Final answer:
The correct answer is 'a. Cognitive processes', as they include activities crucial for learning, memory, and language, all necessary for literacy skills like reading, spelling, and writing during early education.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks about the predictors of literacy skills such as the ability to read, spell, and write during early schooling. The correct answer to fill in the blanks would be 'a. Cognitive processes'. These processes include a range of mental activities that contribute to functions such as learning, memory, and language development.
For instance, cognitive learning is a complex type of learning involving brain processes such as perception, thinking, problem-solving, and understanding language. Notably, development and use of language are crucial for reading and writing, which is an integral part of school education.
It should be mentioned here that dyslexia is a common learning disability associated with difficulties in processing language. Dyslexia does not reflect an overall deficit in cognition, but rather a specialized issue with the way letters and words are processed by the brain.
On the other hand, emotional intelligence revolves around the understanding of one's own emotions and those of others, which, although important in broader educational and social contexts, is not a direct predictor of reading, spelling, and writing skills in the early grades.