Building emergent literacy skills lays a strong foundation for lifelong learning for children in your child care center. That’s because children are like sponges, absorbing everything around them!
Let’s answer some questions about emergent literacy and look at ways you can implement this learning into your daycare classrooms!
What is Emergent Literacy?
Emergent literacy has been defined as “those behaviors shown by very young children as they begin to respond to and approximate reading and writing acts,” according to Head Start.
The term refers to the skills, knowledge and attitudes that are developmental precursors to reading and writing. These are the foundational skills that children develop from birth through early childhood that set the stage for conventional literacy.
Unlike traditional literacy that focuses on reading and writing, emergent literacy encompasses a broader spectrum and includes speaking, listening and understanding that written language carries meaning.
But literacy goes beyond reading and writing and there are many ways for young children, including infants and toddlers, to engage with books, Head Start says. They include:
- Holding, tasting and turning the pages
- Having an adult hold the child while reading a book
- Pointing to and talking about the pictures
- Inviting the child to finish or join in saying repetitive phrases
- Asking questions
Stages of Emergent Literacy
The development of emergent literacy follows several stages:
Awareness and Exploration (birth to 3):
- Children begin to understand that print and symbols have meaning.
- They show interest in books and storytelling.
- They start to recognigze logos and signs.
Experimental Reading and Writing (ages 3 to 5):
- Children start to scribble and draw, which are early forms of writing.
- They begin to understand that words are made up of letters and sounds.
- Storytelling and pretend reading become more prevalent.
Preschoolers begin to understand that language is composed of discrete sound elements that have their own meaning, according to Maryville University.
Singing songs, playing word games, and reading stories and poetry aloud help make children aware of phonological distinctions in the words, phrases and sentences they’re using. (Check out our blog explaining the difference between phonemic awareness and phonological awareness to learn more!)
Early Reading and Writing (ages 5 to 7):
- Children can recognize high-frequency words and simple sentences.
- They start to write simple words and sentences.
- They understand the basic concepts of print, such as reading from left to right.
Transitional Reading and Writing (ages 7 and up):
- Children read with increasing fluency and comprehension.
- Writing becomes more structured, with the use of paragraphs and punctuation.
- They begin to use writing for different purposes, such as storytelling, journaling, and reporting.
Examples of Emergent Literacy
Emergent literacy can be observed in various everyday activities, for example:
- A toddler flipping through the pages of a book and babbling as if reading.
- A preschooler drawing a series of pictures and telling a story about them.
- A child recognizing and naming the letters in their name.
- Kids using play to mimic reading and writing behaviors, such as pretending to write a grocery list.
Developing Emergent Literacy Skills in Daycare Classrooms
To cultivate emergent literacy skills in your daycare, consider implementing the following strategies:
Create a Print-Rich Environment: Label objects and areas in the classroom and display alphabets, numbers and shapes. Provide a variety of books and reading materials accessible at all times.
Model Reading and Writing Behaviors: Read aloud to children regularly, showing enthusiasm and expression. Write in front of children, explaining what you’re doing and why. Encourage children to join in storytelling or acting out stories.
Engage in Conversations: Ask open-ended questions to stimulate thinking and language use. Encourage children to describe their actions, thoughts and feelings. Expand on children’s language to introduce new vocabulary and concepts.
Emergent Literacy Activities for Preschoool
Here are some engaging activities to promote emergent literacy among preschoolers:
Storytime Sessions: Choose a variety of books including picture books, nursery rhymes and interactive books. Encourage children to predict what will happen next in the story!
Alphabet Games: Use alphabet blocks or magnets to help children recognize and spell out letters. Play games like “I Spy” with letters and sounds.
Writing Centers: Set up areas with various writing tools such as crayons, markers and paper. Encourage children to draw and write freely.
Pretend Play: Create thematic play areas such as a grocery store or post office where children can role-play using reading and writing.
Songs and Rhymes: Incorporate songs and rhymes that emphasize phonemic awareness and language rhythms.
How Procare Can Help!
Fostering emergent literacy in daycare settings is essential for children’s development as future readers and writers. By understanding the stages of emergent literacy and incorporating engaging activities, early childhood educators can create a nurturing environment in which children develop a love for reading and writing.
Procare Early Learning powered by Learning Beyond Paper is an all-digital early childhood curriculum specifically designed to meet the unique needs of educating children from infancy through pre-kindergarten.
The curriculum is embedded into Procare, making it easier and less time-consuming for busy teachers and administrators to provide high-quality education.
With Procare Early Learning powered by Learning Beyond Paper, child care centers can:
- Equip teachers with state-of-the-art online curriculum at their fingertips
- Dramatically reduce the amount of time spent on lesson planning each week
- Offer children a high-quality, developmentally appropriate curriculum
- Save money with this cost-efficient solution that’s integrated with Procare
This curriculum can be used in ALL child care center classrooms, with 52 weeks of lesson plans and more than 4,000 daily activities for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and pre-kindergarteners. Learning areas include STEAM, language and literacy, physical development, cognitive, music and movement as well as interactive reading. Plus, teachers get tips and tools.
Procare is the only solution that can deliver the entire early childhood education ecosystem — lesson planning, lesson delivery within the classroom as well as assessment and parent engagement. Being able to do all of these with one platform simplifies classroom management and planning!
How much time and money could your child care center save using a digital curriculum designed for young learners? Enter your number of staff, number of students and type of program into our online calculator to see your potential time and money savings!
Procare Cost and Time Savings Calculator Automated Payment Processing Cost & Time Savings Calculator Digital Curriculum Cost and Time Savings Calculator
Calculate your potential cost and time savings by using Procare’s all-in-one child care management software. All we will need from you is some information about your child care location*: Calculate your potential cost and time savings by using Procare’s secure and effortless child care payment processing. All we will need from you is some information about your child care location*: Calculate your potential cost and time savings by using Procare’s classroom management. All we will need from you is some information about your child care location*:
* Our data model is based on our experience working with over 100,000 child care centers, before and after school programs and youth organizations since 1992.
Switching to will save you hours and a month!*
| Manual | Procare | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time(hr/month) | Cost($/month) | Time(hr/month) | Cost($/month) | |
| Family Registration | ||||
| Attendance Tracking | ||||
| Family Communication and Engagement | ||||
| Financials | ||||
| Payment Processing | ||||
| Classroom Management |
| Family Registration | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual | Procare | ||
| Time(hr/month) | Cost($/month) | Time(hr/month) | Cost($/month) |
| Attendance Tracking | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual | Procare | ||
| Time(hr/month) | Cost($/month) | Time(hr/month) | Cost($/month) |
| Family Communication and Engagement | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual | Procare | ||
| Time(hr/month) | Cost($/month) | Time(hr/month) | Cost($/month) |
| Financials | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual | Procare | ||
| Time(hr/month) | Cost($/month) | Time(hr/month) | Cost($/month) |
| Payment Processing | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual | Procare | ||
| Time(hr/month) | Cost($/month) | Time(hr/month) | Cost($/month) |
| Classroom Management | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual | Procare | ||
| Time(hr/month) | Cost($/month) | Time(hr/month) | Cost($/month) |
We understand that smaller centers and in-home daycare providers are operating on a tight budget, and that is why we provide all these features for the affordable price of just $25 per month. Let us handle the business of child care so you can get back to caring for your children.
To learn more about Procare home version, click below.
*Please note that the report you see only factors in cost and time savings for the in-home solution features. For Procare home version users that are interested in seeing how they can benefit from Procare’s full suite of capabilities, contact us today to speak to a Procare representative. *Please note that the report you see only factors in cost and time savings for the in-home solution features. For Procare home version users that are interested in seeing how they can benefit from Procare’s full suite of capabilities, contact us today to speak to a Procare representative. *Please note that the classroom management functionality is not available for in-home users. For Procare home version users that are interested in seeing how they can benefit from Procare’s full suite of capabilities, contact us today to speak to a Procare representative.
| Cost & Time Savings | |
|---|---|
| Date | |
| Automation | |
| Number of Staff | |
| Number of Students | |
| Hourly Rate | |
| Savings per Month | |
Procare Cost and Time Savings Calculator
| Family Registration | Manual | Procare | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task | Time(hr/month) | Cost($/month) | Time(hr/month) | Cost($/month) |
| Enrollment | ||||
| Waitlist / Lead Management | ||||
| eDocuments | ||||
| Family Data Entry / Management | ||||
| Health and Immunization Records | ||||
| Total per month |
| Attendance Tracking | Manual | Procare | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task | Time(hr/month) | Cost($/month) | Time(hr/month) | Cost($/month) |
| Check-in/Check-out | ||||
| Class Roster Management | ||||
| Teacher-Student Ratio Tracking | ||||
| Total per month |
| Family Communication and Engagement | Manual | Procare | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task | Time(hr/month) | Cost($/month) | Time(hr/month) | Cost($/month) |
| Child Activity Tracking | ||||
| Family Messaging | ||||
| Staff Messaging | ||||
| Meal Planning | ||||
| Total per month |
| Financials | Manual | Procare | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task | Time(hr/month) | Cost($/month) | Time(hr/month) | Cost($/month) |
| Payroll | ||||
| Financial Reporting | ||||
| Business Planning and Reporting | ||||
| Staff Time Tracking / Scheduling | ||||
| Total per month |
