As early childhood education moves

As early childhood education moves front and center in the public policy debate, more attention is being paid to early literacy. Early childhood professionals have long recognized the importance of language and literacy in preparing children to succeed in school. Early literacy plays a key role in enabling the kind of early learning experiences that research shows are linked with academic achievement, reduced grade retention, higher graduation rates and enhanced productivity in adult life. This report synthesizes the body of professional knowledge about early literacy and offers research-based recommendations.

What we know:
Literacy development starts early in life and is highly correlated with school achievement.
All of the domains of a child's development —physical, social-emotional, cognitive, language and literacy—are interrelated and interdependent.
The more limited a child's experiences with language and literacy the more likely he or she will have difficulty learning to read.
Key early literacy predictors of reading and school success include oral language, Alphabetic Code, and print knowledge.
Well-conceived standards for child outcomes, curriculum content, and teacher preparation help establish clarity of purpose and a shared vision for early literacy education.
Increased demands for program accountability are often heavily focused on assessments of children's early literacy development.
Highly capable teachers are required to implement today's more challenging early literacy curriculum.