Emergent Literacy

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As a child grows, their literacy skills appear in pieces; the ability to understand language is a complex process, and it only makes sense that these individual components, called emergent literacy, ultimately coalesce to form the ability to read and write. When children are still just one or two years old, they begin to understand that reading and writing are important skills. They begin to understand the purpose of each of these actions, oftentimes mimicking these abilities without having the capabilities to carry them out. Emergent literacy, when encouraged by parents and other caregivers, can set a child up for educational success as they develop the cognitive abilities to carry out these tasks.

There are several components of emergent literacy that can be reinforced by parents and caregivers. When a child displays print motivation, they are showing an interest in books and the written word. Parents can encourage this by taking a child to story time sessions, getting them involved in activities at a local library or bookstore, or simply by reading books they enjoy to them.

• The development of vocabulary is often a key component of emergent literacy. Very often, we revel in the child's ability to speak; the fact that they are developing a lexicon is equally impressive.
• Print awareness comes with increased experience with books; children learn the proper way to hold a book, how and when to turn pages, and how to follow along with the words, even if they are unable to actually read them.
• Narrative skills develop gradually, with children becoming increasingly able to tell stories.
• Learning letters is a critical component of emergent literacy, because this enables children to learn sounds and to later develop phonological awareness, or the identification of similar sounds in words.

When all of these skills and abilities come together as a child develops, they form quality literacy skills that are reflective of their experiences in these formative years.