, Question 1 [30]
1.1. The Common Thread Between Emergent Speaking, Emergent Reading, and Emergent
Writing
The statement that language is central to literacy implies that all emergent literacy skills are
fundamentally rooted in the same developmental process: the gradual, socially mediated
construction of meaning through communication. Emergent speaking, reading, and writing are not
isolated competencies but interrelated strands of a single linguistic fabric. The common thread
binding them is that each represents a child’s growing understanding that language—whether
spoken, read, or written—carries meaning and serves a purpose in social interaction (EML1501,
2018, p. 2).
a. Emergent speaking is the earliest manifestation of this thread. Before children can read or write,
they learn that sounds and words convey needs, feelings, and ideas. Emergent speaking involves
listening, phonological awareness, vocabulary growth, and narrative skills (EML1501, 2018, pp. 5-6).
The common thread here is that speaking emerges through interaction with adults who model
language and respond to the child’s attempts. Without this oral foundation, reading and writing
lack a “voice” to internalise. Thus, emergent speaking provides the raw material—sounds, words,
sentence patterns—that later become mapped onto print.
b. Emergent reading shares this thread by demonstrating that children recognise print as
representing spoken language. When a child “reads” a billboard, turns pages of a book, or pretends
to read a story, they are applying their oral language knowledge to visual symbols (EML1501, 2018,
pp. 8, 40-41). The common thread is that emergent reading is not decoding in a formal sense but
rather making sense of print using the same meaning-making strategies developed through
speaking and listening. For example, a child who can tell a story orally will later understand that a
written story follows a similar sequence. Thus, emergent reading transforms spoken language into
a permanent, visual form.
c. Emergent writing completes the thread by showing that children can produce their own
meaningful marks on paper, just as they produce spoken words. Scribbling, drawing, and invented
spelling are not random but intentional attempts to communicate—much like babbling in speaking
(EML1501, 2018, pp. 7, 64-67). The common thread is that children believe their marks carry a
message, and they expect adults to “read” those marks as they would read speech. This
demonstrates an understanding that writing is language made visible. Moreover, emergent writing
depends on the same oral language skills (vocabulary, phonemic awareness) and print awareness
that support emergent reading.
The overarching common thread across all three skills is that children are active constructors of
literacy long before formal instruction. They observe that adults speak, read, and write for real
purposes—to request, inform, remember, or enjoy. Children then imitate these behaviours in
playful, self-directed ways. Whether babbling, pretending to read a story, or scribbling a shopping
list, the child is practising the same core insight: language is a tool for meaning-making across
different modes (oral, written, and read). The environment—home, community, and
classroom—provides the models and materials, but the child’s innate drive to communicate
, weaves the thread from emergent speaking through to emergent reading and writing (EML1501,
2018, pp. 4, 11-12).
In conclusion, the common thread is meaningful communication. Emergent speaking gives children
a voice; emergent reading shows them that others’ voices can be captured in print; and emergent
writing allows them to leave their own voice on paper. Together, they form an integrated
foundation for conventional literacy, all rooted in language as the central human capacity for
sharing meaning.
1.2 Evaluate the role of parents in promoting print awareness at home. (5)
Parents play a crucial role in promoting print awareness—the understanding that print carries
meaning, that it is organised in specific ways (e.g., left to right, top to bottom), and that letters
form words. According to the EML1501 study guide, important literacy skills begin in infancy,
making parents the first significant adults in a child’s reading process (EML1501, 2018, p. 12). Their
role can be evaluated as follows:
Firstly, parents create a print-rich home environment by using food labels, detergent packets,
shopping lists, and notices on the refrigerator. These everyday prints help children recognise that
written words are meaningful and serve practical purposes (EML1501, 2018, p. 48). Secondly,
parents model reading behaviours by reading books, magazines, or even recipes aloud, which
teaches children how to handle books, turn pages, and follow words from left to right (EML1501,
2018, p. 8). Thirdly, parents actively engage children in print-related activities, such as writing a
grocery list together or pointing out logos like “Vodacom” or “Omo” during outings. This incidental
learning builds sight vocabulary and reinforces that print can be “read” (EML1501, 2018, p. 48).
Fourthly, parents respond positively to children’s early attempts at reading print, as seen in the
case study of Thabo whose mother repeated the words he identified on billboards, thereby
reinforcing his learning and building his confidence (EML1501, 2018, p. 47). Finally, parents who
read stories to their children daily expose them to the organisation of books, the connection
between spoken and written words, and the enjoyment of reading—all of which are foundational
to print awareness (EML1501, 2018, p. 45).
In summary, parents are indispensable in promoting print awareness because they provide the
natural, informal, and consistent exposure to print that young children need before formal
schooling begins. Without parental involvement, children may enter school lacking basic knowledge
about how print functions.
1.1. The Common Thread Between Emergent Speaking, Emergent Reading, and Emergent
Writing
The statement that language is central to literacy implies that all emergent literacy skills are
fundamentally rooted in the same developmental process: the gradual, socially mediated
construction of meaning through communication. Emergent speaking, reading, and writing are not
isolated competencies but interrelated strands of a single linguistic fabric. The common thread
binding them is that each represents a child’s growing understanding that language—whether
spoken, read, or written—carries meaning and serves a purpose in social interaction (EML1501,
2018, p. 2).
a. Emergent speaking is the earliest manifestation of this thread. Before children can read or write,
they learn that sounds and words convey needs, feelings, and ideas. Emergent speaking involves
listening, phonological awareness, vocabulary growth, and narrative skills (EML1501, 2018, pp. 5-6).
The common thread here is that speaking emerges through interaction with adults who model
language and respond to the child’s attempts. Without this oral foundation, reading and writing
lack a “voice” to internalise. Thus, emergent speaking provides the raw material—sounds, words,
sentence patterns—that later become mapped onto print.
b. Emergent reading shares this thread by demonstrating that children recognise print as
representing spoken language. When a child “reads” a billboard, turns pages of a book, or pretends
to read a story, they are applying their oral language knowledge to visual symbols (EML1501, 2018,
pp. 8, 40-41). The common thread is that emergent reading is not decoding in a formal sense but
rather making sense of print using the same meaning-making strategies developed through
speaking and listening. For example, a child who can tell a story orally will later understand that a
written story follows a similar sequence. Thus, emergent reading transforms spoken language into
a permanent, visual form.
c. Emergent writing completes the thread by showing that children can produce their own
meaningful marks on paper, just as they produce spoken words. Scribbling, drawing, and invented
spelling are not random but intentional attempts to communicate—much like babbling in speaking
(EML1501, 2018, pp. 7, 64-67). The common thread is that children believe their marks carry a
message, and they expect adults to “read” those marks as they would read speech. This
demonstrates an understanding that writing is language made visible. Moreover, emergent writing
depends on the same oral language skills (vocabulary, phonemic awareness) and print awareness
that support emergent reading.
The overarching common thread across all three skills is that children are active constructors of
literacy long before formal instruction. They observe that adults speak, read, and write for real
purposes—to request, inform, remember, or enjoy. Children then imitate these behaviours in
playful, self-directed ways. Whether babbling, pretending to read a story, or scribbling a shopping
list, the child is practising the same core insight: language is a tool for meaning-making across
different modes (oral, written, and read). The environment—home, community, and
classroom—provides the models and materials, but the child’s innate drive to communicate
, weaves the thread from emergent speaking through to emergent reading and writing (EML1501,
2018, pp. 4, 11-12).
In conclusion, the common thread is meaningful communication. Emergent speaking gives children
a voice; emergent reading shows them that others’ voices can be captured in print; and emergent
writing allows them to leave their own voice on paper. Together, they form an integrated
foundation for conventional literacy, all rooted in language as the central human capacity for
sharing meaning.
1.2 Evaluate the role of parents in promoting print awareness at home. (5)
Parents play a crucial role in promoting print awareness—the understanding that print carries
meaning, that it is organised in specific ways (e.g., left to right, top to bottom), and that letters
form words. According to the EML1501 study guide, important literacy skills begin in infancy,
making parents the first significant adults in a child’s reading process (EML1501, 2018, p. 12). Their
role can be evaluated as follows:
Firstly, parents create a print-rich home environment by using food labels, detergent packets,
shopping lists, and notices on the refrigerator. These everyday prints help children recognise that
written words are meaningful and serve practical purposes (EML1501, 2018, p. 48). Secondly,
parents model reading behaviours by reading books, magazines, or even recipes aloud, which
teaches children how to handle books, turn pages, and follow words from left to right (EML1501,
2018, p. 8). Thirdly, parents actively engage children in print-related activities, such as writing a
grocery list together or pointing out logos like “Vodacom” or “Omo” during outings. This incidental
learning builds sight vocabulary and reinforces that print can be “read” (EML1501, 2018, p. 48).
Fourthly, parents respond positively to children’s early attempts at reading print, as seen in the
case study of Thabo whose mother repeated the words he identified on billboards, thereby
reinforcing his learning and building his confidence (EML1501, 2018, p. 47). Finally, parents who
read stories to their children daily expose them to the organisation of books, the connection
between spoken and written words, and the enjoyment of reading—all of which are foundational
to print awareness (EML1501, 2018, p. 45).
In summary, parents are indispensable in promoting print awareness because they provide the
natural, informal, and consistent exposure to print that young children need before formal
schooling begins. Without parental involvement, children may enter school lacking basic knowledge
about how print functions.
