NYSTCE 241 Literacy and English Language Arts Practice Exam - Prep for Grades 7–12

By the end of the novice reader stage, children have typically acquired the ability to recognize and read around 600 words. This stage is characterized by an increase in their vocabulary and decoding skills as they begin to move from learning to read to reading to learn. During this period, children become more familiar with high-frequency words and simple texts, which lays the foundation for their later reading development.

While the other options present higher numbers of words that might be typical for later stages of reading development, such as early fluent readers, 600 is the most accurate representation of the vocabulary size expected for children who are still in the novice reader phase. As their reading skills continue to grow, they will naturally expand their vocabulary through more reading experiences and exposure to a variety of texts.