Science of Reading
Meeting every reader at their level
Four grade-independent reading functioning levels — designed so every practitioner can support every learner, exactly where they are.
Phonemic awarenessDecodingFluencyVocabularyComprehensionMulti-sensoryEvidence-basedPhonemic awarenessDecodingFluencyVocabularyComprehensionMulti-sensoryEvidence-based
Why functioning level, not age or grade?
The Science of Reading and CAPS both recognise that struggling readers need to be met where they are — not where the curriculum says they should be. Our levels are grade-independent by design, so every practitioner can use every level without hesitation.
The Four Levels
Our Model explained
Tap a level to explore the CAPS & Science of Reading alignment, the reading indicators, who uses it, and the games designed for that stage.
Level 1 · Emergent Reader
Pre-reader
CAPS · Grade R – Grade 1, Term 1–2SoR · Pre-Alphabetic Phase
Reading indicators
- Views pictures and posters and responds to them
- Listens to stories, responds to simple questions
- Listens to and recalls word sequences in order
- Participates in discussions, asks questions
- Identifies rhyming words and syllables
- Segments oral sentences into individual words
- Starting to recognise vowels (a, e, i, o and u) and initial consonants visually and aurally
- Develops oral vocabulary
- Arranges pictures into a story
- Develops phonological and phonemic awareness skills as necessary skills to read successfully
- Develops fine visual discrimination skills of pictures, letters and numbers (identifies “the same”, “different”)
Who uses this?
- Grade R teachers, therapists, learning support educators and homeschooling parents supporting students who function within the pre-reading phase.
- Any age or grade learner experiencing serious reading and language delays — these games are used as early intervention initiatives.
- Foreign learners learning English who have a limited command of the language and a restricted vocabulary.
- Struggling readers who need to be supported at the “lowest level” and require pre-reading support material. These games create feelings of success and “I can”, because readers are able to experience learning success while playing card games.
- Readers who dislike reading, experience a negative reading self-concept due to repetitive reading failures, are unmotivated to read and really dislike reading books.
Games included
Matching ClothesMatching Stick FiguresMatching AnimalsMatching TransportMatching LettersVisual Discrimination ComboMagic Poems and Nursery RhymesRainbow RhymingAmazing Alliteration
9 games designed for this functioning level.
Shop Level 1 games1 of 4
At a glance
All four levels, side by side
| Level | Reader | CAPS | SoR phase | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pre-reader Emergent Reader | Grade R – Grade 1, Term 1–2 | Pre-Alphabetic Phase | 9 games |
| 2 | Beginning Reader Building the code | Gr 1 mid-year, Gr 2 | Full Alphabetical Phase | 5 games |
| 3 | Developing Reader Reading takes flight | Gr 2 mid-year, Gr 3 | Consolidating Alphabetic Phase | 15 games |
| 4 | Consolidating Reader Fluency & confidence | Gr 3 end – Gr 4 entry | Orthographic Mapping begins | 6 games |
Built on the Science of Reading Loved by educators
Every game in the Yellow Tree library is mapped to one of these four functioning levels — so you always know what to reach for next.
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