Developing Early Literacy: R e p o r t o f T h e N a t i o n a l E a r l y L i t e r a c y p a n e l

The ability to read and write is fundamental to full participation in American society. Our nation of farmers and mechanics has been transformed into one in which economic, civic, and social success depend on educational attainment for all, particularly in literacy. The rapid influx of technology into our daily lives and the internationalization of the economic marketplace have raised the demand for a literate citizenry to the highest levels ever.

Many Americans cannot read well enough to take full advantage of the benefits of society—or to contribute fully to its sustenance. Those who are low in literacy are paid less, are more often out of work, are less likely to vote, are less informed about civic affairs, are less able to meet the health-care needs of their families, and are more likely to have trouble with the law or to become ensnared in other socially harmful activities. Literacy is implicated in virtually every sphere of our daily lives, no matter how mundane or profound— from following a prescription to taking part in a religious service, from sending an email to buying something over the Internet, from reading a sign for directions to reading a book to one’s children.

This report represents a systematic and extensive synthesis of the published research literature concerning children’s early literacy skills. It provides educators and policymakers with important information about the early skills that are implicated in later literacy learning, as well as information about the type of instruction that can enhance these skills. The results also identify areas in which additional research is needed.

The meta-analyses conducted by the authors showed that a wide range of interventions had a positive impact on children’s early literacy learning. However, these positive results were due to the nature and intensity of the instructional activities examined in the studies. There is now a clear need for translational research. Researchers or their agents delivered many of the interventions; examinations of more typical implementations of such programs within early childhood education are needed. Many of the high-impact instructional strategies involved activities and procedures different from those typically seen in early childhood classrooms. These interventions were usually delivered as one-on-one or small-group activities, they occurred frequently, and they were adult-directed. Few interpretable studies evaluated the effects of merely providing a literacy-rich or language-rich classroom environment.