Which of the following describes the Emergent Stage of literacy?

The Emergent Stage of literacy is characterized by children developing foundational skills that lead to reading and writing. This stage typically involves children becoming aware of sounds in spoken language, which is referred to as phonemic awareness. During this time, they begin to understand the relationship between sounds and letters, recognize that print carries meaning, and engage with books in ways that lay the groundwork for future reading abilities.

In contrast, fluency in reading, completing reading comprehension exercises, and analyzing literature are skills associated with more advanced stages of literacy development. At the Emergent Stage, children are not yet expected to demonstrate these skills, but rather they are building the essential groundwork that will enable them to progress to these more complex tasks in the future. Thus, option B accurately captures the essence of what occurs during the Emergent Stage of literacy development.