ABSTRACT
Research into early literacy has often been of a predictive nature to find discrete elements of literacy that may be precursors of future development. This review of early literacy begins by considering different theoretical perspectives and their implications for research and practice. The review then examines a move towards multimodal, semiotic approaches to early literacy research as literacy is increasingly viewed as multimodal within young children’s digital worlds. The semiotic approach focuses on context, incorporating oral and written language as well as other modes of representing and communicating meaning. The review concludes with a call for early literacy researchers to consider research from a semiotic theoretical position with close observation of how children are making meaning with new multimodal forms of literacy.
