Early Literacy Training and Development equips early care and education (ECE) providers with scientifically basedi knowledge, skills, and strategies to promote language and literacy development in young children and set the stage for lifelong learning and successii. An early literacy emphasis is essential for preparing educators to create language-rich environments and to partner with families to facilitate emergent literacy experiences at home and in the ECE setting to support children's language and literacy skills from birth through the early years of schoolingiii. Important components of programming and professional growth and development in early literacy include:
- Foundational early literacy development, including oral language and emergent reading and writing, and how each component contributes to overall literacy developmentiv
- The relationship between child development and literacy, including typical developmental milestones, individual differences, and the role of environmental factors in shaping literacy developmentv
- Emergent literacy skills such as print awareness, book handling skills
- Oral language and fluencyvi through repeated reading, modeling fluent reading, and opportunities for oral reading practice with feedback
- Phonological and phonemic awarenessvii, including rhyming, syllabication, and letter-sound correspondence as crucial precursors to early reading, spelling, and writing
- Vocabulary development including explicit vocabulary instruction, exposure to rich and varied language, and meaningful language use in contextviii
- Reading comprehension to support children's understanding of text, such as predicting, summarizing, questioning, and making connectionsix
- High-quality children's literature that is developmentally appropriate, culturally representative and relevant, and engagingx
- Literacy-rich and language-rich environments that immerse children in print, digitalxi, language, and literacy experiencesxii
- Family engagement and partnership to supporting children's literacy developmentxiii at home by providing resources and activities for families, conducting literacy workshops or events, and fostering open communication about children's progress and needs
- Assessing literacy skills and progress through a combination of formal and informal processes such as observations, informal assessments, and developmental screenings to inform instruction, identify areas of need, and monitor children's progress over timexiv
- Cultural and linguistic responsivenessxv in selecting culturally relevant texts, incorporating children's home languagesxvi and cultural backgrounds into instruction, and creating inclusive learning environments that honor diversity
- Professional collaboration and ongoing learningxvii among educators through collaborative planning, peer observations and feedback, cohort-based trainings, and communities of practice
Resources Required
Access to high-quality training and professional growth opportunities, time and resources to facilitate professional collaboration, and key community partners that can assist with outreach efforts are some of the critical resources to develop early literacy expertise and improve the quality of early learning experiences for young children. Parent and family engagement and access to appropriate books and literacy resources, including print and digital, are also important for promoting early literacy development in homes and early care and education settings.
