Emerging Patterns of Literacy

This groundbreaking study offers a rare window into the natural literacy development that occurs when parents read with infants at home, blending insights from psychology, linguistics, and anthropology to decode the subtle architecture of early reading dialogues. Rhian Jones meticulously analyzes the conversational patterns, semantic understanding, and narrative development that form the bedrock of emergent literacy, providing a sophisticated framework for understanding how children's unconscious minds are shaped through these foundational interactions.

What sets this work apart is its profound exploration of the infant unconscious and the unspoken "rules" governing parent-child reading sessions, moving far beyond simple book-sharing to reveal the complex cognitive and emotional construction happening page by page. Academics and practitioners in early childhood education will find an invaluable, evidence-based resource that reframes our understanding of how literacy truly emerges, offering fresh perspectives on the deep psychological work accomplished during those seemingly simple story times.