Wilson College Online Blog

Early literacy, or what young children do to begin understanding reading and writing before they receive formal education, is critical to children’s development. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), activities such as singing and talking are critical in spurring the type of brain development that leads to literacy; however, 1 in 3 children begins kindergarten without the early literacy skills necessary to learn to read.

Knowledge of early literacy is important for anyone with an interest in earning a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Early Childhood Education or a Master of Education (MEd) degree. Whether you aspire to jobs in early childhood education or want to pursue leadership positions in education, understanding how early literacy can promote a child’s ability to learn is critical.

Early Literacy Definition

In forming an understanding of early literacy, starting with a basic definition is important. Early literacy encompasses the activities that very young children do and the skills they cultivate to begin understanding reading and writing and how those activities fit into the world. In particular, what children do and the skills they develop prior to receiving formal instruction are the focus of early literacy.

Components of Early Literacy

When the National Early Literacy Panel (NELP) conducted a comprehensive review of research on early literacy, it identified six facets of early literacy that are predictive of a child’s literacy outcomes later in life. The following knowledge and skills had a significant effect on later literacy outcomes:

• Alphabet knowledge

• Phonological awareness

• Phonological short-term memory

• Rapid naming of letters and digits

• Rapid naming of objects and colors

• Writing or writing a name

Concentrating on these types of knowledge and skills in early literacy interventions can help children to be prepared for formal education. This is especially key for children who may be at risk for experiencing difficulty while learning to read.

5 Benefits of Early Literacy

Promoting early literacy can lead to various positive outcomes. For example, early literacy interventions have the potential to lead to the benefits outlined below.

1. Establish a Foundation for Learning

Early literacy can create a solid foundation for a child’s future learning. Regardless of what subjects a child studies, early literacy interventions can promote cognitive development that will be crucial to all learning in the years to come.

2. Develop Stronger Bonds

When parents participate in early literacy interventions, such as regularly reading to their children, this can strengthen the bonds they develop with their children. Those bonds can, in turn, help to spur a child’s development and growth.

3. Improve a Child’s Communication Skills

Developing a familiarity with words and how to use them can help children to better express themselves and communicate their thoughts and feelings. Equipped with an expanded vocabulary, children can also enhance their language skills.

4. Strengthen Social and Emotional Skills

Bringing literature into children’s lives improves their awareness of various emotions and social cues. This enables them to expand their emotional knowledge and to improve their ability to demonstrate empathy and express their emotions.

5. Improve Social Outcomes

Early literacy can promote equity and lead to improved social outcomes. For example, as a 2024 AccessHealth report noted, implementing early literacy interventions has the potential to reduce poverty rates and decrease the likelihood of incarceration.

How to Promote Early Literacy Skills

A wide variety of interventions can promote early literacy skills. NELP places these interventions in the following categories:

• Code-focused interventions (interventions that focus on elements such as phonics and knowledge of the alphabet)

• Language enhancement interventions

• Parent and home interventions

• Preschool and kindergarten interventions

• Shared reading interventions

Interventions that promote early literacy skills include the following:

• Reading Together With Children and Discussing the Content: This activity can enhance a child’s critical thinking and enable them to understand that reading can be enjoyable. Asking children questions about what you are reading together can also help them to develop their analytical skills and learn to make inferences from what they read.

• Using Early Literacy Technology: Incorporating educational apps for children , e-books, or literacy-based websites into children’s learning activities has the potential to expand their vocabulary, improve their phonics skills, and enhance their reading comprehension.

• Asking Children to Participate in Mark-Making: While children can’t write words or sentences, asking them to scribble or make marks on paper can stimulate their brains to support reading in the future. Mark-making can lead to the emergence of more sophisticated writing skills.

• Incorporating Music and Movement Into Children’s Activities: Children who are exposed to music and movement have the opportunity to develop neural processing capabilities that are essential to literacy. Developing an understanding of rhythm can help children to become familiar with the rhythm of language and, therefore, better understand what language means. 

• Playing Games With Children: Playing games that focus on particular sounds or letters of the alphabet can improve a child’s understanding of phonics and how letters make up a word. For example, challenging children to find objects that begin with a particular letter of the alphabet can promote a better understanding of letters. Asking children to clap out all the syllables in a word can promote an understanding of how syllables come together to create a word.

• Talking to Children: While it may sound simple and obvious, talking to children about the things you’re doing and what’s happening throughout the day is important. In addition, talking to children about what they see and the environment around them, as well as encouraging them to ask questions, is crucial in enabling children to develop a vocabulary and use words to communicate and express themselves.

Early Literacy Is Critical to Future Learning

Developing early literacy skills can position children to maximize future learning experiences and reach their full potential. When parents, caregivers, and teachers take steps to promote early literacy, children can develop a more thorough understanding of reading and writing, and they can rely on their literacy skills as their formal education progresses.

Individuals who are interested in developing expertise in the field of education can explore Wilson College Online’s B.A. in Early Childhood Education and MEd degree programs to learn how those programs can help them reach their career goals. Offering research-based, cutting-edge expertise, these programs prepare students for meaningful careers in education. Start progressing on a rewarding career path in education today.

Recommended Readings

How to Make a Career Change to Teaching

What Are the 4 Types of Learning Styles?

What Can You Do With a Master’s in Education?

Sources:

AccessHealth, “Equity Through Early Literacy: The Foundations of Early Reading as a Tool for Equity”

All For Kids, The Importance of Reading to Your Children

American Academy of Pediatrics, Early Literacy

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Talking as an Early Learning Activity

Children, “The Role of Working Memory in Early Literacy and Numeracy Skills in Kindergarten and First Grade”

Family, “How Music Supports Early Language Development”

Gray Group International, “Early Childhood Literacy: Strategies for Success and Development”

National Center for Families Learning, “National Early Literacy Panel: Questions and Answers”

Parenta, “Mark-Making and the Connection to Reading Acquisition in the Early Brain”

Stern Center for Language and Learning, Five Games to Help Young Children Learn to Read

TeachKloud, Promoting Early Literacy: A Guide for Early Childhood Teachers