Observing learning progress: supporting early literacy development

One central challenge in a developmentally-oriented view of early literacy acquisition is that the first steps in literacy development are hardly visible. They often emerge quietly and are therefore difficult to assess diagnostically.
This is where learning progress observation comes in: It reveals the reflective and metacognitive processes children go through as they gradually develop an understanding of language, symbols and writing.
This article demonstrates the theoretical potential of learning progress assessment, which operationalises a developmentally-oriented perspective on reading and writing whilst also reflecting the practical demands of observation and evaluation in early childhood settings. 
To illustrate the approach, examples are shared from a two-year practical trial in the pre-school sector. This was conducted at a school for children with hearing impairments and/or speech and language development disorders.