Abstract: In order to study the role of graphic and sound code of the character in Chinese reading, proof-reading task was used, which approximates real life reading. The results of the two experiments illustrated that: 1. In Chinese reading, there was a developmental shift for the role of graphic code and sound code of the character: the beginners rely more on sound code of the character while the adult reader relies more on the graphic code of the character. Within the same grade, students with high reading ability progressed to the next stage first. 2. The word recognition skill improved from low grade low reading ability to high grade high reading ability.

Key words: sound code, graphic code, development shift