Early Literacy

Behavior

Behavior of
Emergent
Literacy

From the moment of the 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.
Goodman (1984) reported that many children
have already known certain things which are
necessary for reading and writing competencies.

Literacy learning begins early in life and is ongoing. Literacy is viewed as developmental
which exemplified by content development of
literacy with oral language, by learning to read
write as social and cognitive endeavours.
Vygotskys assertions about higher mental
functions as internalized social relationships
show that children increase their independent
engagement in reading activities, with previously
acquired interaction with more literate others,
such as their parents.

Literacy
development begins
with childrens first
experience with
print.

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
behaviour.

The behaviour provided for is a guide:

1. To determine which behaviour can be identified
for acquisition,
2. To recognize which behaviour can be associated
with approximation,
3. To identify which behaviour can be linked to
development.

Holdway describes young childrens

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.
Meek (1982) describes learning to read in the
early stage, like everything else as a child has
come to know, as an approximation of adult
behavior with a genuine, meaningful function.

In the course of their childhood literacy skills

are developed.
Teachers also enhance their early literacy skills
through free.
Not all preschool kids possess the same skills or
demonstrate the same behaviour.
Moreover, these behaviours are not
generalizable in terms of age since emerging
kids vary with respect to their readiness.

Physical
Abilities

Language Skills

Reading Skills

playing toys
manipulating
clays, blocks,
legos
attempting
puzzle work
putting together
toy parts
dismantling toy
parts
holding and
using pencil
holding and
using crayon
finger pain ting

humming
imitating
familiar sound
singing
counting
reciting
producing
pleasant sound
to imitate
reading voice
using
incomprehensibl
e language but
perceived as
reading

browsing books
and other
colorful reading
materials
looking at
pictures and
other print
materials
eyes focused
intently on
books
recognizing
letters, numbers
recognizing
pictures
observing adult
reading

Writing Skills

scribbling
squiggling
drawing
tracing
coloring
interested in
pencil and
paper activities
attempting to
make marks on
paper
recognizing
lines and
shapes
imitating adult
writing

Roneth R.
Dela Cruz
3CC1