Literacy in Early Childhood Education

“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” Frederick Douglass

“Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a tool for daily life in modern society. It is a bulwark against poverty, and a building block of development, an essential complement to investments in roads, dams, clinics and factories. Literacy is a platform for democratization, and a vehicle for the promotion of cultural and national identity. Especially for girls and women, it is an agent of family health and nutrition. For everyone, everywhere, literacy is, along with education in general, a basic human right.... Literacy is, finally, the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman and child can realize his or her full potential.” ― Kofi Annan

Through my journey in early childhood education, I have learned that child development and learning are only a few key pieces to developing a child as a whole. I examined literacy processes for young children by focusing on the cognitive, emotional, cultural, motivational, and environmental factors that influence the development and learning of successful teaching practices to create social change for early childhood literacy. While play and personal relationships offer the most benefits in development and learning, family dynamic, economic status, cultural roles, language barriers, or flawed education, can also be areas of hindrance to the education and achievement of a child.

Resources that were the most thought provoking in the search for the answer of ending illiteracy include: Helping families connect early literacy with social-emotional development, which examines the importance of emergent literacy, but includes an informative view on the development of children’s socio-emotional skills in conjunction with the cognitive demands. “Researchers have long emphasized that children’s socio-emotional and cognitive skills are interrelated and develop within response and caring environments. Both what children think and how they feel influence their ability to learn concepts, manage their own behaviors, and relate to others” (Santos & Schafer, 2012, p. 89).  Additionally, a resource titled, Supplementing literacy instruction with a media-rich intervention: Results of a randomized controlled trial, examined a study that shows that incorporating media into the curriculum gives economically disadvantaged students a chance to succeed with literacy. Using media such as public education television, like Sesame Street and Super Why, can help close the achievement gap.

Early childhood professionals have the overwhelming task of educating today’s children, who are culturally, linguistically, and developmentally different. Federal mandates, socioeconomic needs, and implementing best practices, can effect a child’s growth in the early childhood stage of development and learning.  Due to controversy, no consensus has been found to remedy the illiteracy problem in the United States.   The dissatisfaction of subpar early childhood programs and its effect on early childhood literacy has fueled my desire for social change. By addressing these factors effecting early childhood literacy, I can pursue research and professional development to strengthen my knowledge and voice for children’s literacy needs.

Santos, R., Fettig, A., & Shaffer, L. (2012). Helping families connect early literacy with

               social-emotional development. YC: Young Children, 67(2), 88-95.