Emergent Literacy

During the emergent literacy stage, children are able to speak and begin to learn how to read and write by associating letter shapes with some sounds. When given a writing utensil such as a crayon or marker and paper, children will scribble and call it “writing.” Typically, they make these initial connections with their names or prominent symbols in their everyday lives. Often, this stage is reached during the pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten years.

During my Kindergarten year, I used only the most advanced technology—paper, crayons, and the occasional marker—and learned the basics about reading and writing. As a class, we copied letters in both print and cursive and repeated the sounds associated with them.

First, we learned how to write our names, and upon mastering that task, our teacher, Mrs. Young, organized a parade in which we were to dress up as the letter of our first name and decorate the costumes with a something that began with that letter. Obviously, I was “R” and had chosen rubber bands to represent me. Here I am in all my glory:


Outside of school, however, my parents exposed me to more advanced types of technology. My dad worked for the Department of Defense, and on occasion, he was allowed to bring his computer home with him. At the time, his IBM 5120 computer system was the cutting edge of technology.


Sometimes, he would let us play computer games on it. Dig Dug was our favorite game, and in playing it, my siblings and I learned rudimentary keyboard navigation.



The game was very simple. In order to progress through the various levels, the character had to dig underground and eliminate the creatures lurking there. Although very little reading or writing was involved in the game, critical thinking was required. I did not realize it at the time, but this simple computer game caused me to think in non-linear ways and to plan how best to destroy the creatures without being killed by them and without the earth collapsing on “me,” the character inside the game. Thinking in such a way helped me progress to the Initial Reading and Writing Stage.