Shared Reading Research

Emergent literacy is the earliest period or stage of learning to read and write (Temple, Crawford, Ogle & Freppon, 2014, p13). It is a process involving the development of language and print concepts, especially as they begin to link together. Children learn how to read before they are taught how to read. Starting as early as birth, they acquire some knowledge about language, reading and writing prior to entering school. The development occurs in the everyday contexts of the home and the community. Nevertheless, there are several elements for children to acquire in order to fully develop their awareness of literacy.

Learning to read is beginning to develop earlier in elementary grades. Students are expected to be emergent readers by the time he or she leaves kindergarten and enters first grade. If a child is not, he or she is labeled as being behind. According to Hughes (2007) emergent readers are using early reading strategies in consistently, read easy patterned text, retell text with simple storyline, and respond to text at a literal level. Hughes (2007) also says literacy develops in young children through play, daily conversation and interactions with text of all kinds. Many children come with emergent literacy skills; can recognize signs and labels, scribble letters, retell stories by pointing at pictures and talking about them, and some have varying degrees of phonemic and phonological awareness. This essay will define and explain implication for each theory in learning to read.

Through the course, I learned that there are many benefits of reading books to children. Children would improve their communicative skills by talking about their favorite part of the story. Children would respect each other by taking turns. They would improve their cognitive skills by predicting the events of a story. Moreover, reading books would expand children’s vocabularies by introducing new words.

Regardless of the fact that children start in the same spot when it comes to learning, every child is different therefore, there are possibilities to developmental delays. During one’s middle childhood period, cognitive processes, among many other factors are developing. Children encounter many hardships during this time. Learning to read is a major developmental challenge for many kids. According to an article regarding struggling readers, “learning to read is a challenge for almost 40% of kids” (Reading Rockets, 2015). As life progresses, so does a child’s development and how they manage to go through life day by day. The challenge of learning to read can definitely affect the adults present in a child’s life. Teachers and parents are two of the biggest roles in a child’s life that has to deal with this obstacle in development. A teacher needs his or her students to become well-rounded educated citizens. However, this period of time is definitely one of the hardest stages for teachers to be successful educating all of their students only because this is the time in the learner’s life where they are being taught many different new concepts required in life for them to

Recently the term “reading readiness” has given way “emergent literacy” by which we mean the many skills children need for reading and writing. From the time they were born and continuing through the preschool years, each child picks up in his or her own way. Listening, speaking, reading and writing are all part of emergent literacy. Literacy really begins when an infant coos or babbles, then hears those sound repeated by a responsive and loving adults. These early conversation, which can make adults feel a little silly, and a gentle introduction to spoken language

Children can take more than one of these steps at the same time. This list of steps, though, gives you a general idea of how your child will progress toward reading.” (Helping your child become a reader) While these ideas may seem structured, it is also important to allow children to be creative and use their imagination. Although reading is imperative, too many arrangements and rules can turn a child off and lead to feelings of resentment, anger, and resistance. Reading should be set to the tone and pace of the child.

Last night I started my project and I had the pleasure of starting my shared reading project with a young girl named Ahriah. The first step of this assignment was to gather the child’s concept of print while reading to them. This was my first time meeting Ahriah, although I have met her father many times before since he is a friend of my partner. Ahriah is four years old; she doesn’t go to school yet, but she goes to a daycare program. Afterwards when she is done with her daycare program she spends the rest of the day with her dad. Ahriah has an older brother whose name is Jack and he is eight years old. Jack is fluent in literacy and language for his age range. Ahriah on the other hand, seems to be having trouble. Watt, Ahriah’s dad tells

Reading books aloud to children from a very young age stimulates their imagination and helps with their social and emotional development. When children are read to they are can express their emotions clearer and develop their social skills. Children learn how to pronounce their words, build on their listening skills and also help them to improve on their spelling when they begin to read for themselves.

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Reading aloud to infants and toddlers stimulates healthy human development, especially in regards to early language and literacy skills (Denny). By reading aloud to infants and toddlers on a regular basis, parents can provide a base for literacy skills that will lead to reading achievements later in life. The U.S. Department of Education article entitled Start Early,

Reading is a skill often taken for granted but it is essential in order to progress in life. For a child being able to read well helps them learn new things, give ideas and enables use of imagination. National literacy trust (2015) suggests that children’s early language skills can have a major impact on a child’s development of literacy skills. Five-year olds with poor language and literacy have a higher risk of underachieving at age seven and beyond. Reading skills encourage more opportunities in life and it can affect a child’s wellbeing if they do not achieve this effectively (Finnegan,2015).

My philosophy of literacy is centered on providing a learning environment rich in authentic literature, instruction that is engaging, fun, and balanced, collaborative, and also involving families in the child’s education. My ultimate goal of literacy instruction is to help children become lifelong readers and writers by providing the skills necessary to comprehend, construct, and make meaning of text, speak, and write. (Torgesen, 2002). According to the National Reading Panel, there are five essential components that must be taught in effective reading programs: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. (Reading Horizons). According to Konza (2014), reading instruction should be changed to six foundational reading elements, adding oral language and early literacy. I also believe that early literacy should be

Literacy consists of a range of ways to understand and decode symbols for communication in a community (Barratt-Pugh & Rohl, 2000, p. 25). Emergent literacy is a term used to describe how young children interact with books, reading and writing (What is Emergent Literacy, 2006, p.1). Emerging literacy is an ongoing process and to ensure this process is successful children need to be stimulated through active engagement with books and writing opportunities.

By the mid-1980s emergent reading/literacy became accepted among researchers, early educators, and reading teachers. Emergent literacy appeared as an ERIC descriptor and was recognized as a justifiable area of work in the conventions of the National Association for the Education of the Young Children, the National Reading Conference, the International Reading Association, and other professional organizations (Teale, 1995). According to Teale, the emergent literacy model for preschool reading instruction had far-reaching implications. Daily interactions between parents or other caregivers and children in the home environment were emphasized. The shift to an emergent literacy perspective in the preschool and pre-kindergarten environments meant that reading needed to be taught in those settings (Teale, 1995; Roberts, Jurgens, Burchinal, 2005). In other words, adults in those environments must be considered as the child

Many people appreciate “the smell of the paper and the feeling of holding it in our hands” (Marcovitz 55). Many people prefer the flipping of pages rather than the swipe of the screen. Some people still do not know how or why they should use electronic devices for reading. “It’s no wonder that a lot of the people I talk to are confused by ebooks. They don’t know which way to turn, which e-reader to use, or why they should even use them” (Merkoski 161). It is important for children to know what a real book is like. “Without the balance of children holding and touching and learning how to take care of a book, you run the risk of children losing a sense of what books are and how they feel… you lose the understanding on how they came to be (66-67). Only using electronic devices for reading loses a person’s touch with the past and with