Emergent Literacy refers to the process of learning about language, what it looks like, and how and what it is used for. “Emergent Literacy is the knowledge, attitudes, and skills that are developmental precursors to more established forms of literate behavior.” (Britto, Brooks-Gunn p74) 

All children enter school with some reading and writing knowledge, but this knowledge is very individualized. There are several stages of emergent literacy. Use the following descriptions of skills associated with each stage to identify things your child is doing, as well as what new skills are developing.

• Beginners (Typically Birth to Three)
• Novice (Typically 3 to 5 years of age)
• Experimenters (Typically 5-7 years of age)
• Conventional readers and writers (Typically 6-8 years of age)

Some things Beginners know about literacy:

• Know booksharing routines
• Use decontextualized (only words) language to convey meaning, able to talk about past event
• Develop ability to control motor movement so they can make purposeful lines etc.
• Recognize the alphabet as a special set of written signs
• Understand that books hold stories
• Enjoy drawing and sharing books
• Use books and drawing to gain attention of others, i.e. brings book to adult to be read

(McGee & Richgels 2004 p 54)

Some things a Novice knows about literacy:

• Intend to communicate meaning in writing
• Assign meaning to environmental print, i.e. recognizes Cheerios box
• Assign meaning to a variety of texts by applying knowledge of the content and language used in those texts
• Retells and pretend reads stories
• Can determine literal meaning
• Can determine inferential meaning, going beyond words actually said
• Construct evaluative meaning
• Use some literary language in retelling and pretend reading
• Recognize alphabet letters as a special set of graphic symbols
• Learn alphabet letter names and formation
• Learn letter features (may write mock letters- resemble letters, but aren’t exact)
• Write own signature, even though it may not be conventional spelling- Bn for Brian
• Use a variety of text features to construct different kinds of texts, i.e. makes a list as an adult would, same format
• Use contextual dependency, must know context in which something was written in order to understand what child means
• Differentiate pictures from print
• Matches segments of printed text to spoken text
• Constructing rhyming words and identifying beginning phonemes
• Use reading and writing in play
• Use reading and writing to complete daily activities

(McGee & Richgels 2004 p 83)

Some things Experimenters know about literacy:

• Know nearly all alphabet letter names and formations
• Metalinguistic awareness of letters, can discuss names and properties of letters
• Develop concept of spoken words, they can be written
• Develop concept of written words, they can be spoken
• Develop concept of word boundaries spaces between each word are necessary
• Uses literary knowledge to make large variety of texts i.e. grocery lists, letters
• Uses multiple strategies to produce text ( i.e. copying, asking for spelling, dictating, spelling)
• Sounds literate when assigning meaning to storybooks etc.
• Are precise when assigning meaning, meaning doesn’t change when described the next day
• Sounds out letters in spellings
• Uses letter names to identify sounds in spellings, i.e. think “wow” begins with “y”
• Associates letters with specific sounds
• Uses finger point reading, points to each word as it is spoken
• Uses alphabetic or phonetic (sound) cues to learn some sight words
• Understands that written language is precise, a particular sentence is always readthe same way
• Written language can be used to preserve a message

(McGee & Richgels 2004 p 115)

Some things Conventional readers and writers know about literacy:

• Can monitor reading, make sure it makes sense
• Uses strategies, such as knowing the audience, while composing
• Thinks more abstractly, i.e. can take characters point of view
• Understands individual components of words
• Acquires large number of sight words
• Uses conventional spelling for great number of words
• Composes stories using typical story elements, i.e. plot, character, setting etc.
• Knows multiple spelling patterns, (their, there, they’re)
• Reading and writing is integral part of life

(McGee & Richgels 2004 p 139)