PDF - Stage 3 - Art of Reading

Stage 3 is the final stage of The Art of Reading and the one that brings everything together.

Over the course of Stage 3, your child will move from reading one-syllable words to decoding complex 3+ words. Stage 3 completes the introduction of the remaining digraphs and introduces soft C and G, giving your child a fuller picture of how letters and letter combinations work in English.

A major focus of Stage 3 is syllable division and the schwa, the unstressed vowel sound found in the majority of multisyllable words. Your child will learn to break longer words into syllables, critically listen to the vowel sounds within each syllable, and apply previously learned phonics patterns to decode unfamiliar words with layered phonics concepts.

The approach to syllable division in this program is different to anything else on the market.

The conventional method has too many exceptions and contradictions, and for struggling readers that inconsistency creates an unnecessary barrier.

The Art of Reading teaches syllable division according to natural speech cadence, using a consistent set of rules that apply across all words. In modern English, we read by a hybrid of syllables and morphology, and Stage 3 equips your child with both. Together, these tools account for every word your child will encounter.

By the end of Stage 3, your child will be ready to leave controlled readers behind and read any book they choose.

Each lesson is short and focused, designed to take only 10-20 minutes a day.

Lessons introduce one concept at a time, then reinforce it through hands-on activities and fully decodable readers.

Each activity page and reader allows your child to apply what they've just learned, while also reviewing previously taught material.

The readers include inbuilt comprehension questions to support understanding.

Stage 3 also introduces morphology, replacing grammar activities with a systematic introduction to prefixes and suffixes, giving your child powerful tools for decoding and understanding longer words.

Stage 3 includes a gradual, inbuilt transition path from controlled readers to real books. By the end of the program your child will be reading real books independently.

Everything is laid out for you in one easy-to-use book, including teacher instruction, activities, and readers, all you need to do is follow the path.