[Source:  Science Daily]

Even before they can read, children as young as 3 years of age are beginning to understand how a written word is different than a simple drawing — a nuance that could provide an important early indicator for children who may need extra help with reading lessons, suggests new research from Washington University in St. Louis.
“Our results show that children have some knowledge about the fundamental properties of writing from a surprisingly early age,” said study co-author Rebecca Treiman, PhD, the Burke & Elizabeth High Baker Professor of Child Developmental Psychology in Arts & Sciences.
“Based on the results, it may be possible to determine at an early age which children are progressing well in the learning of emergent literacy skills and which children may need extra attention,” Treiman said.
Forthcoming in the journal Child Development, the study is based on two experiments with 114 children ages 3-to-5 years who had not yet received any formal instruction in reading or writing.
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