During Chall's reading Stage 1, what skill do children primarily develop?

During Chall's reading Stage 1, children primarily develop the ability to relate letters to sounds. This stage, often referred to as the "initial reading or decoding stage," typically occurs between the ages of 5 to 7 years. At this point, children start to understand the alphabetic principle, which is the concept that letters and combinations of letters represent sounds. This foundational skill is critical for learning to read independently, as it enables children to decode words and begin their journey into literacy.

This focus on phonemic awareness and letter-sound correspondences helps establish a solid groundwork for later reading skills. By mastering this ability, children become more proficient at recognizing and producing sounds associated with letters, which is essential for word recognition and fluency in reading.