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Overview of Literacy Foundations

Emergent literacy is the term used to define the skills young children develop as they learn to read and write. Literacy is a process that begins at birth and continues throughout a person’s life. Children’s skills emerge in early childhood as children explore their environment and develop language and concepts about print.

Position Statement on Emergent Literacy

Two organizations, the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the International Reading Association published a joint statement on developmentally appropriate emergent literacy practices in 1998. Recommended practices on literacy environments, activities and teaching strategies are included along with seven policies to guide families and teachers in promoting emergent literacy.

Learning to Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children – Position Statement by NAEYC and IRA http://www.naeyc.org/about/positions/PSREAD0.asp

Continuum of Literacy Development

In their position statement on emergent literacy, NAEYC and IRA included five phases of literacy, ranging from the preschool aged child to a third grader.

Continuum of Children's Development in Reading and Writing http://www.naeyc.org/about/positions/PSREAD4.asp

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National Reading Council Report

In 1998, the National Reading Council published a report, Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children, summarizing research and recommendations for promoting early literacy. This report is an important document in the field of emergent literacy. Strategies for preventing reading difficulties and predictors of literacy success and failure are included. Text from the report, available in book form, can be reviewed online.

Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children http://www.nap.edu/books/030906418X/html/index.html

National Early Literacy Panel

The National Institute for Literacy’s Family Partnership in Reading Project created the National Early Literacy Panel (NELP) to meet the need for early literacy research synthesis. The Panel has two goals: to provide a synthesis of the research on early literacy development, and to evaluate the roles of teachers and families in supporting children’s language and literacy development.

National Center for Family Literacy – Family Partnership in Reading http://www.famlit.org/ProgramsandInitiatives/ FamilyPartnershipinReading/index.cfm

One of the major findings of the NELP was the direct link between certain reading skills and abilities and children’s eventual success in early literacy development. The Panel identified 11 variables as predictors to consider.

NELP gives suggestions for teachers and families to promote the development of these skills in their Synthesis Report. Further research on early literacy can be found at Research About Effective Literacy Instruction.

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Research About Effective Literacy Instruction http://www.literacy.uconn.edu/resart.htm

Research Findings Related to Technology and Early Literacy

The Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood has found that the use of interactive technology along with literacy adaptations and a developmentally appropriate literacy environment can have positive effects on young children’s literacy skills. The Center has conducted research on the use of technology as a tool for emergent literacy in three federally-funded projects, the Interactive Technology Literacy Curriculum Project, the Early Childhood Emergent Literacy Technology Research Study, and the LitTECH Outreach Project.

The Interactive Technology Literacy Curriculum (ITLC) and its accompanying model for family and teacher use of technology and literacy were used in all three of the Center’s literacy projects. All ITLC sites across projects used sign-up sheets and the software, KidDesk, as classroom management tool with resulting powerful effects on child behaviors. ITLC sites also used interactive software, including Living Books programs, graphics software, and authoring programs, such as HyperStudio.

Findings consistently indicated that children made significant gains, not only in emergent literacy behaviors, but also in positive social interactions. Families increased their literacy activities at home and reported increased interest in books by their children. Teachers designed literacy-rich environments and planned more literacy and technology activities for the children. Final Reports from the projects contain complete findings as they relate to children, families, and teachers.

Final Reports on Center website http://www.wiu.edu/users/mimacp/wiu/projects_finalreports.html

ITLC and Recommended Practices

The Interactive Technology Literacy Curriculum and model encourages teaching practices which are consistent with those recommended during the preschool years by the International Reading Association and the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Strategies used in the ITLC model for promoting emergent literacy are consistent with the National Reading Council’s recommendations.

View Research Recommendations and the ITLC Model

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