Literacy for infants and toddlers looks and feels very different to traditional literacy practices. Literacy learning starts when children first hear their mother talking in the womb, and in early childhood education the literacy journey begins on a child’s very first day. Infants’ and toddlers’ early literacy learning is founded on their engagement with teachers and the tools teachers can use to recognise, support, guide, and enhance infants’ and toddlers’ use of body language, sounds, and words. 

Ripeka from Kids’ Domain describes how they use a range of early literacy strategies to support their infants’ and toddlers’ early literacy development. This includes reflecting back sounds, using full sentences, and engaging with children at their level. 

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Glossary: 

Pēpē: babies