1. UNIT 1

2. Lesson 1

3. Definition of Emergent
Literacy
• Emergent literacy refers to
competencies and literacy skills in
early childhood.
• Marie Clay (1966) was the first one
who used the term emergent
literacy. Emergent literacy based on
an assumption

4. That a child acquires some
knowledge about language, reading
and writing even before attending
any formal education.
1.

5. 2. socio-cultural literacy which
emphasizes the importance of social
interaction of children to construct
cultural-specific meanings and to
demonstrate literacy practices as
social events and cultural
phenomena; and

6. 3
.

7. Learners Theories Supporting
Early Literacy Development
A number of learning and child
development theories support
emergent literacy and likewise, early
literacy instruction. These theories
have assumed a central place in
early literacy research and have
reflected the variety of perspective
evident.

8. Concepts on Emergent Literacy
BEFORE NOW
Early literacy was
somewhat neglected
A great deal of attention
literacy development in
early childhood.
Little attention given to
a child’s literacy
development before
formal schooling
 Acquisition of
information about
literacy begins at birth
and continues at the
course of early
childhood

9. Assumed that the
beginning of
literacy was in
grade 1
 Development of
literacy in child’s
earliest years
 Speaking and
listening were
learned in early
childhood while
learned in school
age
 Simultaneous
development of
language related
abilities

10.  Reading instruction
was ignored in pre-
school education
Emphasis on oral
language
development and
preparation for
reading
No advocacy fro
formal reading
instruction in early
childhood
Capitalize on child’s
existing knowledge,
information about
literacy and reading
and writing
experiences.

11. Preschoolers
were not
perceived as
readers and
writers
Children are
active
constructors of
their own
learning
Waiting for a
child’s natural
maturation to
unfold
Nurture
emergent literacy
from birth through
kindergarten to
grade I

12. Preparation for literacy
was through the
acquisition of a set of
prescribed hierarchy of
skills
Continuous building of
knowledge on oral
language, reading and
writing
Progression from part to
whole, a set of skills as
prerequisites to reading
Children learn from
meaningful and functional
situations.
Drills for contrived skills Children are interested and
attempt early to
communicate in writing
reading and writing are
cultivated concurrently.
Writing had been certainly
missing writing develops
after reading

13. Child Development Theories that support
Early Literacy
THEORI
ST
EMPHA
SIS
STRATE
GIES
ACTIVIT
IES
SKILLS
ROUSSEAU
(1962)
Child’s
learning
unfolds
naturally;
learning
through
curiosity
Strategies
meshed
the child’s
readiness
to learn;
little adult
interventio
n
Allowing
children to
grow and
learn with
the
freedom to
be
themselves
Natural
developme
nt of skills,
individual
ways of
learning,
curiosity

14. Montessori
(1965)
Children
need early,
orderly,
systematic
training in
mastering
one skill
after
another;
auto-
education
Specific
concepts
meeting
specific
objectives;
learning
materials
are self-
correcting;
learning
during
“sensitive
period”,
designing
activities
and
experiences
for learning
Allowing
children to
use
manipulativ
e toys;
working
with
carefully
designed
and specific
materials for
specific
skills; work
instead of
play;
activities for
skill mastery
Specific
concepts,
self-
correction,
independent
learning and
mastery of
one skill
after
another

15. Dewey
(1966)
Early
childhood
learning is
child-
centered;
is built
around the
interest of
the child;
child
learns best
through
play
because of
social
interaction
Allowing
time for
play and
learning;
providing
a relaxed
atmospher
e; informal
activities
for
learning
Manipulati
ve toys,
arts,
music,
story
reading,
free and
outdoor
play,
snack,
rest, circle
time,
informal
reading
and
writing
Social
skills,
emotional
and
physical
developm
ent,
informal
reading
and
writing.

16. Piaget (1969) Children at
certain
stages are
capable of
only certain
types of
intellectual
endeavors ;
acquire
knowledge
by
interacting
with the
world; active
participants
in their own
learning
Providing
real life
setting and
materials,
opportunity
to play
explore and
experiment
and allowing
kids to use
their
curiosity,
inquisitivene
ss and
spontaneity
to help
themselves
to learn
Natural
problem
solving
situation,
playing,
exploring
and
experimentin
g, planning
one’s own
activities and
cooperating
with
teachers and
peer in
planning
evaluating
learning.
Active
construction
of his
learning,
problem
solving,
playing,
exploration
experimentat
ion and
curiosity
inquisitivene
ss, and
spontaneity
decision-
making,
social
interaction.

17. Froebel
(1974)
The adult
responsible for the
education of the
child needs to be
concerned with the
child’s natural
unfolding ;
emphasis on the
fullest benefits of
playing to learn;
requires adult
guidance and
direction and a
planned
environment.
Providing
adult
guidance and
a planned
environment,
guided play,
providing
manipulative
materials to
learn
concepts,
allowing
“circle-time”
which is an
opportunity
to sing and
to learn new
ideas thru
discussion
Teacher-
facilitated
activities,
guided-play,
manipulative
for learning
certain,
concepts and
providing
opportunity
for circle-
time for
singing
Psychomotor
skills, shapes,
colors and
size
recognition,
guided-play,
singing
obedience
and
discipline.

18. Pestalozzi(
1979)
Natural
learning
with
informal
instruction
, natural
potential
of a child
develops
through
senses
Providing
informal
instruction
, providing
manipulati
ve
experienc
es and
learning
about
them
through
the use of
Informal
activities
that
eventually
lead to
learning,
manipulati
ng objects
and
learning
about
them
through
Shapes,
colors and
size
recognitio
n,
language
skills

19. Vygotsky
(1981)
Mental
functions are
acquired
through social
relationship;
learning takes
place when
the child
interacts with
peers and
adults in
social setting
as they act
upon the
environment
Providing
meaningful and
interactive
activities,
providing
activities that
allow a child to
internalize,
exposing a child
to new
situations to
actively interact
with others,
engaging in
functional and
interesting
learning
experiences
Story reading
story retelling,
directed
listening-
thinking
activities,
shared book
experiences,
dialogues,
conversations,
social function
of reading and
writing
activities,
communicative
functions of
language
Communic
ation
skills,
reading
and
writing
skills oral
language
skills,
social
skills,
internaliza
tion of
skills.

20. The Constructivist Model
• In constructivist model, skills are taught at
the point when they are likely to be useful to
kids as part of an authentic literacy task.
• From the historical perspective, literacy is
viewed to be changing over time. Christie
(1990) determined the rising literacy
demands of the 20th century and described
a more complex phenomenon contrasted to
the literacy of the earlier periods.

21. • Vygotsky (1978), stressed that
knowledge is socially constructed by
interacting with others in a variety of
experiences.
• The philosophy of Dewey undergirds
constructivist education, a view on
teaching and learning as a conscious
process of reconstruction of
experience.

22. Further , Au (1993) thoroughly discussed
the four distinct advantages of the
constructivist model:

23. • The constructivist model recognizes the
collaboration of parents and
teachers, as well as other literate
members of the community, and the
active involvement of the young learners
in the literacy.
• As Bruner (1986) stressed those
students learn most effectively when
they are actively involved in their
learning

24. Silberstein (1987) accounted for the
developments in reading instruction.
Her paper traced the significant
changes in reading instruction as
greatly influenced by the trends in
language teaching and learning.

25. Goodman
(1967, 198
0)
Chomsky
(1972)
Holdaway
(1979)
Vygotsky
(1981)
Teale
(1982)
• Reading
as a
psycholi
nguistic
guessing
game
• Reading
to child
aids
literacy
skills
• Children
learn to
read
naturally
in the
home
environ
ment
and
interacti
on with
parents
• Children’
s all
higher
mental
function
are
internali
zed
social
relations
hip
• Reading
is
acquired
through
socially
interacti
ve and
emulativ
e
behavior

26. • Reading as an
active process
• Capitalize on
children’s prior
strengths, past
experiences
and knowledge
• Child attempts
to reconstruct
his own
knowledge
• Increa
sing
intere
st in
books
and in
learni
ng to
read
• Childre
n
emulat
e the
reading
model
setup
by the
parents
• Children
increase
their
indepen
dent in
reading
activitie
s
through
interacti
on with
literate
adults
• Social
functio
ns and
conven
tions of
reading
are
acquire
d
throug
h
interac
tive
literacy
events.

27. • Durkin (1995) addressed this issue when
she discussed the various theories of
language acquisition in her book,
Language Issues: Reading for Teacher.
Durkin stated that the model applied to
each child to speak a primary or
secondary language has an impact on
the type of reading and writing
instruction provided in schools.

28. • From a behaviorist perspective, reading is
viewed as speech. Thus, a child must
possess both the aural skills and oral
vocabulary to read successfully.
• Reading theorist agree that extensive
reading is essential for the development of
reading comprehension.
• In implementing an integrated approach to
the teaching of reading, teacher is more
likely to find the most appropriate method
for teaching base on individual needs.

29. • The movement from playing with drawing and
writing to communicating through written
message is a continuum that reflects the basic
theories of emergent literacy.
• (Dyson, 1985; Halliday, 1975; Parker, 1983;
Suzby, 1986 in Morrow, 1989). Children develop
their writing naturally through play as they make
markings on papers, on walls or anywhere,
through social interaction as they join in the
social writing activities of adults like writing
simple notes, writing messages on greeting
cards and writing letters to family members.
Theories on Early Writing
Development

30. • Vygotsky (1978) asserted that the child’s
language learning begins in the pre-
speech communication between parents
and infants. This pre-speech is built
through listening and talking, to playing
symbolically, to drawing, and from there to
writing and reading.

31. Early writing Acquisition

32. 2. As a process, early writing
development is characterized by
children’s moving from playfully making
marks on paper, through communicating
message on paper, to making texts as
artifacts.
3. Children learn the uses of written
language before they learn the
forms.

33. 4. As identified by Dyson(1986) and
Parker (1983), children’s writing
develops through constant invention
and reinvention of the forms of written
language.
5. children’s involvement in written
language, though typically embedded in
social situations and interactions, is
essentially self-initiated and self-directed.
Hardy (1968) identified the firth, in writing,
as in talking, story making is a primary
impulse and activity.

34. 6. Children learn about writing by
observing more skilled others and by
participating with them in literacy
events. Teale (1986) pointed out that
children need to work independently on
the functions and forms of writing that
they have experienced through
interactions with literate others.

35. Lesson 2

36. Behavior of Emergent
Literacy
From the moment of birth, babies begin
to acquire literacy information and they
continue to build their knowledge of
oral language, reading and writing as
they go through their childhood.

37. • Goodman(1984) reported that many children
have already known certain things which are
necessary for reading.
• Vygotsky’s assertions about higher metal
functions as internalized social relationship
show that children increase their
independent engagement in reading
activities, with previously acquired
interaction with more literate others, such as
their parents.

38. • Scarborough and Dobrich (1994)
described emergent literacy as a
highly complex concept and that
children are developing
simultaneously with respect to many
crucial and eventual literate behavior.

39. 1. To determine which behavior can be
identified for acquisition-early signs
of their abilities, interests and
information about literacy
2. To recognize which behavior can be
associated with approximation
condition when children are almost
correct in their literacy skills, and

40. 3. To identify which behavior can be linked to
development-practices with scaffolding, up
to minimal adult supervision or no guidance
at all since they can independently perform
those early literacy skills.
Holdaway describes young children’s
approximations of reading as reading-like,
play, that is almost unintelligible at first, until
this reading-like play rapidly becomes picture-
stimulated, page-matched and story-complete.

41. Early Literacy Behavior
Physical
abilities
Language
Skills
Reading
Skills
Writing
Skills
 Playing toys
 Manipulatin
g clay,
blocks,
Legos
 Attempting
puzzle work
 Putting
together toy
parts
• Humming
• Imitating
familiar
sound
• Singing
• Counting
• Reciting
• Producing
pleasant
sound to
imitate
reading
voice
• Browsing
books and
other
colorful
reading
materials
• Looking at
pictures and
other print
materials
• Scribbling
• Squiggling
• Drawing
• Tracing
• Coloring
• Interested in
pencil and
paper
activity
• Attempting
to makes
marks on
paper

42.  Holding
and
using
pencil
 Holding
and
using
crayon
 Finger
painting
 Using
incompre
hensible
language
but
perceived
as
reading
• Eyes
focused
intently
on books
• Recogniz
ing
letters,
numbers
• Recogniz
ing
pictures
• Observin
g adult
reading
• Recogniz
ing lines
and
shapes
• Imitating
adult
writing

43. Lesson 3

44. Characteristics of an Emergent
Reader
• Emergent reading pertains to the first stage in a
child’s growth toward literacy. Particularly, this
stage relates to the beginning experiences or
the child’s first experience with print in the home
and continues through early years of formal
schooling. However this reading behavior does
not begin at a particular age but emerges
continually, thus the term called emergent
reading

45. • Harris and Hodge (1981) refer to this
period of acquiring the specific skills and
abilities that allow reading to take place as
preparedness or reading readiness.
Stage 1- Emergent Readers
The age of emergent readers generally ranges from
2 to 7 years old. They begin to familiarize themselves
with the concepts of print related to directionality,
one-to-one correspondence between the spoken and
written word, and the value of picture clues to the
meaning of story.

46. Stage 2-Early Readers
• Picking up from the concepts attained as
an emergent reader, early readers now
begin to rely more heavily on the printed
text than on the picture in a book. Most
often, they begin to develop word
recognition strategies such as monitoring,
searching, crosschecking, and self-
correction.

47. Stage 3- Transitional Readers
• Transitional readers make the leap into
fluent reading as they are generally able to
read in meaningful phrases with
comfortable pace and appropriate voice
intonation. They are able to enumerate the
four cueing system into their reading with
little disruption to meaning and flow.

48. Stage 4- self-Extending
Readers
• Readers progress into reading
independence in the fourth
developmental stage. They often
read a variety of textual genres
and use reading as a tool for
gaining new knowledge or
building upon existing knowledge.

50. Factors that influence the
Development of an Emergent Reader
Perceptual
factors
Oral
Language
Factors
Cognitive
Factors
Affective
Factors
Home
Environme
nt Factors
• Develope
d sensory
skills and
visual
and
auditory
discrimin
ation
• Has a
great deal
of oral
language
• Conscious
understan
ding about
language
• Shows
involvem
ent in
being
read to
• Has
access to
print
materials

51. • Left to
right eye
progressio
n
• Stimulate
d
awareness
and
manipulat
ion of
objects/to
ys
• Has well-
develop
ed
aural/or
al
language
skills
• Uses
descripti
ve
language
• Has
emergi
ng
ability
to think
• Uses
trial
and
error to
discove
r new
things
• Has a
great
deal of
time
and
interest
in
reading
• Enjoys
reading
aloud
• Can
retell
stories
actively
• Has
parent
who are
habitual
readers
themselv
es
• Has
social
interacti
on with
parents
and
peers

52. Characteristics of an Emergent
Writer
• Their emergent writing is characterized by
playful markings to communicate
something, which signals their knowledge of
the uses of written language before learning
the form.
• Writing is always related to reading.
Thus, reading is always connected to writing.
The child’s experimentation with writing
allows him to construct and refine the kind of
knowledge about written language that
makes reading possible.

53. Stages of Writing Development
drawing
scribb
ling
Making
letter
Like
forms
Reprodu
cing
learned
units
Invented
spelling
Conven
tional
spelling

54. Factors Determining the Development of
an Emergent Writer
Physical Language Cognitive Affective Home
Environment
 Drawing
 Scribblin
g from
left to
right
 Making
letter-
like
forms
• Writing-
like
sounds
• Letters
sequenc
es
• Writing
his own
name
• Practicing
aspects of
writing
• Constructing
his own writing.
• Integrating
knowledge of
shapes and
lines to
produce a letter
or number
• Enjoys
writing for
himself
• Impresses
parents
through his
writing-like
activities
• Emulate
adult
writing
• Has
considera
ble
exposure
to writing
events of
adults
• Involvem
ent in
adult
writing.

55. Reading and Writing independence
Cooper and Kiger (2001) identified the five of
early literacy learning which involve oral
language, reading and writing skills of children.
These stages involve the following.
• Early emergent literacy stage
• Emergent literacy stage
• Beginning reading and writing stage
• Almost fluent reading and writing stage
• Fluent reading and writing stage.

56. Stages of Literacy for Children
Stages of
Literacy
Oral
Language
Reading Writing
Early
Emergent
Literacy
Read aloud,
story telling,
make-up
stories,
verbal
requests,
oral
directions,
inquiries,
word-play
Beginning
concept of
print,
labeling,
naming,
picture
reading,
literature
enjoyment
Scribbling,
drawing,
marking on
paper, letter-
like shapes,
writing
attempts

57. Emergent
Literacy
Growing oral
language facility,
oral language of
story read,
pleasure in oral
language
Acquired concept
of print,
recognition of
environment
print, letter-sound
recognition, word
recognition,
meaning
construction
Spelling and
writing
conventions,
familiarity with
writing process,
meaning
construction
Beginning
Reading
and
Writing
Self-corrected
speech, increased
oral language
vocabulary,
pleasure in words
Additional
recognition skills
and strategies,
meaning
construction.
Varied writing
behavior,
growing use of
mechanism and
convention,
employed
writing process

58. Almost
fluent
Reading
and Writing
Moving towards
language fluency,
increased
pleasure in
language
Regular use of word
recognition skills
and strategies,
growing meaning
construction, varied
reading purposes
Varied writing
purposes,
pleasure in
writing
Fluent
Reading
and Writing
Increased
vocabulary,
appreciation to
importance of
speech
Capable decoder
with comprehension
skills, critical
reading, varied
reading strategies,
perceived self as
competent reader
Purposeful
writing,
pleasurable
writing,
persuasive
writing, self-
editing, peer
editing,
perceived self as
a competent
writer

59. Support
From
Literate
Adults
And
Others
Little
independ
ence
• Parents
• Siblings
• Teacher
s
• Other
literate
adults
Gradual
independe
nce
• Parents
• Teacher
s
• Other
literate
adults
Increasing
independe
nce
• Parents
• Teacher
s
• peer
Towards
independe
nt reading
• Teacher
s and
the
learner
Totally
indepen
dent
reading
learner

60. Support
From
Literate
Adults
And
Others
Little
independ
ence
• Parents
• Siblings
• Teacher
s
• Other
literate
adults
Gradual
independe
nce
• Parents
• Teacher
s
• Other
literate
adults
Increasing
independe
nce
• Parents
• Teachers
• peer
Towards
independe
nt writing
• Teacher
s and
self
Totally
indepen
dent
writing
learner

62. Vehicles to Early Literacy
• Halliday (1975) described how language helps
children to learn to ascertain meaning from the
world around them. While chomsky (1972)
found that children who are introduced to
literature at an early age tend to develop
sophisticated language structure.
• Therefore, promoting early literacy must be
significantly holistic which utilize functional
experiences that include the use of oral
language, listening, writing and reading in a
continuum.

63. • Holdaway (1979) pointed out that
homes provide a setting where
interaction between adults and
children are socially, emotionally
and intellectually conducive to
literacy and growth.
• Leitchter (1984) identified three
ways by whci the families
influence literacy development.

65. • Morrow(1989) identified five vehicles for
early literacy development which include
the home, language, reading, writing and
school environment.
The Role of the Home in Promoting
Early Literacy
• Family members, particularly parents, must
initiate literacy activities for the child

66. • The home must provide opportunities to
naturally develop the child’s ability and
desire to read
• All family members must read to a child
and must be responsive to his queries
• Parents involve the child in their reading
and take him in bookstore and libraries
• Parents help the child with his reading and
writing

67. The Value of Language in Promoting
Early Literacy
• Language is frequently used meaningfully
• Language is regularly used in social
context
• Language is use to comprehend print
materials and audio-visual materials.
• Language is used to promote oral
communication, encourage correct
pronunciation and develop vocabulary

68. The value of Reading in Promoting
Early Literacy
1. Create a rich reading environment by
providing varied reading materials.
• Picture books-picture concept books
(alphabet, numbers, and animals)
cardboard concept books (alphabets,
numbers and animals)picture story books
• Traditional Literature Books
Nursery rhymes

69. • Participation Books
Touch-and-feel books
• TV Program-related books/movie-
related books
Sesame Street
Nickelodeon
Disney

70. • Magazines, Newspapers and Comics
• Children’s Dictionaries
Children's First Dictionaries
Children’s Picture Dictionaries
2. Promote awareness in environmental
print
3. Enrich emergent reading through schools
reading and writing materials like papers,
pencils, crayons, clay or play dough, drawing
pads, boards, manipulative toys, puppets and
puzzle

71. 4. Enhance interest in early reading through
audio-visual materials, computer software
for sound-letter discrimination, vocabulary,
and children’s stories
5. Nature love for reading through whole
family involvement in reading activities.
• Recreational Reading
Nursery rhymes, fairy tales, fable and
folktales, poetry, jokes and riddles

72. • Story Reading
Reading aloud, bedtime stories
Story telling retelling
Shared book experiences
• Reading magazines
• Identifying Environmental Print
The Value of Writing in Promoting Early
Literacy
1. Create a rich writing environment by
providing varied materials for writing

73. • Writing pad, tracing pads, sketch pads,
drawing pads, or even recyclable papers.
• Workbooks for Beginning Writers, Coloring
Books, Activity Books for Alphabet and
Numbers, shapes and Size
2. Recognize environmental print
• Food labels usually found in the home and in
the supermarket
• Food chains, amusement centers, parks and
malls where they love to go
• Logos of their favorite cartoon characters
and mascots

74. 3. Enrich emergent writing by providing
audio-visual materials and computer
software for sound discrimination and letter
writing, picture recognition and number
writing, for signs and logos discrimination
4. Nature emergent writing through whole
family participation in writing activities.
• First marking attempts on paper, or even on walls
• Scribbling, squiggling
• Copying, imitating adult-writing, tracing
• Drawing, finger-painting

75. • Invented spelling
• Writing his name
• Drawing as if telling a story
• Producing lines, shapes
• Communicating to family members
through writing simple notes or letters
sending greeting cards and texting.

76. 5. Establish pleasurable and enjoyable
writing through the following
• Assistance to child’s writing attempts
• Encouragement to identify what he writes
• Interaction with the child about what is being
written
• Invitation to observe adult writing and to try
make one for himself
• Display of early writings to be enjoyed
• Response to his queries with information and
explanation.

77. The Role of the School in
Promoting Early Literacy
1. The school must take home literacy as the
basis for early literacy instruction
2. The school must collaborate with the
parents to better understand the early
literacy of an individual learner.
3. The school must always recognize the
individuality of each learner to better
understand his being and emergent readers
and writer.

78. 4. The school must always consider the every
child is an emerging learner.
5. The school must provide meaningful literacy
events for emerging learners.
6. The school must recognize that children are
active constructors of their own learning, but
the teacher’s scaffolding is necessary, and is
minimized until they can work independently.

79. 7. The school must create a literacy environment
both with guided and free play, sensitive and
circle time. In this way, the young learners will
realize that learning is pleasurable but needs
discipline, and is successful with adult
supervision.
8. The collaboration of parents, teachers, school
administrators and the active participation of
the young learners is the key to effective early
literacy education.