Writing and listening to poetry, for example, sharpen a child’s developing ability to hear (and ultimately to segment) the smallest sounds in words, the phonemes. Such first attempts to write reflect a sequence in a child’s growing knowledge about the connection between oral and written language. First, letters are written (or drawn) in imitation. To be sure, there is often more scribbled “art” than concept here. Next, letters begin to show off children’s evolving concept of print, particularly the letters in their own names. Gradually, other letters capture how children think words are
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