Emergent literacy is defined as the developmental steps a young child takes prior to actually reading a

text, including interacting with a book, responding to texts, and pretending at reading or writing before
actually being able to do so. A student who has achieved emergent literacy has oral language skills,
phonological awareness, print awareness and letter awareness.

The period when students develop emergent literacy is significant in terms of their overall enjoyment of
reading and ability to read effectively. If a child perceives reading as a fun activity during these
developmental stages, these feelings are likely to continue as they get older. Parents and teachers who
engage kids with books and showcase reading as a pleasurable activity set the stage for them to become
strong readers.