How does tracking print support early literacy development?

Tracking print is a vital strategy in early literacy development because it helps children grasp the concept of word boundaries and directionality. When children follow along with a text, pointing to each word as they read, they learn to recognize where one word ends and another begins. This skill is essential for decoding and understanding written language. Additionally, tracking print instills an understanding of the direction in which text is read, which is a fundamental aspect of reading in English and many other languages.

Through this practice, children develop the ability to differentiate between individual words and comprehend how to navigate texts, paving the way for more advanced reading skills in the future. This foundational knowledge aids in their overall literacy acquisition, setting a strong stage for more complex reading and comprehension tasks.