Ace the ORELA Challenge 2026 – Elevate Your Teaching Journey in Oregon!

The first stage in the five spelling and reading patterns is the emergent speller stage. This stage is foundational in a child's literacy development, focusing on the very beginning processes of learning to read and write. During the emergent spelling phase, children often experiment with marks and letters without yet understanding conventional spelling rules. They begin to recognize letters, understand that print carries meaning, and engage in early writing practices, like scribbling or using letters to represent sounds.

This stage emphasizes the importance of developing phonemic awareness, where children learn to hear and manipulate sounds in spoken words, which is crucial for their later reading and spelling skills. Moving on from this stage, children will progress to the letter name-alphabetic spelling stage, where they start to connect sounds with corresponding letters more systematically. Understanding this progression helps educators provide appropriate support and instruction tailored to a child’s current development stage in literacy.