Effects of a professional development program on emergent literacy-promoting practices and environments in early childhood education and care

Abstract

The years from birth to five are critical for building the emergent literacy skills that precede learning to read and write. Early childhood education and care services are in a unique position to support emergent literacy development, particularly for children in socio-economically disadvantaged communities. This article reports the findings of a small cluster randomised controlled trial of the Let’s Read professional development program involving 12 centres and 223 educators in Australia. Through eLearning and on-site coaching, the program of relatively short duration and intensity supported educators of children from birth to school age. While the small sample size means the results must ..