Preschool; 'reading'; environmental print

• A. Beginning Reader
• B. Transitional Reader
• C. Emergent Reader
• D. Intermediate Reader

Answer: (C)

In this stage of literacy, preschoolers are emergent readers. They begin to see that print has meaning by noticing environmental print—signs, logos, labels, and other writing in the world around them. They may “read” these by recognizing familiar brands or words they’ve heard, use pictures to retell a story, and show understanding of basic print concepts like left-to-right direction and turning pages. They aren’t decoding full sentences yet, but they’re developing the idea that text carries meaning and that reading is about more than just pictures.

That’s why emergent reader fits best. Beginning readers are already starting to decode simple words, transitional readers are moving toward longer, more independent reading, and intermediate readers are more fluent with more complex texts. The preschool context with environmental print aligns with the emergent stage.