What is an Emergent Reader?
As an educator with over two decades of experience in the field, I’ve observed that literacy development begins long before a child can actually read words on a page. This foundational stage is what we call “emergent reading,” and understanding it is crucial for both educators and parents.
An emergent reader is a child who is in the early stages of acquiring literacy skills. Typically ranging from preschool to early elementary age, these children are beginning to grasp the fundamental concepts of reading and writing. They’re not yet conventional readers, but they’re actively developing the precursors to independent reading.
Emergent readers display several characteristic behaviors. They often engage in “pretend reading,” where they may hold a familiar book and recite memorized text while turning pages at appropriate times. They recognize environmental print—logos, signs, and labels they frequently encounter in their daily lives. They understand that print carries meaning and that we read from left to right and top to bottom (in English).
The developmental progression of emergent reading follows a relatively predictable pattern. Children first develop phonological awareness—the ability to recognize and manipulate the sounds of spoken language. They begin to identify rhymes, separate words into syllables, and identify beginning sounds in words. Simultaneously, they develop print awareness, understanding that those strange symbols on the page represent language. They learn to recognize letters and begin associating them with their corresponding sounds (phonemic awareness).
For educators, supporting emergent readers involves creating a print-rich environment that immerses children in meaningful interactions with text. Daily read-alouds are essential, as they model fluent reading and expose children to rich vocabulary and story structures. Shared reading experiences, where children join in on predictable refrains or fill in missing words, build confidence and reinforce the connection between spoken and written language.
Parental involvement is equally important. Research consistently shows that children whose parents read to them regularly develop stronger emergent literacy skills. Simple activities like pointing out letters on cereal boxes, reading street signs, or creating shopping lists together can reinforce the practical applications of reading.
Digital tools can supplement traditional approaches to emergent literacy, though they should be used judiciously. Interactive storybooks that highlight text as it’s read aloud can reinforce print concepts, while alphabet apps can make letter recognition engaging.
As children progress through the emergent reader stage, they begin developing a sight vocabulary of frequently encountered words and applying phonics knowledge to decode unfamiliar words. The transition to conventional reading is gradual and varies significantly between children. Some may begin reading simple texts independently by age five, while others may need additional time and support.
It’s crucial for educators to recognize that emergent reading is not just about skill acquisition—it’s about fostering a love of reading. When we celebrate children’s approximations and create joyful literacy experiences, we lay the groundwork for lifelong reading habits.
Culturally responsive approaches to emergent literacy are also essential. Children should see themselves and their experiences reflected in the books we share, and we should honor the diverse literacy practices of their home communities.
In my research and practice, I’ve found that emergent literacy is most effectively supported through playful, meaningful interactions with print rather than through isolated skill drills. Building on children’s natural curiosity and their desire to make sense of their world leads to more robust literacy development than focusing exclusively on letter recognition or phonics in isolation.
Understanding the emergent reader stage helps us meet children where they are and guide them toward conventional reading with patience, enthusiasm, and appropriate scaffolding.
What is an Enactment?
In educational contexts, an enactment refers to the process of bringing curriculum to life through implementation—transforming written standards, lesson plans, and educational theories into actual classroom practice. As someone who has studied curriculum development extensively, I’ve observed that the enactment phase is where educational intentions meet the complex reality of diverse learners, available resources, and the teacher’s own pedagogical expertise.
Enactment is a dynamic, interpretive process rather than a simple transmission of predetermined content. When teachers enact curriculum, they make countless in-the-moment decisions that shape how students experience learning. These decisions reflect teachers’ professional knowledge, beliefs about teaching and learning, understanding of their students’ needs, and the specific contexts in which they work.
The concept of enactment stands in contrast to more technical views of teaching that position teachers as mere implementers of externally developed materials. Instead, it recognizes teachers as curriculum makers who actively construct educational experiences. The enacted curriculum may differ significantly from the formal curriculum as written in standards documents or textbooks, as teachers adapt, supplement, emphasize, de-emphasize, or reinterpret content based on their professional judgment.
Several factors influence curriculum enactment. First, teachers’ knowledge and beliefs fundamentally shape how they interpret and implement curriculum materials. A teacher with deep subject matter knowledge may elaborate on concepts in ways that go beyond the written curriculum, while a teacher’s beliefs about how students learn best will influence instructional approaches.
Second, student characteristics and needs drive adaptation during enactment. Effective teachers continuously assess students’ understanding and engagement, making real-time adjustments to support learning. They might extend a discussion that has captured students’ interest, provide additional scaffolding when concepts prove challenging, or incorporate students’ cultural knowledge into lessons.
Third, institutional contexts—including available resources, school policies, assessment requirements, and professional cultures—constrain or enable certain enactment possibilities. Teachers working within high-stakes testing environments, for instance, may feel pressure to enact curriculum in ways that prioritize test preparation.
The quality of curriculum enactment depends partly on the curriculum materials themselves. Educative curriculum materials that make their rationales explicit, anticipate student thinking, and suggest instructional strategies can support more thoughtful enactment. However, even the best materials require skillful interpretation and adaptation.
Digital technologies have expanded the possibilities for curriculum enactment, allowing for more personalized learning pathways, immediate feedback, and integration of multimedia resources. Yet these technologies also present new challenges, as teachers must develop technological pedagogical content knowledge to enact digital curricula effectively.
From a research perspective, studying curriculum enactment provides insights into the complex relationship between curriculum intentions and classroom realities. Methods such as classroom observations, teacher interviews, and analysis of student work help capture the enacted curriculum and identify factors that support or hinder effective implementation.
For school leaders, supporting high-quality curriculum enactment involves creating conditions for teacher collaboration, providing ongoing professional development focused on pedagogical content knowledge, and establishing coherent instructional systems while respecting teacher autonomy.
Preservice teacher education plays a crucial role in preparing teachers for thoughtful curriculum enactment. Prospective teachers need opportunities to analyze curriculum materials critically, practice making instructional decisions, and reflect on the relationship between their beliefs and their enactment choices.
As education systems increasingly adopt standards-based reforms and centralized curriculum initiatives, understanding the process of enactment becomes even more important. Policies that fail to account for teachers’ central role in curriculum enactment often fall short of their intended outcomes, as the path from policy to practice is mediated through teachers’ interpretive processes.
Ultimately, recognizing teaching as curriculum enactment rather than curriculum implementation elevates the professional status of teachers and acknowledges the complex, intellectual work involved in transforming educational intentions into meaningful learning experiences.
