What is a characteristic of emergent literacy?

Emergent literacy encompasses the foundational skills and understandings that children develop before they can read and write independently. One key characteristic of emergent literacy is awareness of print, which includes recognizing that print carries meaning, understanding the conventions of writing, and being able to identify letters, words, and sentences. This awareness is crucial because it sets the stage for future reading and writing skills.

Children displaying emergent literacy often engage with books and printed material, becoming familiar with how to hold a book, the direction of reading (left to right in many languages), and the difference between pictures and words. This foundational knowledge is essential for their transition into more advanced literacy skills, such as decoding or analyzing texts, which come later in their development.