Collaborative methods in early language and literacy research

To understand the process of early literacy learning and its relationship with language development in early childhood, research approaches need to include recognition of the crucial role of the family as the child's first literacy educators, and to use investigative methods that can reveal as much as possible of what is happening as the young chid is acquiring the concepts, dispositions and behaviours that lead to successful literacy in school and other contexts. The research here is based ot the Children and Education Research Centre (CERC) of The University of Newcastle, Australia. It is involved with two early childhood initiatives : SHELLS (Support at Home for Early Language and LiteracieS) and Learning Together (LT).