Even children as young as 1 year are processors of older children and adults, but their literacy development has already begun. The functions of literacy are an integral part of the learning process.
Literacy develops from real life settings where literacy is used to accomplish real world tasks.
In this context, children come to see reading and writing as useful tools for daily living. The foundation for children's growth in reading and writing lies in their viewing literacy as functional, not just a set of abstract, isolated skills to be mastered. Reading and writing develop together. Writing leads to improved reading achievement and better writing performance, and combined instruction leads to improvements in both areas. It has also been found that engaging learners in combined reading and writing experiences develops a higher level thinking.