Research has shown that children who are exposed to Extensive Reading from a young age not only excel in academic skills, but also develop empathy, moral judgement and become culturally sensitive. Equipping students to explore diverse perspectives has never been more crucial in this day and age. Bennett (1986) proposes six stages of acculturation that learners can move through to gain greater cultural awareness. With constant exposure, they develop their own personal ideas, ultimately assimilating the culture of others into their own worldview. In this presentation, we will explore theories of “Cultural Development” and the cultural trajectories in the students’ learning journey to assimilation using themes from Eli’s Real Lives Series Graded Readers as a stepping stone. At the end of the session, participants will have a better understanding of how to utilise Graded Readers for all CEFR levels.