Birth to age 5 is a critical period in building the foundation for later success in reading and writing. Educators play a vital role in nurturing young children’s early language and literacy knowledge and skills. However, the specific practices that support literacy development in early childhood are often different than those used with older children. The authors discuss how educators can support five important areas of young children’s early literacy development: language and knowledge; print concepts; sounds and letters; writing; and text comprehension.
