Literacy Areas
The review and synthesis of the literacy learning literature includes studies that have examined the development of six interrelated areas of early literacy skills.
| Areas | Definition |
|---|---|
| Alphabetic and Print Awareness |
Ability to recognize the letters of the alphabet in isolation, the context of word recognition and word use, and the ability to "read" words and text accurately and quickly (fluency). This includes the "translation of units of print(graphemes) to units of sound (phonemes)...at the most basic level this requires the ability to distinguish letters" (Whitehurst & Lonigan, 2001, p. 16). |
| Written Language | Ability to represent ideas or words in a printed or written format. This includes learning to differentiate the elements of the written system (e.g., letters and words) (Dyson, 2002). |
| Text Comprehension |
Ability to understand and process the meaning of ideas represented in text. Reading and text comprehension is the process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through interaction and involvement with written language consisting of three elements: text, reader, and activity/purpose for reading (Snow, 2002). |
| Phonological Awareness |
Ability to recognize, manipulate, and use sounds in words, including the ability to hear and discriminate the sounds in language. This includes the "general ability to attend to the sounds of language as distinct from its meaning, noticing similarities between words in their sounds, enjoying rhymes, counting syllables, and so forth are indicators of such metaphonological skills" (Snow et al., 1998, p. 52). |
| Oral Language | Ability to use words to communicate ideas and thoughts and to use language as a tool to communicate to others. Oral language "consists of the use of words and rules for organizing words and changing them and the abilities to listen and accurately reconstruct what is said on the basis of understanding" (Roskos et al., 2004, pp. 6-7). |
| Listening Comprehension |
Ability to process and understand the meaning of spoken words. Listening comprehension entails the decoding of words and sentences and the meaning of what is spoken and heard (Biemiller, 2003; Hare & Devine, 1983). |
Sources
Armbruster, B. B., Lehr, F., & Osborn, J. (2003). A child becomes a reader: Birth through preschool. Washington, DC: National Institute for Literacy.
Biemiller, A. (2003, Spring). Oral comprehension sets the ceiling on reading comprehension. American Educator. Retrieved November 9, 2006, from http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/american_educator/
spring2003/biemiller.html.
Dyson, A. H. (2002). Writing and children's symbolic repertoires: Developmental unhinged. In S. B. Neuman & D. K. Dickinson (Eds.), Handbook of early literacy research. New York: Guildford Press.
Hare, V. C., & Devine, D. A. (1983). Topical knowldege and topical interest predictors of listening comprehension. Journal of Educational Research, 76, 157-160.
Roskos, K. A., Tabors, P. O., & Lenhart, L. A. (2004). Oral language and early literacy in preschool. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Snow, C. (2202). Reading for understanding: Toward an R&D program in reading comprehension. New Your: RAND Corporation.
Snow, C. E., Burns, M. S., & Griffin, P. (Eds.). (1998). Preventing reading difficulties in young children. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Whitehurst, G. J., & Lonigan, C. J. (2001). Emergent literacy: Development from prereaders to readers. In S. B. Neuman & D. K. Dickinson (Eds.), Handbook of early literacy research (pp. 11-29). New York: Guilford Press.
