Bluebird or Buzzard?

When I was a studen in elementary school a thousand years ago or so we were put into groups depending on how well re read. Children who didn't struggle with reading were bluebirds. Children who did struggle were buzzards. ( I'm sure they probably weren't called buzzards, but you get the idea.)

One interesting thing I've noticed about kids is that they know exactly what they are and are not struggling with.

The words we use to describe what's happening to us are important. There is a continuum that describes how students progress as readers. It is not based on age or grade level. It is based on how a child reads.

These stages have different names but the ones I like are emergent, early, transitional and fluent.
A wealth of information can be found by putting any of these terms into a search engine.  For example emergent readers need experiences especially with picture books. Early readers need to pay close attention to language patterns. Transitional readers like books that come in series. Fluent readers are confident readers.

Much better to be called an emergent reader than a buzzard, don't you think?