NYSTCE English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Practice Test

Which key component is essential for making meaning of sounds in emergent literacy?

1. Recitation

2. Listening

3. Writing

4. Speaking

The correct answer is: Listening

Listening is fundamental for making meaning of sounds in emergent literacy because it helps learners develop phonemic awareness, which is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words. This skill is crucial as it lays the groundwork for reading and writing. Through listening, children can recognize the sounds of language and understand how they combine to form words and sentences. This auditory processing directly contributes to their literacy development, enabling them to decode words and comprehend text effectively. While recitation, writing, and speaking also play significant roles in literacy, they are more advanced skills and depend on the foundational ability to listen and process sounds. Effective listening skills are essential in the early stages of literacy development, making it the key component in understanding and internalizing the sounds of language.