ABSTRACT
Conducting longitudinal research has been a life-changing experience. I am constantly reminded that what we observe and what we experience includes what came before and what will follow. I am also reminded that development over long periods of time, including literacy development, is not just about learning more or being able to engage with more complicated tasks, it is about essential changes in what we do and who we are. Temporality becomes visible as the present is revealed as being inextricably linked to how people view past experiences in relation to their hopes and dreams for the future.
