Late Preschool and Kindergarten

In the late preschool years, children begin showing emerging literacy skills. They may recognize familiar signs, rhyming words, as well as some letters and their corresponding sounds. They begin to show recognition of print conventions, such as reading left to right. They enjoy retelling familiar stories. Children this age begin to write their name and other words with familiar letters. In kindergarten, children develop phonological awareness, identifying and manipulating sounds in words. Their ability to produce rhymes increases, and they can match some spoken and written words. They can sound out simple words and recognize common sight words. They can retell stories with increasing detail and predict story events. Writing progresses to include numbers, letters, basic words, and even simple sentences.