Of words to help them learn to read and they use

of words to help them learn to read and they use their knowledge of reading to help them learn
to write.
The first stage of writing is the emergent stage. Its milestones are described in Table 1.1. Recall
that the development of all literacy skills in all children is fluid, and children do not abruptly leave
one stage and enter another. Nevertheless, it is important for teachers to know the general con-
tinuum so as to better instruct children at their developmental levels.

Chapter 1: Language Acquisition and Development in Children 7
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Emergent Writing
Table 1. Characteristics of the Early (Emergent) Development of Written Language
Drawing Scribbling
Letter
Like
Forms
Reproducing
Learned Units
Invented
Spelling/
Transitional
Conventional
Spelling
Picture
writing
that is
purposeful,
not random
Purposeful
assortment
of marks
used as if
for letters
Begins to
actually
write
letters
Can copy some
words but may
not understand
them
Has learned
that letters
have sounds
and attempts
to recreate
them
This is a
transitional
stage in which
invented spelling
is replaced by
correct spelling
Source : Teresa Byington and Kim Yaebin, “Promoting Pre-Schoolers’ Emergent Writing” Young Children , Vol. 72, 5,
November 2017
Stages of a Child’s Development in Reading
Obviously, the first stage of literacy development is that of spoken language. A child’s spoken lan-
guage develops prior to his or her use of language in writing or reading. This begins at infancy and
continues throughout childhood. Therefore, books read to children should be slightly above their
conversational level so that their vocabularies are in a constant state of growth. Harris and Hodges
refer to emergent reading as the period of acquisition of skills that make reading possible.
Uta Frith developed a model for the stages of the acquisition of reading. Frith actually studied
dyslexia extensively, and much of her research led her to the identification of the typical trajectory
of reading development, which benefits all children. Her model enjoys worldwide acceptance and
is described in table 1.2.
Table 2. Uta Frith’s Model of the Stages of Reading Development
Frith’s Model
Logographic
Stage
At the earliest stage, the child recognizes words by their visual features
such as shape and length. Children at this stage can recognize signs like
McDonald’s. They are not aware that letters represent sounds. Letters are no
diff erent to children at this stage than are any other symbols.
Alphabetic
Stage
Children at this stage begin to recognize letters as diff erent from other
symbols. Letter–sound correlation begins to develop. This is the beginning
of the development of phonological skills, and children begin to recognize
phonemes. They begin to decode words.