used for all ages.
Purpose:
The purpose of LEA is to support reading and writing development by using a learner’s personal experiences and vocabulary, making learning more meaningful and engaging.
How it is used:
In LEA, a teacher or facilitator listens to a student recount an experience, then writes down the exact words the student uses. This text is then used as reading material. Students read it back, discuss it, and may use it for various literacy activities like word study, sentence reconstruction, or guided reading.
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This was a great reminder of how fostering engaged reading habits can support lifelong learning!