Oklahoma State Assessment Test (OSAT) Early Childhood Education 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The term "emergent literacy" refers to the skills and knowledge that develop into reading and writing. This concept encompasses a wide range of early literacy experiences that children encounter before they can read or write independently. It includes an understanding of the purposes of reading and writing, recognizing and producing spoken words, and developing phonological awareness.

Emergent literacy emphasizes the gradual, continuous learning process that occurs in young children, starting from infancy through preschool years, where they begin to make sense of print and the conventions of writing. This foundational understanding sets the stage for their future literacy development, illustrating that literacy is not just the end product of reading and writing skills, but also the cumulative process of building knowledge through various experiences like storytelling, shared reading, and play with letters and sounds.