Chapter 7. Literacy education in the digital age

Beginning readers in the early 21st century have unprecedented access to digital books and reading materials that provide them, and the adults supporting them, with many opportunities as well as many challenges. In the present chapter, we consider children’s early literacy experiences in a digital world. We review research on the influence of digital texts on early reading and explore how digital technologies are being integrated into educational literacy practices, both in the preschool and school age years. The success of this integration necessitates attention to multiple parts of the educational ecosystem, from individual learners to educators, and through to local and national educational policy.

• Affiliations: 1: University of Malta; 2: Trnava University