A Developmental Perspective on Language Acquisition 37some emergent literacy skills evident before three years
(Schickendanz and Collins 2013) include recognizing specific
books by cover, pretending to read, turning pages, and listening
to stories. Emergent literacy skills evident between the ages of
three and four years include knowing that alphabet letters have
names, knowing that the information in letters differs from that
of pictures, noticing rhyme and alliteration, showing increased
interest in books, and connecting stories to life experiences.
Yoga classes for children contain enjoyable, playful ways to teach
emergent literacy skills to children. Chanting and singing provide
opportunities for practicing phonological awareness skills. In
addition, yoga poses can be embedded in stories providing a
context for the development of other emergent literacy skills,
which will be the focus of Chapter 9.
Summary
Language is a complex multidimensional system comprised of the
components of form, content, and use. These domains develop in
a cultural context in synchrony with one another and with other
aspects of development. Language develops after the prelinguistic
period of caregiver-child social-emotional engagement and
requires the child’s cognitive resources, which allow him to
attend, perceive, and integrate incoming information from the
world. The components of language develop in an integrative,
synergistic manner in a stage-like progression through the early
childhood years. Language continues to develop during the later
school years and adolescence, but these developments are beyond
the scope of this book. The reader who wishes to pursue this topic
of later language learning is referred to Nippold (2007).