Emergent literacy includes two components, reading and writing. Learning to read and learning to write are among the most important tasks, and achievements, of young children today. These skills open the door to a world of learning, discovery, and creativity found in written texts and in the writings of the children themselves.

In Unit 3 we will discuss emergent reading. Children who show increasing motivation for reading, develop age-appropriate phonological (sound) awareness, have a knowledge of the alphabetic code (recognizing letters and sounds of letters), and an understanding of text read aloud (comprehension) will enter kindergarten with a stronger readiness for learning to read and ability to understand text independently.

Objectives

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

• To understand the influence of families and teachers on children’s motivation to read.
  
• To demonstrate knowledge of age-appropriate phonological awareness skills and strategies for implementation.
  
• To identify alphabetic knowledge and skills typically acquired by four-year-old children.
  
• To understand the importance of helping four-year-old children talk about and retell stories from books read to them.

As You Read, Think About...

• How do you motivate young children to want to learn to read?
  
• How do you encourage children to “play with sounds" in words?
  
• How do you expose children to print?
  
• How do you help young children understand and think about the books you read to them?

You are now ready to begin the section on Motivation for Reading.