ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the policy and practice of early literacy education in Poland for native Polish-speaking children. It opens with a brief overview of the Polish language and Polish educational system, and discusses the structure of the Polish phonology and orthography and its impact on early literacy development. The focus is then shifted to the early Polish literacy policy and its implementation. The provision for children with special educational needs as well as variety of literacy materials are also reviewed. The chapter discusses major challenges for the current and future early literacy provision. However, in the case of children with specific learning disabilities such as dyslexia and language impairment, that is children who are most exposed to failures in early literacy, there are no adequate system solutions, and the existing regulations are too universal. In the case of language disorders, there is little knowledge about the issue and practically no solutions at all.
