Young Children Then and Now: Recent Research on Emergent Literacy

Abstract

This study traces the development of composition in the elementary school from the nineteenth century to the present. Evolving slowly from an emphasis on copying and correctness, writing by young children is seen today as a crucial component of emerging literacy. Researchers are observing preschoolers and kindergartners as they write, interviewing them and their parents, and giving them special tasks and tests in order to find out what they know about print and how they should be instructed in composition. The focus is on process rather than product and from "inside out" rather than "outside in." The recent research is reviewed as to what young children know about reading and writing, how their writing develops, how they learn, and how to develop their writing capacities. The recommendation is to allow young children to write freely and to emphasize meaning, not mechanics. The advantages of young children composing are summarized, and the schools’ traditional neglect of composition at the preschool and primary levels is examined. Finally, suggestions are made for improving the situation and encouraging the writing skills of young children as they emerge into literate users of their language.