, PLEASE USE THIS DOCUMENT AS A GUIDE ONLY
QUESTION 1
1.1. Language is central to literacy and, therefore, also integral to emergent literacy. Based on
this statement, discuss the common thread between the following emergent literacy skills:
a. Emergent speaking
b. Emergent reading
c. Emergent writing
The common thread linking emergent speaking, emergent reading, and emergent writing is that they
are all interdependent, socially constructed processes that begin from birth and develop concurrently
as children actively construct meaning about how oral and written language work. Rather than
developing in isolation, these skills mutually reinforce one another, sharing the foundational goals of
communication, meaning-making, and the understanding that language carries purpose.
Emergent speaking and emergent reading share the common thread of phonological awareness and
vocabulary development. Before children can read, they must learn to listen and speak. The ability to
hear and discriminate between sounds (phonological awareness) is the foundation for both speaking
clearly and later decoding words in reading. For instance, a child who can hear the rhyming words in
a song is simultaneously practising a skill needed for emergent reading. Vocabulary, which develops
through speaking and listening, is a significant predictor of reading comprehension (EML1501,
Study Guide. p. 14). Without a rich oral vocabulary, a child cannot make sense of the words they are
trying to read.
Emergent reading and emergent writing share the common thread of print awareness and alphabet
knowledge. Both skills require the understanding that print carries meaning, that letters are distinct
symbols, and that written language follows conventions such as left-to-right directionality. When a
child pretends to read a book by running their finger under the words, they are demonstrating the
same concept of print needed to write a grocery list. Similarly, alphabet knowledge – recognising
and naming letters – is a prerequisite for both identifying words in a text and forming letters on a
page. The study guide notes that children who can identify letters, especially those in their own
names, show a good predictor of later writing skills (EML1501, Study Guide. p. 71). Thus, reading
provides a model for writing, and writing reinforces the child’s understanding of how reading works.
All three skills are united by the thread of social interaction and imitation within an enabling
environment. Children do not learn to speak, read, or write in a vacuum. They learn to speak by
listening to and imitating adults (EML1501, Study Guide. p. 13). Similarly, they learn emergent
reading by being read to and observing others handle books (EML1501, Study Guide. p. 45), and
they learn emergent writing by watching adults write and then scribbling themselves, believing their
marks carry meaning (EML1501, Study Guide. p. 68). In all three cases, the adult acts as a model
and scaffolder. For example, a child who sees a parent writing a shopping list and is then given paper
to “write” their own list is connecting speaking (“I want chocolate”), reading (recognising the word
on a box), and writing (scribbling to convey the message).
In summary, emergent speaking, reading, and writing are not separate developmental tracks but
interwoven strands of the same rope. They are held together by the threads of sound awareness
(phonology), understanding of print (concepts of print and alphabet), and the social experience of
learning from and with adults. A deficiency in one area will likely affect the others, as all are
foundational to full literacy.
QUESTION 1
1.1. Language is central to literacy and, therefore, also integral to emergent literacy. Based on
this statement, discuss the common thread between the following emergent literacy skills:
a. Emergent speaking
b. Emergent reading
c. Emergent writing
The common thread linking emergent speaking, emergent reading, and emergent writing is that they
are all interdependent, socially constructed processes that begin from birth and develop concurrently
as children actively construct meaning about how oral and written language work. Rather than
developing in isolation, these skills mutually reinforce one another, sharing the foundational goals of
communication, meaning-making, and the understanding that language carries purpose.
Emergent speaking and emergent reading share the common thread of phonological awareness and
vocabulary development. Before children can read, they must learn to listen and speak. The ability to
hear and discriminate between sounds (phonological awareness) is the foundation for both speaking
clearly and later decoding words in reading. For instance, a child who can hear the rhyming words in
a song is simultaneously practising a skill needed for emergent reading. Vocabulary, which develops
through speaking and listening, is a significant predictor of reading comprehension (EML1501,
Study Guide. p. 14). Without a rich oral vocabulary, a child cannot make sense of the words they are
trying to read.
Emergent reading and emergent writing share the common thread of print awareness and alphabet
knowledge. Both skills require the understanding that print carries meaning, that letters are distinct
symbols, and that written language follows conventions such as left-to-right directionality. When a
child pretends to read a book by running their finger under the words, they are demonstrating the
same concept of print needed to write a grocery list. Similarly, alphabet knowledge – recognising
and naming letters – is a prerequisite for both identifying words in a text and forming letters on a
page. The study guide notes that children who can identify letters, especially those in their own
names, show a good predictor of later writing skills (EML1501, Study Guide. p. 71). Thus, reading
provides a model for writing, and writing reinforces the child’s understanding of how reading works.
All three skills are united by the thread of social interaction and imitation within an enabling
environment. Children do not learn to speak, read, or write in a vacuum. They learn to speak by
listening to and imitating adults (EML1501, Study Guide. p. 13). Similarly, they learn emergent
reading by being read to and observing others handle books (EML1501, Study Guide. p. 45), and
they learn emergent writing by watching adults write and then scribbling themselves, believing their
marks carry meaning (EML1501, Study Guide. p. 68). In all three cases, the adult acts as a model
and scaffolder. For example, a child who sees a parent writing a shopping list and is then given paper
to “write” their own list is connecting speaking (“I want chocolate”), reading (recognising the word
on a box), and writing (scribbling to convey the message).
In summary, emergent speaking, reading, and writing are not separate developmental tracks but
interwoven strands of the same rope. They are held together by the threads of sound awareness
(phonology), understanding of print (concepts of print and alphabet), and the social experience of
learning from and with adults. A deficiency in one area will likely affect the others, as all are
foundational to full literacy.
