What Are The Characteristic Of An Emergent Writer?

Hello,

Thanks for your question on emergent writing. This concept suggests that young children who are beginning to put pen to paper, slowly understand the idea that writing is a means of communication, and thus their scribbles begin to resemble things to do with language and lettering.

The characteristics of an emergent writer may be as followed:

• Scribbling/drawing
  

This is the most elementary phase and while nothing may be legible to an accomplished reader, in the child's mind this is gearing towards the early stages of writing.

• letter-like drawings
  

At this stage, the child has made the connection between lettering and communication but is unable to produce anything more than basic lines and squiggles which may barely resemble letters.

• Letters
  

At this stage, the child learns the ability to form letters on paper. This will usually just be restricted to their own name, but they understand that the word on the paper has some form of communicative meaning, and usually can recognise that it's their own name.

• Letters and spaces
  

There may be interplay and creative use of consonants and vowels at this stage, although still little orientation with writing in general.

• Writing and Spelling
  

This is the final stage where the child has learnt to write and spell proficiently and is able to form constructive sentences.

I hope this helps.