Emergent literacy includes two components, reading and writing. You have just finished reading and learning about emergent reading. In this section you will focus on the emergent writing. Just as children grow in their ability to name and recognize alphabet letters, they also gain skills in using letter-like shapes, symbols, and letters to convey meaning, as well as develop age-appropriate skills for writing the letters. Children’s knowledge of the structure of written composition is demonstrated in their dictated stories and their own beginning forms of written expression.

Objectives

Listed below are the objectives that will be covered in this unit.

• To learn how to provide meaningful and purposeful writing opportunities to motivate and encourage children to explore print.
  
• To demonstrate how writing with children influences the way they learn to communicate through writing.
  
• To examine the skills and strategies needed to know how coach children in writing throughout the year keeping in mind developmental needs of each child.

As You Read, Think About…..

• What are some things you can do in your classroom to make daily writing activities playful and play-based?
  
• When do key opportunities occur throughout your day for writing with children?

You are now ready to begin the section on Emergent Writing Development.