1) Emergent reading refers to a child's earliest experiences with print as they begin to develop literacy skills from ages 2 to 7. This stage occurs both in the home and early formal schooling. 2) There are five main stages of literacy development related to both reading and writing according to experts Clay and Fountas and Pinnell: emergent, early, transitional, self-extending, and advanced readers. 3) An emergent reader is a beginning reader who is developing basic concepts of print, can analyze pictures, recognize letters, and emulate adult reading behaviors.