Learning to Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children

Summary

The International Reading Association and the National Association for the Education of Young Children agree that experiences throughout early childhood affect the development of literacy. Those who teach young children—parents and child care providers as well as teachers in preschool and early elementary settings—need to support the literacy development of children in their care.

Most young children pass through five stages of literacy development:

Awareness and exploration

Experimenting with reading and writing

Early reading and writing

Transitional reading and writing

Conventional reading and writing

To facilitate their learners’ early literacy development, teachers of young children require knowledge of language acquisition and the processes of reading and writing. Funding for programs that offer high-quality literacy education in child care settings and preschools must be made available.

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