Emergent Literacy: Investing Early for Exponential Outcomes

This white paper outlines how Save the Children defines emergent literacy, describes how the research base links emergent literacy experiences to reading success, and emphasizes the need to include this often overlooked, yet critical, stage in a child's journey toward literacy in global reading investments and programs. The white paper also highlights two program settings where Save the Children effectively supports emergent literacy skills- the home and the early childhood center (where it exists) – as well as the important role of parents, early childhood professionals, and communities in providing the conditions and experiences necessary for all children to develop a sound literacy foundation prior to school entry. Overall, this paper presents a vision for effective programming and an agenda for extending the evidence base to benefit both advocacy and implementation.