Working with the Youngest
Readers and Writers
Chapter 4
Tompkins, G. (2010)
Emergent
LITERACY
(term coined by Marie Clay)
• Children’s early reading and writing
development before conventional reading
and writing
• Preschoolers demonstrate knowledge of
literacy by scribbling, retelling stories,
recognizing environmental print, listening
to stories read aloud
Concepts of Print
• Book-orientation concepts
how to hold books and turn pages
• Directionality concepts
print is read from left to right and top to bottom
• Letter and word concepts
– Identify letter names, upper and lower case, capital
letter begins a sentence, space marks and boundaries
between words and sentences
Concepts about the Alphabet
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The letter’s name
Formation of letter
Visual Discrimination
Direction of the letter
Use of the letter in common words
Sound in isolation
Letter in combinations
Letter in context
Concepts About Words
• Environmental Print
• Writing
• Literacy Play Centers
Emergent Reading and Writing
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Develop interest in reading and writing
Acquire concepts about print
Develop book-handling skills
Develop handwriting skills
Learn to read and write some highfrequency words
Beginning Reading and Writing
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Learn Phonics Skills
Recognize 20-100 high frequency words
Make reasonable predictions
Self-correct while reading
Write five or more sentences
Spell phonetically
Spell 20-50 high frequency words
Use capital letters
Punctuation to end sentences
Reread their writing
Fluent Reading and Writing
• Read fluently with expression
• Recognize most one syllable words and can
decode
• Use comprehension strategies
• Make connections
• Write multi-paragraphed compositions
• Use the writing process refine writing
• Spell most high-frequency words correctly
• Use proper punctuation most of the time
Supporting Emergent Readers
and Writers
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Print-Rich Environment
Environmental Print
The Morning Message
Literacy Play Centers
Big Books & Predictable Books (repetitive, rhythm and
rhyme, sequential patterns)
Creative Dramatics
Shared-Book Experiences
Reading Buddies
Traveling Bags of Books
Shared Reading
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Read aloud
Appropriate for interest level
Too difficult for independent reading
Big Books/Charts
Multiple readings of books
Emergent Writing
• Writing is social
• Children observe parents and older
siblings writing
• Begin to mimic what they observe
• Children confer with one another
• They talk to themselves
• Share their writing
Stages of Writing Development
Infants
• Grasping and holding writing utensils
• Making Marks
Toddlers
• Scribbles
• Repetitive angular Marks
• Use “drawing” and “writing” to describe
scribbles
Threes and Fours
• Begin to distinguish between writing and
drawing
• Explore writing forms and become
interested in conventional letters
• Begin to understand the functions of print
• Incorporate writing in to their play
Fives and Sixes
• Children begin to understand the
relationship between sounds and letters
(phonemic awareness)
• Know a few letter sound combinations (
• Combine writing and drawing to create a
richer message
Guidelines
• Accept children’s forms of writing—does
not have to look like adult writing
• Allow children to share
• Let them write their names
• Use writing to communicate
• Make writing materials available
• Provide time for children to write
Invented Spellings
• “An attempt to spell a word whose spelling is
not already known, based on a writers
knowledge of the spelling system and how it
works” (Harris & Hodges, 1995, p.123)
• Children use their knowledge of letter-sound
relationships
• Teachers’ observations of children’s invented
spellings give them insight into their phonemic
awareness
Handwriting
• Many teachers no longer stress consistent
penmanship for every student.
• Traditionally handwriting was considered an art
form
• Modern handwriting does stress legibility—
well-formed letters, consistent slant, and proper
spacing of words.
• Modern handwriting considered a tool for
communication
• Different teachers use different styles
Instruction
Involves:
Readiness activities
Correct sitting posture
Correct letter formation
Proper spacing
Alignment
Uniform slanting of letters