Fostering Children's Alphabet Knowledge at School Entry through Engagement in Family Literacy Activities

The development of emergent literacy skills in early childhood is best conceptualised as a continuum that occurs prior to entry into formal schooling and formal instruction. Thus, the family literacy environment and the activities that parents engage their children in can play a critical role in the development of these skills. Emergent literacy encompasses skills such as print concepts, alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, and oral language. Alphabet knowledge and phonological awareness at entry into school have in particular been found to be strong predictors of decoding and future success with reading acquisition.