Abstract
Reading and writing skills serve as the major avenue for achieving the essential learning areas of the “New Zealand Curriculum” (Ministry of Education, 2007a) and are the foundation for learning in all subjects studied at school. If children do not learn to read, their general knowledge, spelling, writing, and vocabulary development suffer (Stanovich, 2000). The National Early Literacy Panel Report (NELP) (2009) identified some critical understandings that children need to develop in early childhood in order to become literate at school, which include knowledge of the alphabet, phonological awareness (being aware of sounds in words), the ability to rapidly name letters, numbers, objects, and colors, the ability to write their own name and to be able to remember spoken information for a short period of time. In addition, children need to understand print conventions and concepts, have strong oral language and the ability to match and discriminate between visual symbols. It is not surprising then that many countries have looked at what experiences children should have to develop literacy before school entry and the implications for teaching practice (McLachlan & Arrow, 2011).
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© 2013 Judith Duncan and Lindsey Conner
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Mclachlan, C., Arrow, A., Watson, J. (2013). Partnership in Promoting Literacy: An Exploration of Two Studies in Low-Decile Early Childhood Settings in New Zealand. In: Duncan, J., Conner, L. (eds) Research Partnerships in Early Childhood Education. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137346889_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137346889_5
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