Traditionally, early literacy programs at libraries have focused on children. Storytimes and other programs might model strategies that parents can use to develop early literacy skills, but parent education is not typically the primary intent.
The Public Library Association (PLA) and Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) concluded that public libraries could have an even greater impact on early literacy through an approach that focused on educating parents and caregivers. If the primary adults in a child’s life can learn more about the importance of early literacy and how to nurture pre-reading skills at home, the effect of library efforts can be multiplied many times.
Teaching parents and other caregivers how to support the early literacy development of their children is the basis of Every Child Ready to Read® @ your library®. When the first edition of ECRR was introduced in 2004, the focus on educating parents and caregivers was a significantly different approach for many libraries; one that certainly has proven its value.
ECRR empowers public librarians and library specialists to take a central role in supporting early literacy through teaching parents and other caregivers how to support the early literacy development of their children.
ECRR is a project of the Association for Library Service to Children and the Public Library Association, divisions of the American Library Association. It was first introduced in 2004 and was extensively revised in 2011. "ECRR1" refers to the 2004 edition of the ECRR toolkit and materials. "ECRR2" refers to the 2011 edition.
ECRR1 was organized around six primary early literacy skills which research had identified as essential for the later development of reading, writing, and language skills. ECRR2 shifted attention, from naming and describing the individual skills, to promoting five simple, everyday practices that help children develop all the foundational early literacy skills.