Reading & Writing (Literacy)
Before children learn to read, there are important pre-literacy skills that begin to develop in the preschool years. Research shows that the following pre-literacy skills are important for children to succeed in reading and writing.
- Oral language
- Phonological awareness
- Print awareness
Please refer to this page to learn more about the different components of language. Oral language is important, as it “functions as a foundation for literacy and as the means of learning in school and out” (Fillmore & Snow, 2002).
Phonological awareness is the ability to identify and manipulate words, sounds and syllables.
Print awareness is the knowledge that print holds meaning and follows certain conventions and rules. At a young age, children begin to learn that print holds meaning - for example, children begin to understand that road signs are informative (e.g., a stop sign), a book tells a story, and a menu displays food choices at a restaurant. Children also learn about the conventions and rules of a certain language. For example, in English, print goes from left to right and from top to bottom and punctuation holds meaning.
Please refer to this comprehensive table to review literacy milestones for children.