Foundations of Language and Literacy Development in Early Childhood Education: Bridging Theory and Practice Across Diverse Linguistic and Learner Profiles

Dear Colleagues,

The transition from kindergarten to the early years of primary education represents a critical period for the development of oral language, emergent literacy, reading, spelling and early writing. Understanding the foundations of these skills is essential for identifying children’s strengths and needs and for developing equitable educational practices across increasingly diverse linguistic and learning contexts.

This Special Issue aims to present and disseminate recent theoretical, empirical and practice-oriented research on language and literacy development in young children. Contributions may address typically developing children as well as monolingual, bilingual and multilingual learners; children with Developmental Language Disorder; children at risk of developing reading difficulties; children with identified reading or broader literacy difficulties. Particular attention will be given to fair, culturally and linguistically responsive assessment and to distinguishing language differences from language disorders.

The Special Issue will also consider screening, early identification, prevention, instruction and evidence-based intervention across classroom, clinical, family and community settings. Further areas of interest include teachers’ and speech and language therapists’ knowledge and practices, interdisciplinary collaboration, home literacy environments, family language practices, parents’ perspectives and home–school partnerships. By integrating research across children, professionals, families and contexts, this Special Issue seeks to strengthen the translation of theory into equitable and effective assessment, teaching and intervention.

Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Oral language and emergent literacy development;
• Early reading, spelling and written expression;
• Developmental pathways from kindergarten to primary education;
• Early predictors, screening and identification of reading and literacy difficulties;
• Developmental Language Disorder and literacy development;
• Reading development in children with diverse neurodevelopmental and learning profiles;
• Language and literacy development in monolingual, bilingual and multilingual children;
• Distinguishing language differences from language disorders;
• Culturally and linguistically responsive assessment;
• Preventive, instructional and evidence-based intervention approaches;
• Classroom-based, small-group, clinical and family-centered interventions;
• Teachers’ and speech and language therapists’ knowledge, beliefs and practices;
• Interdisciplinary collaboration and professional development;
• Home literacy environments, shared book reading, family language practices and parents’ perspectives;
• Home–school partnerships supporting language and literacy development.

Dr. Kyriakoula Rothou
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• early childhood education
• language development
• emergent literacy
• early reading and writing
• reading difficulties
• developmental language disorder
• bilingualism and multilingualism
• early identification
• evidence-based intervention
• home literacy environment