Early literacy: a broader vision

Literacy lies at the heart of education and has been
formally enshrined as a basic human right since the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. For
centuries, acquiring literacy has been associated with
children needing to acquire knowledge about the
alphabetic code in order to read and write, but broader
understandings of what literacy is have developed over
recent decades. Internationally, literacy is now defined as
‘the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create,
communicate, compute and use printed and written
materials associated with varying contexts’ (UNESCO,
2013). It is recognised as the foundation for lifelong
learning, and as ‘fully essential to social and human
development in its ability to transform lives. For
individuals, families, and societies alike, it is an
instrument of empowerment to improve one’s health,
one’s income, and one’s relationship with the world’
(UNESCO, 2013). In this broader vision, literacy is a
platform for individuals to develop their knowledge and to
participate fully in society through diverse oral, written,
printed and digital media