An understanding of the development of reading and readers is useful context for librarians, educational practitioners and parents alike. This chapter outlines current theories around how reading skills are developed and the common stages associated with this.

Reading is the process via which meaning is inferred and constructed from written text (Vellutino et al., 2004). There are three aspects required for fluent reading (Commodari, 2017): comprehension – how words themselves are understood; accuracy – the ability to read with precision; and speed – the time taken to decode words. The development of reading skills is predicated upon a number of factors meaning it is difficult to determine standard milestones. Access to learning and ultimately attainment is dependent upon core reading skills.

It can be easy to mistake acquisition of literacy with reading itself. Reading is an activity with several motivations, including learning and self-improvement, challenging ourselves, reinforcing and affirming existing ideas and knowledge, and the all-important reading for pleasure. A part of learning how to read is not just sequential progression, but also includes re-reading and exploring a range of materials and forms that might fall beneath the reader's current ability level, but nonetheless allows the discernment of different styles and techniques. This is often what makes reading a desirable pastime as opposed to simply being a skill that is held.

As children learn, it is important not to solely emphasise progressing through complexity of language and construction. Natural reading habits also include re-reading and exploring a range of materials and forms that may well fall below an individual's ability level but that nonetheless allow the discernment of different styles and techniques.

Visual literacy in particular often relies on a slower, more careful reading style. In order to extract detail and understanding, readers should take time to consider the levels and layers at work, to recognise the different patterns and references, and to appreciate the choice of style, construction and composition that can influence meaning. Caldecott winning illustrator, David Wiesner (2012), describes the way reading pictures forms a vital and multi-levelled approach to reading: