What is the primary goal of literacy instruction for emergent readers?

The primary goal of literacy instruction for emergent readers focuses on phonemic awareness because it establishes the foundational skills necessary for reading. Phonemic awareness refers to the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words. It is an essential skill that allows young learners to understand the relationship between sounds and letters, which is crucial for developing reading skills.

At this early stage, students are not yet expected to achieve fluency or full comprehension of texts, as they are still learning the basics of how language works. Developing phonemic awareness helps students decode words and recognize letter-sound correspondences, which are vital for reading success. This foundational understanding eventually leads to fluency and comprehension as they progress in their literacy journey.

The other options, while important components of literacy development, are not the primary focus for emergent readers. Fluency and comprehension are skills that build upon the foundational knowledge gained through phonemic awareness, and critical thinking becomes more relevant at later stages of literacy development.