01
Stable comprehension
Comprehension of core texts usually reaches around 80%, and basic performance holds up with unfamiliar texts.
Pathway · M0–M7
The growth pathway at a glance
From reading with a companion to independent reading, thinking and expression. Age is only a suggested range; the true starting point is decided together by reading performance, learning state and sample work. Click a level on the book tower to see the focus of each stage.
M0
Foundation Companionship · Ages 2–3
Sound and meaning foundations | 45 min / session · 2–3 times a week · open cycle
Reading
Building book concepts; understanding meaning from pictures, actions and intonation; following page turns, pointing and repeating.
Thinking
Observing, matching and predicting the next page; showing understanding through actions, choices or short answers.
Expression
Imitating key words and 1–3-word chunks; taking part in interactive shared reading.
Visible evidence
Shared-reading observation notes, interaction clips, responses to familiar picture books.
Support at home: 10 minutes of repeated shared reading every day, with no writing or memorising required.
M1
Themed Shared Reading I · Ages 4–5
Pre-A1 start | 60 min / session · twice a week · about 1 school year
Reading
Using images to understand characters, places and events; answering who / what / where; retelling 3 key scenes.
Thinking
Sorting, sequencing, comparing similarities and differences; finding simple reasons in the pictures.
Expression
Around familiar topics, using 1–2 complete sentences to express characters, events or preferences.
Visible evidence
Recorded topic speaking, picture-and-text work, in-class performance tasks.
Support at home: revisit the topic 2–3 times a week; have the child talk about the pictures rather than translate sentence by sentence.
M2
Themed Shared Reading II · Phonics Bridge · Ages 5–6
Pre-A1 secure / transitioning to A1 | 90 min / session · twice a week · about 1 school year
Reading
Decoding regular words, recognising high-frequency words, reading short sentences independently, and retelling by beginning–middle–end.
Thinking
Understanding sequence and simple cause and effect; beginning to discuss character motivation and give reasons with because.
Expression
3–5 connected sentences; sentence-level imitation writing and simple information cards.
Visible evidence
Phonics transfer sheets, reading of unfamiliar short texts, topic projects and growth portfolios.
Support at home: short phonics or shared reading 3–4 times a week, in small, frequent and repeated doses.
M3
Exploration Reading I · Ages 6–7.5
A1 start | 90 min / session · twice a week · about 1 school year
Reading
Reading titles, captions and labels; finding the main idea and details; recognising story structure and basic genres.
Thinking
Sorting, comparing, sequencing; asking and answering questions within the text.
Expression
45–60-second oral retelling; 4–6-sentence topic writing.
Visible evidence
Story maps, information cards, unfamiliar-text tasks and short writing.
Support at home: three 15-minute independent reading sessions a week; afterwards, say clearly “what happened and why”.
M4
Exploration Reading II · Ages 7.5–9
A1 secure | 90 min / session · twice a week · about 1 school year
Reading
Comparing and contrasting, mapping cause and effect, distilling theme and summarising; integrating text and visuals and using context to understand word meaning.
Thinking
Asking interpretive questions; comparing evidence; making grounded connections between text and life.
Expression
60–90-second topic talk; a 60–90-word paragraph.
Visible evidence
Cross-text diagrams, project presentations, paragraph writing and stage assessment.
Support at home: keep a reading log; once a week, a retelling or summary, focusing on reasons and evidence.
M5
Academic Reading I · Ages 9–10
A1 academic transition | 90–105 min / session · twice a week · about 30 teaching weeks / stage
Reading
Locating information; identifying main ideas, opinions and supporting details; annotating and taking keyword notes.
Thinking
Distinguishing fact from opinion; interpreting charts; answering with textual evidence; paraphrasing in one's own words.
Expression
90-second structured talk; an 80–120-word paragraph and a short presentation.
Visible evidence
Annotated pages, chart interpretation, topic notes, writing and presentation.
Support at home: note keywords instead of translating sentence by sentence; push the discussion forward with “Where is your evidence?”
M6
Academic Reading II · Ages 10–11
A2 | 90–105 min / session · twice a week · about 30 teaching weeks / stage
Reading
Understanding multi-paragraph texts; recognising text organisation; comparing two texts; building academic word chunks.
Thinking
Organising “claim–evidence–explanation”; judging the relevance of evidence; synthesising two sources into a conclusion.
Expression
2-minute opinion talk; 120–180-word structured writing.
Visible evidence
Comparative reading, CER argumentation, topic projects and stage assessment.
Support at home: once a week, an opinion discussion or summary; let the child revise their own conclusion.
M7
Academic Reading III · Ages 11–12
B1 | 90–105 min / session · twice a week · about 30 teaching weeks / stage
Reading
Handling longer expository / argumentative texts; identifying the author's purpose and argument structure; synthesising information from multiple sources.
Thinking
Evaluating the sufficiency of evidence; identifying bias and limitations; comparing explanations and forming qualified conclusions.
Expression
2–3-minute speech / discussion; 180–250-word multi-paragraph writing and a mini research task.
Visible evidence
Topic research, multi-paragraph writing, oral defence and independent projects.
Support at home: topic reading around real questions; discuss sources, the quality of evidence and uncertainty.
Advancement
What counts for advancement
Reaching a certain age does not mean a child must advance. Skipping a level or speeding up must be supported by unfamiliar texts and evidence of work.
02
Independent strategies
Key strategies reach an “independent” level, not just completion with a teacher's prompts.
03
Output meets the standard
Speaking, writing, projects or defence reach 3/4 or above on the stage rubric.
04
Continuous evidence
We recommend meeting the standard on two consecutive stage tasks, judged together with attendance, homework and learning state.
Reading difficulty is not the only indicator.
Language levels, text difficulty and test scores come from different measurement systems. We treat them as reference coordinates,
and never write any two scales as mechanically equivalent; the real evidence for advancement remains the child's independent comprehension, thinking and expression in new texts.
Home Partnership
Light, steady and sustainable support at home
Families do not need to replicate the classroom; the most valuable thing is to keep reading happening, and to give the child a chance to speak their understanding aloud.
| Age | Suggested frequency | What you can do | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ages 2–3 | 10 minutes of repeated shared reading daily | Pointing, actions, pausing to wait for a response | Testing words, expecting a full hour of sitting |
| Ages 4–6 | Short topic revisits 2–4 times a week | Let the child talk about the pictures and role-play | Sentence-by-sentence translation, excessive copying |
| Ages 6–9 | Independent reading + a weekly retelling / summary | Ask about sequence, reasons and evidence | Looking only at speed and test accuracy |
| Ages 9–12 | Topic reading + a weekly opinion discussion | Discuss sources, evidence and differing explanations | Treating the parent's view as the answer key |
Five high-quality questions
Three signals to raise with the mentor
Cycle
About the academic stage cycle
Currently calculated on the working assumption of “10 units per stage”: 10 units × 6 sessions = 60 sessions; twice a week gives about 30 teaching weeks, a total teaching load of about 90–105 hours.
To be finalised once the actual edition's contents are confirmed, based on the real number of units.
Frequency
Twice a week
3–3.5 hours / week in total
Units
About 6 sessions per unit
About 10 units per stage
Cycle
About 30 teaching weeks / stage
M5–M7 academic stages
Adjustment
Varies with the pace of meeting the standard
Edition and project depth affect the actual cycle
Next Step
Not sure which stage your child should start from?
Bring your child for a reading experience. The mentor will use unfamiliar texts, speaking and writing samples to suggest a starting point and the right kind of support.