ABSTRACT
Assessment of emergent literacy is relatively new to the field of communication disorders.
Traditional approaches to reading assessment evaluated mastery of reading readiness
skills. By contrast, emergent literacy assessment evaluates the increased awareness
and understanding of print that begin early in development. One of the most influential
figures in emergent literacy assessment has been Marie M. Clay. She has defined critical
components of emergent literacy and, in so doing, has played an integral role in the
paradigm shift from a reading readiness to an emergent literacy perspective. This
article is intended to distinguish emergent literacy from reading readiness, explicate
Marie Clay's contribution to our current understanding of effective emergent literacy
assessment, and provide some guidance in using her assessment techniques with children
with significant disabilities.
KEYWORD
literacy - assessing reading readiness - children with disabilities
