Final answer:
Children in the emergent readers and writers stage, typically from Pre-K through Grade 1, learn foundational literacy skills. They recognize letters and words, begin reading and participating in pretend play, and make significant cognitive strides. Understanding different genres and narrative structures at this stage is key for their literacy development.
Step-by-step explanation:
Stage 1: Emergent Readers and Writers (Typically Pre-K through Grade 1)
From Pre-K to Grade 1, students are in the initial phase of literacy development known as the emergent readers and writers stage. During this time, children learn the fundamentals of reading and writing, starting from recognizing letters and words to beginning to understand and use language for communication and learning.
They engage in activities like simple songs and rhymes, and they start to recognize and write their names. By age five, most children can carry on conversations, use a pencil to trace letters, and progress toward reading very simple books.
Preschool-age children make significant strides in cognitive development and understanding of language. They start asking questions like "Why?", enjoy pretend play and begin to grasp time concepts and sequence of events. They are also introduced to different genres and learn to predict story outcomes, which assists in developing critical thinking skills.
The ability of these young learners to engage with different genres and narratives continues to grow as they progress through their education. This understanding is crucial as it shapes and is shaped by the readers' and writers' practices and purposes, leading to early literary appreciation and comprehension skills that are essential for future learning outcomes.