During this stage, readers tackle the print and pay attention to words. They often want to read to anyone who will listen. The read environmental print signs and labels aloud. They increasingly gain control over the reading process, and observation reveals that they use print as well as implied cues to construct the author's message.
The term used to apply to educational settings, where students are involved in choosing and reading material (fiction books, non-fiction, magazine, other media) for their independent consumption and enjoyment. Usually Independent Reading is conducted alongside the ongoing curriculum in the classroom. Independent Reading can be tied to assessment and evaluation or remain as an activity in itself.