Signs that tell you if your child is an emergent reader

Let your child read their favorite books again, and again, and Again! Yes, as parents we tend to get tired of reading the same stories over and over again. Have you had to read the great build up of The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle? Then you may know what I am talking about.

But for your child, joyful repetition is a learning tool that assists your child on the path to emergent literacy. Emergent literacy is early reading and writing development from birth to the preschool years. This the learning stage before your child is actually reading or writing in the conventional sense.

Check out this video of my daughter re-telling one of her favorite books by Mo Willems, Cat the Cat, Who Is That? She is not actually reading the words, but she does understand that the words on each page are telling the story. She has memorized the words, but some sentences she has rephrased, which shows she is learning the meaning of the words too.

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Tips:

• To make reading enjoyable for both you and your child, during bedtime, let them pick one book and you pick one book. Then you both get to hear a loved story.
• Read to your child in the day. Like many parents, you are tired when the bedtime routine rolls around, and all you want to do is quickly put your child to sleep (“me time.” can not come soon enough). I find that reading and bonding with your child in the daytime, gives you more time to enjoy the process of reading with your child.

Signs of Emergent Literacy

1) Children can identify signs, labels, and logos in their homes and in their communities.

2) Children show the ability to listen (follow 2-3 step instructions), speak (repeat new words they hear), read (retell a story in their own words), and write (scribble, write with their own spelling interpretations).

3) Children can name specific letters and identify the sounds the letters make.

Speak Your Mind…

What book does your child like to read over and over again? And do you have a personal favorite in your child’s library that you personally like to read over and over again? Tell us about it!