Guide to Emergent Literacy in Early Childhood

From birth, children begin building the foundational skills that will support their journey toward reading and writing, a process known as emergent literacy. This journey starts with absorbing the rhythms and sounds of language, which is why engaging children with reading, singing, and conversation from an early age is so impactful.

Strong oral language skills in early childhood can significantly influence later reading and writing abilities. While literacy involves reading, writing, listening, and speaking, language development centers on understanding and using spoken words. Children with well-developed verbal skills often progress more easily when learning to read and write.

What is emergent literacy?

Emergent literacy refers to the skills children develop from birth that are the foundation for reading and writing. It covers listening, speaking, reading, and writing and is a key part of early childhood education. It focuses on how young children learn and interact with the world around them through literacy-based activities.

Because emergent literacy begins at birth, children reach developmental milestones at different times. Simple activities like reciting nursery rhymes, reading stories, and singing songs can positively impact a child's ability to read and write later. As their teacher, you can provide intentional learning experiences to help them become better readers.

The importance of emergent literacy

Emergent literacy is crucial for laying the foundation for future reading and writing skills. It includes a wide range of abilities, from language development to vocabulary acquisition. Here are some key benefits of nurturing emergent literacy.

Language development

Emergent literacy activities, like storytelling and interactive conversations, give children plenty of opportunities to explore language. Rich language experiences help children expand their vocabulary, understand sentence structure, and improve their communication skills. A strong language foundation is a stepping stone for future reading success.

Phonological awareness

Phonological awareness is the ability to recognize and work with the sounds in spoken language. Activities like rhyming games and clapping out syllables help children develop this important pre-reading skill. Research shows that children with strong phonological awareness tend to become more successful readers.

Print awareness

Print awareness is understanding the function and characteristics of written language. Exposing children to books, signs, and labels helps them see that written symbols have meaning. Through shared reading and pointing out print in their surroundings, children learn concepts like letters, words, and sentences.

Vocabulary acquisition

Vocabulary is a key part of emergent literacy. The more words children know, the better they can understand what they read and express themselves in writing. Providing a rich language environment and introducing new words through conversation helps expand their vocabulary and expressive language skills.

Love for reading

When children are exposed to engaging literacy experiences from an early age, it fosters a lifelong love for reading. By making reading a fun and interactive activity, you can spark their curiosity and desire to explore the world of books.

How to promote emergent literacy in the classroom

Early childhood educators play a vital role in fostering emergent literacy skills. By creating a literacy-rich environment and using effective strategies, you can set the stage for future reading success.

With brightwheel's Experience Curriculum, you can save your teachers' valuable time and support child development with a high-quality curriculum system that combines digital lessons in the brightwheel app with hands-on learning materials mailed to you. The flexible lesson plans integrate 35 research-based skills into daily learning activities with daily embedded assessment to monitor each child's growth.

Establish literacy-focused routines

Children thrive on routines. You can make reading and writing a natural part of your daily schedule to help children become familiar with specific words and activities. This predictability is a great way to reinforce language and reading concepts.

Read to children often

Reading aloud is a critical part of promoting emergent literacy. The more children are exposed to it, the better their reading comprehension becomes.

• Choose books that interest the children and align with their skill level.
• Incorporate movements and sounds while acting out the plot.
• Ask questions about the illustrations to spark their imagination.

Practice oral language skills

Oral language refers to speaking and listening and is one of the best ways to support emergent literacy.

• Use storytelling to drive imagination and create space for children to express themselves.
• Incorporate tongue twisters, songs, and rhymes into your lessons to encourage phonological awareness.
• Keep conversations going by allowing the class to ask questions about a particular word or subject.

Incorporate pre-writing activities

Emergent literacy also includes early writing skills. While young children are still learning to form letters, pre-writing activities help them develop the fine motor skills needed for writing.

• Activities like playing with dough and scribbling drawings help them physically and mentally prepare.
• Practicing how to hold a pencil correctly and forming shapes and lines are also important steps.
• Encourage them with fun activities like tracing letters or creating shapes with playdough.

How to support families in emergent literacy

Families are a child's first teachers, and their involvement is key to developing emergent literacy skills. You can support them by:

• Sharing resources: Provide families with lists of age-appropriate books, local library schedules, and tips for reading at home.
• Communicating progress: Use tools like brightwheel to share updates on a child's literacy milestones and suggest simple activities they can do at home to support learning.
• Hosting workshops: Organize sessions for families on topics like the importance of reading aloud or how to create a print-rich environment at home.

By partnering with families, you create a consistent and supportive network that reinforces emergent literacy skills both in the classroom and at home.

Help your students develop emergent literacy skills 

As an educator, you play an essential role in helping your students develop their language and literacy skills. By understanding the importance of emergent literacy, you can support young learners to become confident readers and writers. Creating a literacy-rich environment and providing plenty of opportunities for language exploration will pave the way for a lifelong love of learning.