A kindergarten teacher notices that a student can recite familiar stories but cannot recognize words in print. What does this behavior suggest about the student's stage of literacy development?

The behavior of reciting familiar stories while struggling to recognize words in print indicates that the student is at the emergent literacy stage. At this stage, children typically possess a growing awareness of language and stories but have not yet developed the ability to decode printed words independently. They can recall and verbalize the content of stories they've heard multiple times, demonstrating comprehension and narrative skills, yet their lack of word recognition shows they are still in the early phases of literacy acquisition.

Emergent literacy encompasses skills such as recognizing that written language carries meaning, understanding how books function (e.g., reading from left to right), and developing phonological awareness. The student’s ability to recite familiar narratives without being able to connect those stories to printed words exemplifies the transitional nature of this developmental stage, where auditory skills often predate visual and cognitive skills associated with reading. Thus, the behavior observed strongly aligns with the characteristics of emergent literacy development.