Laying a Firm Foundation: Early Childhood Literacy Report

This report analyzes the importance of early literacy skill development from infancy through preschool, focusing on the significance of language and literacy foundations in natural environments. It reviews published literature in speech-language pathology, early intervention, early childhood education, and literacy to provide an overview of best practices at home, in child care, and in preschool settings. The report discusses research-based implementation of best practices, including shared book reading and child-led literacy embedded in play, and covers various aspects of emergent literacy skill development such as phonemic awareness, print/alphabet awareness, and oral language skills. The findings highlight the impact of rich home literacy environments and the need for coordinated support from speech-language pathologists, parents, and teachers to foster structured literacy development. The report emphasizes the interconnectedness of early language, literacy, and numeracy development and the need for teachers, educators, and parents to understand and support early literacy skills, particularly for children with disabilities.

Running Head: EDUCATION 1
Early Childhood Studies
Author's Name
Institutional Affiliation
Introduction

EDUCATION 2
Children go through the phase of literacy skill development right from infancy through
preschool. The research article on early intervention and preschool environments indicates how
effective literacy environments at home and introduction to a oral language makes a sound basis
for literacy skill development in the growing children (Terrell, & Watson, 2018).
The above article should be shared with parents, preschool teachers, childcare providers
and they should be made aware of how to use evidence-based literacy instructions within typical
daily settings and activities for the children. The “toolbox” of strategies discussed in the article
can be shared with the speech-language pathologists who can prevent literacy deficits within
multiple environments of the preschool children.
When summarizing the article, the research article aims to share the study about the
significance of literacy bases in the natural surroundings of the growing children. The article
gives an outline of interventions in schools by Powell and discusses the best practices for literacy
skill development at home and in preschool. The authors make an evaluation of publicized
literature in speech-language pathology, early childhood education, early intervention, and
literacy. Research-based applications of the best practices for literacy experiences at home and
preschool are described. The literacy model of early intervention includes instances of shared
book reading and embedding child-centric literacy in play. Different aspects of developing
literacy skill development such as alphabet awareness, phonemic skills, and oral language
abilities are discussed. The results of the study indicate how contact with expressive oral
language at home offers an essential groundwork for more organized literacy atmospheres of
school. Specific direct and indirect interventions at home and preschool can support oral and
written literacy. The research article makes a good attempt to offer deep insight into early
literacy skill development in preschools children. It attempts to connect theory with practice and

EDUCATION 3
connects the essential educators in the early lives of the children, the parents, and the teachers
and the speech-language pathologists. It raises awareness on the emergent literacy (EL) skills
and phonemic awareness (PA) within the home and school environment. Conclusions are made
based on different discussions of earlier published literature and researches on early childhood
education, early intervention, and speech-language pathology. The research study could have
been more forceful if it included quantitative data based on results from a sample.
The findings of the above studies indicate hos the right exposure to rich oral language
within a rich home literacy environment can build the strong foundation for higher motivation
for literacy development within the school. The speech-language pathologists, parents, and
teachers must come together to coordinate and support a rich environment for structured literacy
development with the help of specific strategies.
There is no denying that early language literacy impacts the ability and individual
differences among the children. The learning -based activities within the home environment are
significant for young learners. The surrounding environment influences the early skills of
Emergent Literacy skills in children. The setting and context make a significant impact on how
the preliminary skills and awareness the children and will determine their success in becoming
good readers and writers. Research shows that preschool instructors with partial knowledge of
emergent literacy are not able to create a rich literary environment for the children (Rohde,2015).
Thus, the teachers, educators, and parents must demonstrate their understanding of early
language literacy. There is growing indication that early numeracy and literacy development are
related to the numeracy environment at home and impact the preschoolers’ literacy
consequences. Literacy and numeracy learning should be encouraged within the home setting
(Napoli & Purpura, 2018). Particular attention should be given to children with disabilities who

EDUCATION 4
show lesser interest than other children in oral and written language activities. This is because of
impaired language skills and lesser interest in the print materials (Justice, Logan, Işıtan &
Saçkes, 2016).
References

EDUCATION 5
Justice, L. M., Logan, J. A. R., Işıtan, S., & Saçkes, M. (2016). The home-literacy environment
of young children with disabilities. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 37, 131–139.
Napoli, A. R., & Purpura, D. J. (2018). The home literacy and numeracy environment in
preschool: Cross-domain relations of parent–child practices and child outcomes. Journal
of Experimental Child Psychology, 166, 581–603.
Rohde, L. (2015). The comprehensive emergent literacy model: Early literacy in context. SAGE
Open, 5(1), 215824401557766.
Terrell, P., & Watson, M. (2018). Laying a firm foundation: Embedding evidence-based
emergent literacy practices into early intervention and preschool environments.
Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 49(2), 148-164.