Literacy and Writing Skills

Literacy and Writing

Emergent literacy begins at birth and continues through the preschool years. Skills important to the development of literacy (reading and writing) are developed during these first years of life.  Learning to read and write requires phonological awareness. Children who enter elementary school with weaker verbal abilities are much more likely to experience difficulties learning literacy skills than those who do not.  Reading and writing skills continue to develop throughout a child’s educational experience for more advanced comprehension and expression of language.

Higher Level Language Skills

Higher Level Language Skills

Higher Level/Advanced Language skills are those learned by children in the fifth through twelfth grades. At this stage of development, language is used for intensive social interactions, higher literacy demands, and critical thinking.  Vocabulary acquisition demands increase and students are expected to understand and use language that is more figurative than literal.