Nurturing The Roots of Literacy by Michael K. Meyerhoff, Ed.
Most parents are extraordinarily concerned about the development of pre-reading skills.
The answer to that question lies in an understanding of the various concepts involved in reading and an awareness of the developmental interests and abilities of children during their early years. Contrary to what mothers and fathers might expect, the first concept to be mastered by young children is not the basic ABC s. Although toddlers and even some infants may be able to recite the alphabet, the letters have little meaning to them. On the other hand, they can appreciate the notion that individual parts can be put together in various ways to form different wholes . They can appreciate that each part assumes a different function depending on where it is placed.