Chapter 1
Phonological and Phonemic Awareness and Emergent Literacy
Course: Elementary Education Multiple Subjects 7001
Subject: Elementary Education Teaching Reading Subtest 7002
Chapter: Phonological And Phonemic Awareness And Emergent Literacy
Concepts about print refer to a foundational set of understandings that children must acquire in the early stages of literacy development. These concepts include the recognition that print has meaning, that it is organized in specific ways, and that there is a predictable relationship between spoken and written language. Mastery of these concepts is essential for children to become successful readers and writers.
In English, these concepts include understanding the directionality of print (left to right, top to bottom), the idea of return sweep (moving from the end of one line to the beginning of the next), book-handling skills (identifying the front cover, back cover, title page, and the way pages turn), and the recognition that print carries meaning (print tells the story, not the pictures).