EARLY LITERACY RESEARCH
General Websites
Demographics
Brain Development and Child Development
Language Development and Early Literacy Skills
Books/Reading and Early Literacy Skills
The Five Practices: Sing, Talk, Read, Write, Play
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Effect of Media Viewing on Language Development
Bilingual Language and Learning
Early Literacy and Children Who Are Deaf
General Websites
Harvard Center on the Developing Child videos on brain architecture, toxic stress, resilience, serve and return, executive function
University of Washington I-LABS (Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences) Outreach Modules learning modules on early childhood including language development and second language acquisition
Zero to Three Early Development Resources, including videos and handouts on early development, early learning/literacy, parenting, and policy and advocacy
Simple Interactions Overview Simple Interactions Tool
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) for Families (no membership needed) article topics include behavior and development, arts and music, literacy, math, play, school readiness.
Vanderbilt University. Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning family resources
Boston Basics for families, videos and resources on five areas of child development
Demographics
Addressing the African American Achievement Gap: Three Leading Educators Issue a Call to Action by Barbara Bowman, James Comer, David Johns in Young Children v.73, V2 May 2018, p. 14-23.
First Words Project: 16 by 16 Lookbooks 16 gestures and actions for children to do by 16 months, developmentally noted
Achievement Gap Initiative Harvard University video library of talks on research and issues
Language Gap between Rich and Poor Children Begins in Infancy Stanford Report, September 25, 2013
Child-directed Speech: Relation to Socioeconomic Status, Knowledge of Child Development and Child Vocabulary Skill by Meredith Rowe. Journal of Child Language 35(2008) 185-205.
First-Time Kindergartners in 2010-11: First Findings From the Kindergarten Rounds of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K:2011) National Center for Educational Statistics, 2012
The Everyday Experience of American Babies: Discoveries and Implications by Todd Risley.
A Window to the World: Early Language and Literacy Development Zero to Three Policy Brief February 2011
Talking to Children: Why Some Mothers Do It More. FPG Snapshot #53 May 2008 University of North Carolina FPG Child Development Institute
Parent Survey from Zero to Three
Brain Development and Child Development
Associations Between Screen-Based Media Use and Brain White Matter Integrity in Preschool-Aged Children by John S Hutton et al. JAMA Pediatrics January 2020.
Epigenetics and Child Development: How Children’s Experiences Affect Their Genes Harvard Center for the Developing Child
Literacy Promotion: An Essential Component of Primary Care Pediatric Practice by American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Early Childhood Pediatrics online June 23, 2014
Sharing Books, Building Brains video from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
National Parent Survey Overview and Key Insights Zero to Three2016
Months before their first words, babies' brains rehearse speech mechanics by Molly McElroy. UW Today July 14, 2014.
Babies lip-read before talking: Babblers focus on adults’ mouths when learning how to speak. Science News February 11, 2012; vol 181#3 p.9.
Children and Brain Development: What We Know About How Children Learn University of Maine, Cooperative Extension Services (includes video clip)
Healthy Beginnings Maryland Department of Education. Child development birth to three.
School Readiness for Infants and Toddlers? Really? Yes, Really! by Sandra Peterson Young Children September 2012 p.10-13
Harvard University Center for the Developing Child, Science of Early Childhood
Baby Brain Map Zero to Three
Foundations for a New Science of Learning by Andrew Meltzoff, Patricia Kuhl, Javier Movellan, Terrence Sejnowski (July 2009)
Early Experience Can Alter Gene Expression and Affect Long-Term Development National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (2010) Working Paper #10 from www.developingchild.harvard.edu
Timing and Quality of Early Experiences Combine to Shape Brain Architecture. National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (2007) Working Paper #5 from www.developingchild.harvard.edu
Patricia Kuhl: The Linguistic Genius of Babies (video clip) How babies learn sounds of language
Early Brain Development Research Review and Update by Pam Schiller. The Exchange Nov/Dec 2010, p.26-30. (Child Care Exchange)
What Children Should Know About Their Own Brains by Annie Paul Mind/Shift April 5, 2012
Developmental Milestones: Infant University of Nevada
Developmental Milestones: Toddler University of Nevada
Developmental Milestones: Preschooler University of Nevada
Milestone Tracker from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, includes what most children do at certain ages from birth to age five, and when to talk with a doctor; includes all child development domains
Language Development and Early Literacy Skills
Quality of Words, Not Quantity Is Crucial to Language Skills, Study Finds by Douglas Quenqua New York Times Oct. 16, 2014
Building Background Knowledge by Susan Neuman et al. Reading Rockets
Magic of Words: Teaching Vocabulary in the Early Childhood Classroom by Susan Neuman & Tanya Wright American Educator Summer 2014 p.4-13
Trying to Close a Knowledge Gap, Word by Word by Motoko Rich. New York Times March 25, 2014
Babbling Babies--Responding to One-on-One 'Baby Talk'--Master More Words UW Today January 6, 2014
How Reading Books Fosters Language Development Around the World by David Dickinson et al. Child Development Research 2012
Brain Mechanisms in Early Language Acquisition by Patricia Kuhl author paper published in Neuron September 9, 2010 p.713-727
Preparing America's Children for Success in the 21st Century: Too Small to Fail--Next Generation Clinton Foundation 2013
What Babies Ask of Us: Contexts to Support Learning about Self and Other Young Children Spring 2021
Early Literacy Family and Community Engagement Research Compendium Scholastic
Supporting Language and Cognitive Development in Early Head Start Research to Practice April 2006
Teaching Our Youngest: A Guide for Preschool Teachers and Child Care and Family Providers US Department of Education, Early Childhood-Head Start Task Force, 2002
Babies Lip-Read Before Talking Science News Online January 17, 2012
Mommy and Me: Familiar Names Help Launch Babies into Speech Stream Segmentation by Heather Bortfiel, James Morgan, Roberta Golinkoff, Karen Rathbun Psychological Science (2005) April: 16(4): 298-304
Successful Phonological Awareness Instruction with Preschool Children by Beth Phillips, Jeanine Clancy-Menchetti, Christopher Lonigan (May 2008)
Phonological Awareness is Child's Play! by Hallie and Ruth Yopp. Beyond the Journal: Young Children on the Web (NAEYC), January 2009, 9p.
The Everyday Experience of American Babies: Discoveries and Implications by Todd Risley. (effect of talk)
Doing What Works Preschool Language and Literacy National Assn. for Elementary School Principals
Promoting the Development of Scientific Thinking by Ruth Wilson Earlychildhood NEWS 2007.
Early Math Collaborative Erikson Institute
Books / Reading and Early Literacy Skills
Young Children and Infants Read to by Parents Have Stronger Vocabulary Skills Neuroscience News December 3, 2019. Study by Dr. Manuel Jimenez with full article in Journal of Pediatrics doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.07.008
Encouraging Parental Reading for High-Risk Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Infants by Viral Jain et al. Journal of Pediatrics May 2021
When Children Are Not Read to at Home: The Million Word Gap by Jessica Logan et al. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics March 20, 2019 online
Storytime Turbocharger? Child Engagement during Shared Reading and Cerebellar Activation and connectivity in Preschool-Age Children Listening to Stories by John S. Hutton et al. PLOS ONE May 31, 2017
Increasing Young Children's Contact with Print During Shared Book Reading: Longitudinal Effects on Literacy Achievement by Shayne Piasta, Laura Justice et al. Child Development May/June 2012 v.83 #3 p.810-820.
Learning to Talk and Listen National Institute for Literacy on oral language
Books without Text Can Increase Literacy, Vocabulary Skills in Children with Developmental Disabilities by Sandra Gillam and Lisa Boyce (HealthNewsDigest.com June 7, 2011)
Reading to Learn from the Very Beginning: Informational Books in Early Childhood by Nell Duke (Young Children, 2003)
Repeated Interactive Read-Alouds in Preschool and Kindergarten by Lea McGee and Judith Schickendanz (2007) Reading Rockets (in classroom settings)
Parent-Child Shared Book Reading: Quality versus Quantity of Reading Interactions Between Parents and Young Children by Danielle Kassow. Talaris Research Institute. v.1 #1 (June 2006)
Teaching by Listening: The Importance of Adult-Child Conversations to Language Development by Frederick Zimmerman et al. Pediatrics July 2009 v. 124#1 p.342-349.
Maternal Input During Book Sharing: Wordless vs. Printed Books Texts by Sandi Gillam and Lisa Boyce. (Utah State University)
Talk During Book Sharing Between Parents and Preschool Children: A Comparison Between Storybook and Expository Book Conditions. Lisa Price, Anne Van Kleeck, Carl Huberty. Reading Research Quarterly v.44#2 (April 2009) p.174-191.
Reading Motivation What the Research Says by Barbara Marinak and Linda Gambrell. Literacy Research and Instruction 47:9-26 (2008)
The Five Practices: Sing, Talk, Read, Write and Play
Back-and-Forth Exchanges Boost Children's Brain Response to Language by Anne Trafton, MIT News, Feb 13, 2018
video summary“Parentese,” Not Traditional Baby Talk, Boosts a Baby’s Language Development by Sandee Lamotte, CNN February 4, 2020
How You Talk to Your Child Might Make Them Smarter Hechinger Report September 30, 2019
Five Steps for Brain-Building Serve and Return from Harvard University Center on the Developing Child
Simple Interactions Practice-based, strengths-focused approach to support caregivers in interactions with children to build relationships and language
Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children American Academy of Pediatrics Pediatrics September 2018.
Development of Play Birth to Age 3: Resources from Zero to Three
Best Toys for Baby Child Trends May 2019
Creating Language Rich Spaces in Laundromats: Pilot Evaluation Findings Executive Summary by Laundry Literacy Coalition
Laundromats are playing an unlikely role in the effort to shrink American’s literacy gap by Annabelle Timsit in Quartz May 5, 2019
Selecting Appropriate Toys for Young Children in the Digital Era from American Academy of Pediatrics Clinical Report, Pediatrics January 2019
Case of Brain Science and Guided Play: A Developing Story by Brenna Hassinger-Das, kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Roberta Golinkoff in Young Children May 2017
More Than Baby Talk: 10 ways to promote the language and communication skills of infants and toddlers. by Nicole Gardner-Neblett & Kathleen Gallagher (2013).
Singing To Babies Calms Them Longer Than Talking Neuroscience News October 28, 2015
Make the Most of Playtime Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning Vanderbilt University
Association of the Type of Toy Used During Play with The Quantity and quality of Parent-Infant Communication by Anna Sosa JAMA Pediatrics 2016
What's Lost as Handwriting Fades? by Maria Konnikova New York Times Science June 2014
Why Sing by Nancy Stewart
Is the Power of Talk Enough to Close the School Readiness Divide? by Sara Neufeld. Hechinger Report September 27, 2013
Babies Use Their Own Names to Help Learn Language Science Daily May 14, 2005
Scribbling and Mark Making: Promoting Infants' and Toddlers' Emergent Drawing Behavior CELL Notes 2013 v.6#1 2p.
Bridges to Literacy: Early Routines That Promote Later School Success by Sharon Rosenkoeter and Lauren Barton
Assessing and Scaffolding: Make-Believe Play by Deborah Leong and Elena Bodrova Young Children January 2012, pg. 28-34.
Reading Tips for Young Parents Read to Me Program
Handwriting Is Beneficial to Children's Cognitive Development, Summary of original peer reviewed research compiled by FYI Living's health writers, February 22, 2011.
Helping Young Children Develop Strong Writing Skills by Reading Rockets (preschool and up)
Playing to Get Smart Elizabeth Jones in Spotlight on Young Children and Play.
Electronic Baby Toys Associated with Decrease in Quality and Quantity of Language in Infants Neuroscience News December 31, 2015.
Simple Directions from Parents Can Guide Children’s Discovery University of Texas at Austin March 14, 2019
Play and School Readiness by Sue Bredekamp in Zigler Roots of Reading (2004)
The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children by Michael Yogman et al. Pediatrics September 2018
Importance of Play, Particularly Constructive Play, in Public Library Planning White Paper for ALSC by Sue McCleaf Nespeca 2012
Block Play Mississippi State University Extension Using blocks with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers
The Role of the Teacher in Block Play Community Playthings
Learning to Write and Draw: How Your Child's Writing and Art Changes Over Time
Storytelling in the First Three Years by Susan Engel
Getting in Tune: The Powerful Influence of Music on Young Children's Development Zero to Three
Music of Language (audio slideshow) July/August 2010 issue of Scientific American MIND
Beyond Twinkle, Twinkle: Using Music with Infants and Toddlers by Rebecca Parlakian and Claire Lerner
Talking is Teaching from Too Small to Fail videos and information on playing with science and math, social emotional development,
and early literacy
Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity: A Few Resources
Diversity of Identities Should Be a Celebration, Not a Burden: An Interview with Jessica Anne Bratt ALA Editions Feb. 22, 2022
Project READY: Reimagining Equity & Access for Diverse Youth
A free, online professional development modules for school and public youth services librarians, library administrators, and others interested in improving their knowledge about race and racism, racial equity, and culturally sustaining pedagogy. The primary focus of the Project READY curriculum is on improving relationships with, services to, and resources for youth of color and Native youth.
Kaymbu 360: Addressing Race, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion with Young Children
Tools and resources for early childhood educators on ways to engage young children in conversations about race. Includes strategies you can implement now to strengthen the quality of our practices and programs. Public libraries can adapt what is presented here for early childhood educators to the children, families and communities we serve.
Supercharged Storytimes—Through an Equity Lens from Webjunction, self-paced course. Free, must sign in. In Week 5, CiKeithia Pugh. Early Learning Program Manager, Seattle Public Library, gives two webinars, one on Building Community Connections and one on Welcoming Spaces.
Embracerace Identify, organize and create tools, resources, and networks to nurture resilience in children of color, nurture empathy in children, and help children think critically about racial inequity.
Anti-Racism Resource List from ACEs and African-Americans. ACE stands for Adverse Childhood Experiences.
Creating Anti-Racist Early Childhood Spaces by Rosemarie Allen et al. Teaching Young Children Summer 2021
NAEYC Position Statement on Advancing Equity from National Association for the Education of Young Children
Discussing Race with Young Kids in School Library Journal September 24, 2018
Understanding Power, Identity, & Oppression in the Public Library an on-demand free webinar from the Public Library Association
What If All the Kids Are White? Multicultural/Anti-bias Education with White Children by Louise Derman-Sparks
Let’s Talk about Race in Storytimes webinar by Jessica Bratt for Washington State Library (practical applications begin about 18:40)
Jbrary Guest Post: Talking to Kids about Race in Storytime and the Let’s Talk about Race Toolkit Jessica Bratt
Equity Briefs University of Washington ilabs includes dual language learning, STEM representation, emergence of bias
Webjunction Access and Equity courses—must sign in, free
Media Viewing, eBooks, Apps, and Effects on Language Development
Association Between Screen Time Trajectory and Early Childhood Development in Children in China by Jin Zhao et al JAMA Pediatrics June 6, 2022.
Associations Between Screen-Based Media Use and Brain White Matter Integrity in Preschool-Aged Children by John S Hutton et al. JAMA Pediatrics January 2020.
Reading on a Smartphone Affects Sign Generation, Brain Activity and Comprehension Motoyasu Honma et all. Full text is in Scientific Reports January 2022.
Two are better than one: Infant language learning from video improves in the presence of peers by Sarah Lytle et al. Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, October 2, 2018
Associations Between Screen-Based Media Use and Brain White Matter Integrity in Preschool-Ages Children by John Hutton et al. JAMA Pediatrics November 2019. Same study described in New York Times Screen Use Tied to Children’s Brain Development by Perri Klass November 4, 2019
Reading to Your Toddler? Print Books Are Better Than Digital Ones NY Times, March 25, 2019.
More Screen Time for Toddlers is tied to poorer development a few years later, study says. January 28, 2019.
Differences in Parent-Toddler Interactions with Electronic Versus Print Books by Tiffany Munzer et al. Pediatrics 2019; 143(4):e20182012
What's Going On In Your Child's Brain When You Read Them a Story? by Anya Kamenetz NPR May 24, 2018
Groundbreaking Study Examines Effects of Screen Time on Kids 60 Minutes December 9, 2018
Helping Young Readers in a Digital World by Lauren Lowry Hanen Centre, Toronto, 2016
Benefits and Pitfalls of Multimedia and Interactive Features in Technology-Enhanced Storybooks by Zsofia Takacs and Adriana Bus in Rev Education Research vol 85 pp. 698-739 (December 2015)
Worried About Screen Time? Don't Let Kids Go It Alone by Elissa Nadworny NPR Jan 4, 2017
Toddlers' Screen Time Linked to Slower Speech Development, Study Finds by Nsikan Akpan PBS Newshour May 4, 2017
Role of Interactional Quality in Learning from Touch Screens during Infancy: Context Matters Frontiers in Psychology Aug 30, 2016 v.7 article 1264
Limit Screen Time USDA Nutrition and Wellness Tips: Provider handbook for Child and Adult Care Food Program
Baby FaceTime: Can Toddlers Learn from Online Video Chat? by Lauren Myers
Screen Sense: Setting the Record Straight: Research-Based Guidelines for Screen Use for Children Under 3 Years Old by Claire Lerner, Zero to Three, 2014
Skype Me! Socially Contingent Interactions Help Toddlers Learn Language by Sarah Roseberry, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Golinkoff. Final form in Child Development 2014 May 85(3): 956-970. doi 10.1111/cdev.12166
Moving Beyond Screen Time: Redefining Developmentally Appropriate Technology Use in Early Childhood Education by Lindsay Daugherty et al. Rand Corporation Report, 2014.
Young Children in the Digital Age: A Parent’s Guide by Nancy Carlsson-Paige Defending the Early Years
Getting on the Same Page: Identifying Goals for Technology Use in Early Childhood Education by Lindsay Daugherty et al. Rand Report, 2014.
Children Learn Best During Real Time Interaction Temple University September 2013 . Full text of study: Skype Me! Socially Contingent Interactions Help Toddlers Learn Language by Sarah Roseberry, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Golinkoff. Child Development September 23, 2013, p.956-970.
Is E-Reading to Your Toddler Story Time or Simply Screen Time? by Douglas Quenqua New York Times Oct. 11, 2014
E-Books or Paper--What's Best for Young Children by Hanen Centre 2014
Picture Books and the Digital World by Junko Yokota and William Teale in Reading Teacher May 2014 pp.577-585.
Learning at Home: Families' Educational Media Use in America by Victoria Rideout (2 - 10 year olds) The Joan Ganz Cooney Center, January 2014 (55 pages)
Why to Avoid TV Before Age 2? American Academy of Pediatrics
For Infants and Toddlers in the Digital Age: Time with Adults Still Matters Most Fred Rogers Center March12, 2013.
Zero to Eight: Children's Media Use in America 2013 Commonsense Media
Early Connections: A Parent Education Toolkit for Early Childhood Providers Common Sense Media
A Typology for Observing Children's Engagement with eBooks at Preschool by Kathleen Roskos et al. Journal of Interactive Online Learning v.11 #2 Summer 2012.
A Framework for Quality in Digital Media for Young Children: Considerations for Parents, Educators, And Media Creators by Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media at St. Vincent College April 2012
Toddlers, Electronic Media, and Language Development: What Researchers Know So Far by Lisa Guernsey. Zero to Three March 2013 p.11-17.
Media, Technology, and Reading in Hispanic Families: A National Survey Center on Media and Human Development at Northwestern University and National Center for Families Learning, December, 2014.
Facing the Screen Dilemma: Young Children, Technology and Early Education by The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and the Alliance for Childhood (October, 2012)
Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8: A Joint Position Statement by NAEYC and Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children Media at Saint Vincent College (2012)
Pioneering Literacy in the Digital Wild West: Empowering Parents and Educators by Lisa Guernsey, Michael Levine, Cynthia Chiong & Maggie Stevens (December 10, 2012) Joan Ganz Cooney Center
Quick Report: Print Books vs. E-books by Cynthia Chiong, Jinny Ree, and Lori Takeuchi. (May 15, 2012) Joan Ganz Cooney Center
The New Coviewing: Designing for Learning through Joint Media Engagement by Lori Takeuchi and Reed Stevens (2011) Joan Ganz Cooney Center
Television Watching: Practical Advice for Parents of Young Children (Hanen Centre)
Media and Young Minds Abstract (American Association of Pediatrics online October 21, 2016)
Child's Play: Should Preschoolers Engage with Technology or Good-Old Fashioned Fun? Preschool Matters Today, National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) blog summer 2011
Effects of Infant Media Usage: What Do We Know and What Should We Learn? Dimitri ChristakisFoundation Acta Pædiatrica/Acta Pædiatrica 2009
Media and Children TED Talk by Dimitri Christakis
Time Well Spent: Relating Television Use to Children's Free-Time Activities by Elizabeth Vandewater tel al. Pediatrics February 1, 2006. v.107#2 p.e181-e191. (doi: 10.1542/peds.2005-0812)
Bilingual Language and Learning
Bilingual Language Development University of Washington Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences
Bilingual Baby: Foreign Language Intervention in Madrid's Infant Education Centers by Naja amirez and Patricial Kuhl Mind, Brain and Education
July 17, 2017Bilingual Babies' Vocabulary Linked to Early Brain Differentiation by Molly McElroy University of Washington, Science Daily August 29, 2011 Full article in Journal of Phonetics
Cognitive Gains in 7-month-old Bilingual Infants by Agnes Kovacs and Jacques Mehler Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the Unites States April 21, 2009 v.106 #16 p.6556-6560.
Bilingual Brain Is Sharper and More Focused, Study Says Wall Street Journal Health Blog, April 30, 2012 noting the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences article April 30, 2012 and others
Storybook Reading for Young Dual Language Learners by Cristina Gillanders and Dina Castro. Young Children (January 2011) p.91-95
Foreign-Languge Experience in Infancy: Effects of Short-Term Exposure and Social Interaction on Phonetic Learning by Patricia Kuhl et al. Proceedings of National Academy of Science, July 22, 2003 v. 100#15 p.9096-9101.
Brief Exposure to Mandarin Can Help American Infants Learn Chinese
Early Literacy and Children Who are Deaf
Thank you to Susan Cohen, Montgomery County (MD) Public Libraries
15 Principles for Reading to Deaf Children by Laurent Clerc Reading Rockets
To Baby Brains, Language Is Language, Whether Signed or Spoken Neuroscience News October 27, 2021
Book: Literacy and Your Deaf Child: What Every Parent Should Know by David Alan Stewart. Gallaudet University Press, 2003.
Gallaudet University has a Shared Reading Project that addresses the literacy needs of deaf children.
15 Principles for Reading to Deaf Children Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center
Emergent Literacy of Deaf Children by Cheri Williams Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education v.#4 (2004)
Sign Language Phonology video comparing English and ASL language acquisition
Visual Sign Phonology by Dr. Laura-Ann Pettito et al Gallaudet University
Early Emergent Literacy for Children with Combined Vision and Hearing Loss from National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness Literacy Practice Partnership
Emergent Literacy for Children who are Deaf-Blind from Project SALUTE (Successful Adaptations for Learning to Use Touch Effectively)