The International Reading Association and the National Association for the Education of Young Children have released a position statement on literacy for very young children.
The document recommends:
- A comprehensive, consistent system of early-childhood professional preparation and ongoing professional development.
- Sufficient resources to ensure adequate ratios of qualified teachers to children and small groups for individualized instruction.
- Sufficient resources to ensure classroom, school, and public libraries that include a wide range of high-quality children’s books, computer software, and multimedia resources at various levels of difficulty and reflecting various cultural and family backgrounds.
- Policies that promote children’s continuous learning progress.
- Appropriate assessment strategies that promote children’s learning and development.
- Access to regular, ongoing health care for every child.
- Increased public investment to ensure access to high-quality preschools and child-care programs for all children who need them.