What is Early Literacy?

Early Literacy...

  • Is a continuous developmental process which begins at birth.
  • Includes listening, speaking, reading, and writing which develop concurrently and interrelatedly.
  • Develops in real life settings for real purposes.
  • Includes being read to on a regular basis.
  • Includes high-quality conversations between child and adult.
  • Develops through interactive positive literacy experiences with adults or older children.

(Adapted from Learning to Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children: A joint position statement of the International Reading Association and the National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1998)