Random-Letter Making or Middle Emergent Stage
In the middle emergent stage, or random-letter making, students understand writing has a specific form. For example, the writing has a linear movement across the page, begins at the left and flows to the right, but this flow is not consistent. Students also begin to understand that writing begins at the top of the page and ends at the bottom. The writing may look like a “symbol salad,” which means letters, numbers, and shapes are all in a sentence. In this stage, students understand that they need letters to form words and make meaning for their readers. This stage is called random-letter making because there is no phonetic awareness so they cannot match the letters to the sounds.
In the middle emergent stage, or random-letter making, students understand writing has a specific form. For example, the writing has a linear movement across the page, begins at the left and flows to the right, but this flow is not consistent. Students also begin to understand that writing begins at the top of the page and ends at the bottom. The writing may look like a “symbol salad,” which means letters, numbers, and shapes are all in a sentence. In this stage, students understand that they need letters to form words and make meaning for their readers. This stage is called random-letter making because there is no phonetic awareness so they cannot match the letters to the sounds.