The article about the developmental milestones of the first-graders demonstrates that young learners’ literacy skills and self-concept are interconnected. It analyzes the milestones of language and academic development of young students. In particular, it explains that the ability of children to read appropriately according to their age influences the formation of the reader’s self-concept. The observation of the participants’ reaction to their ability to read reveals that children that have better skills demonstrate the advanced reader’s self-concept. Additionally, the study’s authors conclude that emotional and motivational elements play a significant role in the progress of these skills (Walgermo et al., 2018). This finding suggests that the ability of children to interact with others, understand the difference between their level of knowledge and their peers’ success, and react to parents’ motivation affects their literacy skills.
The text is a valuable contribution to the analysis of the developmental milestones of the school starters because it helps understand that progress of reading skills is a significant element. The authors choose an appropriate milestone because literacy develops during the first year of studying at school. Moreover, they explore the behavior of a considerable number of students, more than one thousand, which allows them to make credible, relevant, and evidence-based conclusions (Walgermo et al., 2018). However, the limitation of the article is the insufficient analysis of existing literature focusing on this topic. The text could be improved by introducing the analysis of the specific time when the students develop their interest in studying. It could help understand when parents have to pay attention to the development milestone of reading skills. Consequently, the research contributes to teachers and parents’ understanding of the specifics of the progress of the first-graders.
References
Walgermo, B., Frijters, J., & Solheim, O. (2018). Literacy interest and reader self-concept when formal reading instruction begins. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 44, 90-100. Web.