Children's Early Literacy Research Articles

Parents' Literacy Beliefs, Home Literacy Activities, and Children's Early Literacy Skills: Stability and Progress Approaching First Grade.

This study explores the stability and progress of parents' literacy beliefs and home literacy activities and their relationships with their children's early literacy skills in their last year of preschool. Participants were 50 preschool children (M = 61.44 months) and their parents. Data collection sessions occurred in the family home in the fall and spring, with six months between them. At each time point, parents completed questionnaires regarding their beliefs relating to children's literacy development, parents' role in supporting literacy development, and the frequency of home literacy activities. We also evaluated the children's early literacy skills (letter names, letter sounds, word writing, phonological awareness, and motivation for literacy activities). Results revealed overall stability in parents' beliefs between the two time points, an increase in home literacy activities, progress in children's early literacy skills, and greater motivation to engage in early literacy activities. We found a positive relationship between parents' beliefs and home literacy activities in the fall with their children's early literacy skills in the spring. Further, the progress in parents' literacy beliefs between the fall and the spring correlated with their children's progress in early literacy skills, controlling for parents' education and children's age. This study highlights the importance of promoting parents' literacy beliefs and home literacy activities.

The social language environment – domain: ECEC teachers’ self-reported ratings of strategies in teaching literacy

ABSTRACT ECEC settings are children's first contact with early education, and ECEC teachers are expected to encourage and support children's early literacy development. This study aims to pilot test the self-assessment tool Social Language Environment – Domain, (SLE-D), in order to gain more knowledge about teachers’ strategies when teaching literacy. Fifteen ECEC teachers used the tool as a support to focus on didactic strategies that provide conditions for children's early literacy development over 22 months. The data consists of (N = 299) self-reported and rated teaching activities across four time-points. Cronbach's alpha showed satisfactory internal consistency for the entire self-assessment tool, while each domain showed somewhat lower levels of consistency. Principal component analysis suggested a 5-factor solution, indicating subdimensions of the three dimensions. However, item mean values showed notable changes in ECEC teachers’ ratings, which can be interpreted as teachers developing their strategies in literacy-related play activities by using the tool.

‘Let's write a shopping list on the phone together’: Parents' digital literacy activities with their preschoolers and the children's early literacy skills

BackgroundThe study describes preschoolers' digital home environment, focusing on parent–child writing interactions using a smartphone and exploring its contribution to children's early literacy.MethodsParticipants were 65 Israeli preschoolers (M = 62.37 months) from middle SES and one of their parents. Parents responded to questionnaires assessing the digital home environment (prevalence of digital devices, parental involvement in selecting digital content, children's independent digital activities and screen time). Parents were video recorded while assisting their children in writing a shopping list of three products using a smartphone (keyboard). We analysed how parents helped children segment words into their respective sounds (grapho‐phonemic mediation) and type letters independently (printing mediation) and their reference to the orthography. Children's literacy skills (letter knowledge, phonological awareness and early writing) were assessed individually.ResultsFindings showed that the homes are rich with technology and children are engaged daily with various digital devices. The level of parental involvement in selecting their children's digital content and the quality of their writing support positively related to children's early literacy skills. Children's independent digital activities were negatively related to their literacy skills. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that the nature of parental writing support predicted children's early literacy beyond parental involvement in selecting digital content and children's independent digital activities.ConclusionsThe study reveals the benefits of parental involvement in their children's digital world and highlights the strength of parental writing support and the potential of parent–child digital activities in promoting children's early literacy.HighlightsWhat is already known about this topic Children's digital home environment has become a meaningful learning place and contributes to school readiness (Bus et al., 2015). Letter knowledge and phonological awareness are major predictors of reading and writing acquisition (Robins et al., 2014). Parent–child writing interactions using digital means support children's early literacy skills (Aram & Chorowicz‐Bar‐Am, 2016).What this paper adds The study emphasises the potential of preschoolers' digital literacy home environment, focusing on the nature of parents' writing support via a smartphone. Parental involvement in selecting digital content for their children is related to children's higher literacy skills while encouraging independent use of digital devices is related to children's lower literacy skills. The study underscores the crucial role of parents in children's digital literacy. Specifically, parents' digital writing support using a smartphone is shown to be a significant factor in children's higher literacy skills, even beyond the children's age and the digital home environment.Implications for theory, policy or practice Parents experience a conflict between the need to expose their children to forms of technology and the need to control and supervise this engagement with digital technologies (Edwards et al., 2017). Our study suggests that the solution to this conflict is to enable children's use of digital means and also carefully select the content to which children are exposed. The study may assist parents in mediating the writing world, using the smartphone to support children's readiness for school.

Hebrew–Russian Bilingual Children's Early Literacy Skills: The Roles of the Home Literacy Environment and Mothers' Writing Support

AbstractToday, many children worldwide grow up in bilingual or multilingual families. This study explores early literacy development in Russian–Hebrew bilingual families in Israel. It studies the contribution of the home literacy environment (HLE), the language of communication, and the nature of the maternal writing support in Hebrew and Russian, to children's early literacy skills in the two languages. Participants were 61 Israeli children (4–6 years old) and their mothers. The mothers completed questionnaires about home literacy activities in both languages and were videotaped while supporting their child in writing a list of eight words in Hebrew and Russian. Children's early literacy skills (phonological awareness, letter knowledge, and word recognition) were assessed in both languages. Results showed that mothers adjusted their writing support not only to the child's skills but also to the particular orthography. The HLE and aspects of mothers' writing support predicted their children's early literacy skills, not only within each language but also in cross‐language models. The literacy activities provided at home and the nature of mothers' support seem to link to the children's literacy outcomes. The results stress the importance of parents' explicit efforts to support children's early literacy skills in both heritage and societal languages.

DEVELOPING CHILDREN'S LITERACY USING THE PROJECT BASED LEARNING MODEL, MASTERY LEARNING MODEL, NUMBER HEAD TOGETHER MODEL AND SAND MEDIA IN GROUP A

The low ability to recognize children's early literacy, low children's learning activities and low focus on learning activities that make children lack learning motivation and lack of desire to excel in a learning activity should be a concern in this study. The purpose is to analyze teacher activities, children's activities and literacy development results using sand media in Kenanga Banjarmasin Kindergarten. This research use Classroom Action Research with qualitative and quantitative approaches used in this study. It is conducted in three meetings with children from group A of Kenanga Banjarmasin Kindergarten, with a total of 8 children. The results showed that teacher activity always increased in every meeting starting from the 1st meeting obtaining a score of 26 with Good criteria, until the 3rd meeting obtaining a score of 34 with Very Good criteria. Child activity 1st meeting with 38% Active criteria, 2nd meeting with 75% Active criteria and 3rd meeting with 100% Very Active criteria. The results of child literacy development at the last meeting reached 100%. It was concluded that the combination of Project Based Learning, Mastery Learning, Number Head Together models using sand media was proven to develop children's activities and children's literacy development outcomes. It is recommended that principals, educators and subsequent analysis can be material to further develop learning in children.

Large scale implementation of effective early literacy instruction

IntroductionLarge-scale implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to enhance children's early literacy success is critically important to address global literacy challenges. This paper describes one such initiative, the Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA), which was specifically designed for large-scale implementation in New Zealand.MethodsBetween February 2020 and May 2023 over 3,000 teachers in 819 schools across New Zealand implemented BSLA, with baseline data available for 29,795 5-year-old children. Teachers implemented novel online assessments to monitor children's early literacy growth.ResultsIn comparison to an internal control group, accelerated progress in children's phonic, and phoneme awareness skills was evident after 10 weeks of BSLA Tier 1 (universal) teaching. After 30 weeks, there were significant gains in word reading, spelling, listening comprehension and oral narrative abilities; growth did not differ based on gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. Children with greater learning needs who received BSLA Tier 2 (small group targeted teaching) caught up to their peers in word reading and spelling skills.ConclusionsWith appropriate resourcing, planning and engagement with communities, successful large-scale implementation of evidenced-based early literacy approaches is possible within a relatively short time. Culturally responsive implementation within MTSS frameworks holds much promise for raising literacy achievement for all children.

Encourager la littératie au travers de l'album jeunesse lors de la prise en soins du langage d'enfants de 0 à 3 ans : état des lieux des pratiques actuelles en orthophonie.

Context: Numerous studies highlight the protective power of early parent-child interactions on language acquisition. In everyday life, shared book reading gives parents the greatest number of opportunities to support their child’s language development. However, despite existing recommendations on early literacy habits, many families are not familiar with children’s books. Because of their involvement in prevention, detection and intervention in case of language disorders, speech therapists are key to supporting parents with children's early literacy habits. Objective: In this study, we establish a picture of speech therapists’ knowledge of the use of children’s books to promote early childhood literacy in early language intervention. Methods: Speech therapists, working in France and taking care of children under 3 years old with language difficulties, completed a questionnaire assessing their sense of competency and their use of children’s books in session. Results: 173 speech therapists completed our questionnaire. The results show differences between the strategies used by speech therapists and the ones recommended in the literature. Conclusion: It reveals the necessity to help improve practices concerning children’s books in early intervention. In practice, it can help speech therapists support parents more efficiently in the shared reading habits.

Exploring the influence of the home literacy environment on early literacy and vocabulary skills in Korean-English bilingual children.

Studies have emphasized the significance of maintaining a heritage language for various reasons such as the establishment of linguistic and cultural identity, as well as socio-emotional development. Despite the crucial role that literacy development in a heritage language plays in language preservation, there is a scant research that explores the impact of home literacy environment and literacy development in children with a heritage language. This study aimed to examine the home literacy environment and literacy-related skills in 4-to 5-year-old Korean-English bilingual children living in an English-speaking country, Australia, whose heritage language is Korean, and to investigate the relationships among the home literacy environment factors and the child-internal literacy-related skills. The study employed parental questionnaires and video analyses of parent-child shared book reading sessions to assess the Korean and English home literacy environment. Children's early literacy skills in Korean and English, along with their Korean, English, and conceptual vocabulary skills, were measured as literacy-related skills. The findings indicated that parents utilized an indirect approach for Korean literacy practices, in contrast to a more direct and explicit method for English literacy practices. However, active and direct literacy practices were found to be essential for Korean early literacy development, while indirect methods are sufficient for English early literacy skills. Moreover, the availability of abundant Korean literacy resources at home had a positive impact on the development of Korean and English, as well as conceptual vocabulary skills. In conclusion, this study underscores the importance of providing a robust literacy environment in a heritage language in bilingual families to promote language proficiency in both the heritage language and the dominant social language, while also supporting the development of conceptual language skills.

The role of the traditional and digital home literacy environment in Chinese Kindergartners’ language and early literacy

In this study, we examined whether a digital home literacy environment could be distinguished from a traditional literacy environment in Chinese context and the relationship between parental literacy expectations, traditional and digital home literacy environment, and children's language and early literacy skills. In addition, we explored whether the relationship between HLE and children's language and early literacy would be affected by parental perceived abilities with home literacy activities. One hundred and seventy kindergarten-2 children (82 boys and 88 girls; mean age = 55.15 months) and their parents participated in the study. Parents filled out a questionnaire on the home environment (i.e., parental expectations, home literacy activities, and parental perceived abilities in home literacy activities), and the children were assessed on language skills (vocabulary and grammatical skills) and early literacy (i.e., syllable and tone awareness). Results showed that a digital home literacy environment (DHLE) could be distinguished from a traditional home literacy environment (THLE). Chinese traditional home literacy environment consisted of three distinct aspects (Chinese speaking, Chinese writing, and informal literacy activities). Furthermore, there were no direct or indirect effects of (aspects of) the home literacy environment in predicting language skills, whereas an indirect effect of parental literacy expectations on early literacy was found, via the DHLE only. Finally, there was a positive relationship between DHLE and children's early literacy for parents who experience difficulties in providing the conditions for DHLE. Overall, these findings suggest that the DHLE has already become an important part of the Chinese home literacy environment. In addition, when it comes to children's early literacy skills, the use of digital learning tools may partly compensate for parent's difficulties in digital home literacy education.

Pengaruh Penggunaan Youtube Terhadap Kemampuan Literasi Numerasi Pada Anak Usia Dini Kelompok B

The study findings revealed that a sample size of 20 children indicated a significant difference in the average scores between the pretest and posttest of numeracy literacy skills. This indicated an influence of YouTube usage in enhancing the children's early numeracy literacy skills. The statistical analysis of the pretest scores revealed that the initial numeracy literacy ability was 19.1 (19.1%) of the total score, which amounted to 8. The posttest value of children's numeracy literacy results in an average score of 28.25 (28.25%) of a total score of 8, with the one-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test data normality test with a pretest significance value of 0.099 > 0.05, and a posttest significance value of 0.200 > 0.05, and the results of the t-test obtained a value of  23.719, while the value of at (x) = 0.05 is 2.093 if 23.719 > 2.093, then Ho is rejected, and Ha is accepted. Meaning that there is an influence of the use of YouTube media on numeracy literacy skills in group B early childhood at TK State Pembina Botumoito Kindergarten. The utilization of YouTube as an alternative solution is suggested to address the challenges faced by learners.
 
 The study findings revealed that a sample size of 20 children indicated a significant difference in the average scores between the pretest and posttest of numeracy literacy skills. This indicated an influence of YouTube usage in enhancing the children's early numeracy literacy skills. The statistical analysis of the pretest scores revealed that the initial numeracy literacy ability was 19.1 (19.1%) of the total score, which amounted to 8. The posttest value of children's numeracy literacy results in an average score of 28.25 (28.25%) of a total score of 8, with the one-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test data normality test with a pretest significance value of 0.099 > 0.05, and a posttest significance value of 0.200 > 0.05, and the results of the t-test obtained a value of  23.719, while the value of at (x) = 0.05 is 2.093 if 23.719 > 2.093, then Ho is rejected, and Ha is accepted. Meaning that there is an influence of the use of YouTube media on numeracy literacy skills in group B early childhood at TK State Pembina Botumoito Kindergarten. The utilization of YouTube as an alternative solution is suggested to address the challenges faced by learners.

Speech-Language Pathologists' Perceptions of Language and Literacy Instruction for Pre-K Children With Developmental Language Disorder.

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have multiple roles and responsibilities related to language and literacy instruction in schools. The purpose of this exploratory, qualitative study was to analyze school-based SLPs' perceptions related to effective language and early literacy instruction for pre-K children with developmental language disorder (DLD). The goal of this study was to inform development of a new language and early literacy professional development program for inclusive pre-K teachers. Eight school-based SLPs participated in a 1-hr virtual focus group conducted via Zoom recording technology. The researchers used a conventional content analysis approach to analyze the focus group data and identify themes from the discussion. The researchers developed two themes: (a) SLPs identified repeated exposure to books, peer interaction, and teaching vocabulary with visual supports and props as key elements of language and literacy instruction that can be integrated into a variety of contexts, and (b) SLPs want more time with parents and teachers to support their book reading and model specific language strategies. SLPs identified several instructional practices inclusive pre-K teachers could be taught to use during professional development programs to support the emergent literacy development of children with DLD. They also discussed the need for ongoing collaboration between SLPs, caregivers, and teachers to maximize children's early language and literacy experiences. Future research should explore the impact of partnerships with caregivers and teachers on children's language and literacy outcomes.

The impact of parent mediation on young children's home digital literacy practices and learning: A narrative review

AbstractBackgroundIn today's society, a growing body of literature attests to the importance of young children's early digital literacy skills in their home environments and how acquisition of these digital literacy skills relates to their future learning and digital literacy.ObjectivesResearch on young children's digital literacy practices at home was reviewed to explore the positive and negative influences on early learning. This is important due to the children's rapid uptake of online digital technologies over the past decade.MethodsPeer‐reviewed research articles on home digital literacy practices of children (aged 0–8 years old) published between 2010 and 2021 from four education databases were carefully selected based upon pre‐determined criteria and examined using content analysis.Results and ConclusionA high proportion of studies (29 of the 31; 93.5%) demonstrated significant benefits of young children gaining a range of skills, including digital operational, early literacy and language, socio‐emotional, and STEM, through the use of digital technologies at home. Five of the 31 (16.12%) studies reported negative effects of digital technologies in the home context, including distraction, aggressive behaviour, and false self‐confidence. Tablets and smartphone use gained greater momentum in the home context, especially between 2015 and 2021, and there was a positive shift in parental mediation, family involvement, and the children's home digital literacy practices.ImplicationsBy leveraging children's acquisition of digital literacy skills in the home and taking into account the sociocultural context, we can enhance young children's preparation for the future and provide opportunities for skill development across various learning domains.

School-entry skills and early skill trajectories predict reading after 1 year.

Oral language and early literacy skills are theorized to provide the foundation for reading acquisition. To understand these relations, methods are needed that depict dynamic skill development in the context of reading acquisition. We modeled contributions of school-entry skills and early skill trajectories to later reading with 105 5-year-old children beginning primary school and formal literacy instruction in New Zealand. Children were assessed at school-entry (Preschool Early Literacy Indicators), followed every fourth school week over their first 6 months of school (five probes of First Sound Fluency, Letter Sound Fluency, and New Zealand Word Identification Fluency: Year 1), and after 1 year of school (researcher-administered and school-used indices of literacy-related skills and reading progress). Modified latent change score (mLCS) modeling was used to describe skill development from repeated progress-monitoring data. Ordinal regression and structural equation modeling (path analyses) indicated skills at school-entry and early learning trajectories, indexed by mLCS, predicted children's early literacy progress. Results have implications for research and screening in beginning reading, supporting school-entry screening and progress monitoring of early literacy skills in beginning reading acquisition. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Family play, reading, and other stimulation and early childhood development in five low-and-middle-income countries.

This paper used longitudinal data from five studies conducted in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Ethiopia, and Rwanda to examine the links between family stimulation and early childhood development outcomes (N = 4904; Mage = 51.5; 49% girls). Results from random-effects and more conservative child-fixed effects models indicate that across these studies, family stimulation, measured by caregivers' engagement in nine activities (e.g., reading, playing, singing), predicted increments in children's early numeracy, literacy, social-emotional, motor, and executive function skills (standardized associations ranged from 0.05 to 0.11 SD). Study-specific models showed variability in the estimates, with null associations in two out of the five studies. These findings indicate the need for additional research on culturally specific ways in which caregivers may support early development and highlight the importance of promoting family stimulation to catalyze positive developmental trajectories in global contexts. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Research on the links between family stimulation and early childhood development in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) is limited. We used longitudinal data from studies conducted in five LMICs to examine the links between family stimulation and early childhood development outcomes. Results suggest that family stimulation predicted increments in children's numeracy, literacy, social-emotional, motor, and executive function skills. We found variability in the observed estimates, with null associations in two out of the five studies, suggesting the need for additional research in LMICs.

Embedding Executive Function Training Into Early Literacy Instruction for Dual Language Learners: A Pilot Study.

Early literacy skills are key indicators of future reading development for young dual language learners (DLLs). Additionally, emerging evidence indicates that young children's executive function (EF) skills are uniquely associated with elementary school reading outcomes (Ribner et al., 2017). Therefore, the purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the potential for embedding strategies to support EF development within evidence-based early language and literacy instruction for young DLLs. Sixty-nine preschool DLLs were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: a business-as-usual control group (BAU), a group that received early literacy instruction only (EL group), and a group that received early literacy instruction with embedded EF strategies (EL + EF group). The intervention focused on improving children's early literacy skills, including letter-name knowledge, phonological awareness, and oral language. Children completed assessments of early literacy and EF immediately before and after the intervention. The EL and EL + EF groups significantly outperformed the BAU control group for two early literacy outcomes, and effects of evidence-based early literacy instruction were strongest for children with poor EF skills. Results indicated that there were no significant differences between the EL + EF and EL groups. This pilot study indicated that there was no significant benefit to adding supports for EF skills within evidence-based early literacy instruction. Additional research is needed with larger samples to replicate observed effects. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.21834465.

An investigation of Head Start preschool children's executive function, early literacy, and numeracy learning in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on preschool children's school readiness skills remains understudied. This research investigates Head Start preschool children's early numeracy, literacy, and executive function outcomes during a pandemic-affected school year. Study children (N = 336 assessed at fall baseline; N = 237-250 assessed in spring depending on outcome; fall baseline sample: mean age = 51 months; 46% Hispanic; 36% Black Non-Hispanic; 52% female) in a network of Head Start centers in four states (Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin) experienced low in-person preschool exposure compared to national pre-pandemic norms. Children experienced fall to spring score gains during the pandemic-affected year of 0.05 SD in executive function, 0.27 SD in print knowledge, and 0.45-0.71 SD in early numeracy skills. Descriptively, for two of the three early numeracy domains measured, spring test score outcomes were stronger among children who attended more in-person preschool. We discuss implications for future research and policy.

Evaluation of Teachers' Early Literacy Proficiency and In-Class Literacy Practices Based on Child Outputs

This study primarily aims to evaluate preschool teachers' early literacy proficiency and in-class literacy practices based on child outputs. The study comprises 29 preschool teachers working in Gaziantep and 235 students continuing their education in these teachers' classes. The 'Teacher Interview Form' was used in the study to collect information regarding teachers' early literacy proficiency and in-class literacy practices, while the 'Early Literacy Test (EROT)' was used to assess children's early literacy skills. All of the teacher interviews and EROT applications were conducted individually in a designated room or classroom at their own school. The data obtained from the study were calculated and analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal Wallis H test. The findings revealed that there was no significant difference between the teacher's early literacy proficiency and the children's early literacy subtest scores, that there was a significant difference between the in-class literacy practices and children's receptive and expressive language vocabulary subtest scores, and there was no significant difference between the children's phonological awareness subtest scores and listening comprehension skills.

Meningkatkan Kemampuan Keaksaraan Awal Melalui Bermain Suka-Suka Dengan Media Loose Parts Pada Anak Kelompok B di TK Aisyiyah Bustanul Athfal Slogo

The early literacy abilities of Group B children in Aisyiyah Bustanul Athfal Slogo Kindergarten have not developed well. This study aims to improve children's early literacy skills through fun playing with loose parts media. This research is a Classroom Action Research. The research subjects were 5 children in Group B. Data collection techniques were carried out using observation and documentation. The tool used is an observation instrument sheet. The data analysis technique was carried out in a quantitative descriptive manner. The success indicator set is that 75% of 5 children have early literacy skills. This research was carried out in two cycles. The results showed that the ability to recognize the early literacy abilities of Group B children at the Pre-action stage was 820%, in Cycle I as much as 50%, and in Cycle II as much as 80%. The percentage gain in Cycle II proves that this research has achieved an indicator of success, namely the child's early literacy ability has increased by 75%. Research steps that can improve early literacy skills are carried out by playing like-like, using real loose parts media and being around the environment. Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that this activity can improve early literacy skills in Group B at Aisyiyah Kindergarten Bustanul Athfal Slogo.

The Effect of Project Approach-Based Education on Children’s Early Literacy Skills

In this study, it was aimed to determine the effect of project-based education on children's early literacy skills. Experimental design with pretest-posttest control group was used in the research. The study group of the research consisted of a total of 36 children in the experimental (n: 18) and control (n: 18) groups, who attended independent kindergartens affiliated to the Ministry of National Education in the city center of Afyon, which were randomly selected from the population. As a data collection tool in the study, the "General Information Form" developed by the researchers to collect personal information about children and families (gender, number of siblings, duration of pre-school education, parents' ages, educational status, occupation) and to evaluate early literacy skills the “Test of Early Literacy” (TEL) developed by Kargın, Güldenoğlu and Ergül (2015) were used. A project-based education program was applied to the children in the experimental group, 3 days a week for 8 weeks. A statistically significant difference was found between the pre-test and post-test mean scores of the children in the experimental and control groups from all of the TEL and its sub-dimensions, in favor of the scores they got from the posttest. Due to the positive change in the experimental and control groups, the pre-test and post-test score differences of the children in the experimental and control groups were compared. As a result of the comparison, a statistically significant difference was found in favor of the experimental group.

Factors associated with early literacy and numeracy development among children under five years in Bangladesh: multivariate two-level mixed effect approach

PurposeEarly literacy and numeracy development among children may be the best measure of a child's well-being. The purpose of this research was to examine the impact of child factors, quality of care and household factors, and community factors in early childhood on the development of literacy and numeracy skills of children in Bangladesh.Design/methodology/approachFor this study, the authors used data from Bangladesh's 2019 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. The association between response variables and selected covariates was examined using the chi-square test. To determine the risk factors for early child literacy and numeracy development, the authors applied two-level logistic regression models.FindingsAmong the total of under five children (n = 9,449), in general, 29.1% of the children were growing in the development early childhood literacy and numeracy in Bangladesh. Children (36–47 months), male children, children with moderate stunting, children with severe and moderate underweight status, mothers without education and primary education, and mothers from the poorest, poorer, middle and richer households were less likely than their counterparts to develop children's early literacy and numeracy skills. In contrast, women from the eastern and central regions, children who read at least 3 books, and early childhood education had higher odds of children's literacy and numeracy skills development than their counterparts.Originality/valueThe results from this study suggest that children's, community, quality of care and household level significant factors should be considered when trying to improve children's literacy and numeracy skills development in Bangladesh.