Created in 2007 by the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), The Pennsylvania Key implements the work and supports the policies developed and managed by OCDEL. Learn More. >
Created in 2007 by the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), The Pennsylvania Key implements the work and supports the policies developed and managed by OCDEL. Learn More. >Building and reinforcing early literacy skills is a key component of many programs offered to families and early childhood education (ECE) professionals by the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL).
These early literacy supports are provided to Pennsylvania families and ECE professionals through resources, training, and tools that foster strong language, reading, and communication skills from birth through the early elementary years.
Through evidence-based programs, professional development opportunities, family engagement initiatives, and quality early learning supports, OCDEL helps create literacy-rich environments where children can develop the foundational skills necessary for lifelong learning and academic success. Below are a few examples of how OCDEL’s work is growing readers and building futures for Pennsylvania.
Become an Early Literacy Champion. Explore the resources, training opportunities, and family supports available through OCDEL and its partners, and join the statewide effort to help Pennsylvania’s youngest learners build strong literacy foundations that support lifelong learning, health, and success.
OCDEL empowers families to be their child’s first and most important teacher. By connecting families with quality early learning resources, developmental information, and strategies for incorporating reading, storytelling, conversation, and play into everyday routines, these organizations help build the early literacy skills that prepare children for success in school and beyond.
PA’s Promise for Children serves as a trusted online resource that provides families and early learning professionals with free, family-friendly tools and information to support children’s early literacy development from birth through the early elementary years. The website offers resources such as reading activities, literacy tips, developmental information, book recommendations, and strategies for incorporating language, conversation, storytelling, and print-rich experiences into everyday routines. By connecting families and educators with engaging, age-appropriate literacy supports, PA’s Promise for Children helps foster children’s vocabulary, communication, emergent reading, and early writing skills, strengthening the foundation for school readiness and lifelong learning.
Through professional development, coaching, technical assistance, and access to literacy-focused resources, OCDEL helps ECE professionals strengthen instructional practices that promote language and literacy development. These supports enable educators to create engaging, developmentally appropriate learning experiences that foster children’s vocabulary, comprehension, emergent reading, and early writing skills.
Early literacy is a key component of quality early learning because it provides the foundation for children’s language, communication, thinking, and social-emotional development. In quality early learning environments, children engage in meaningful conversations, shared reading experiences, storytelling, and play-based learning that build vocabulary, comprehension, print awareness, and early writing skills. These experiences help prepare children for success in school while fostering curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong love of learning.
Pennsylvania’s Keystone STARS quality improvement system supports early literacy by helping early learning programs implement research-based practices, strengthen educator knowledge and skills, and create enriching learning environments that promote children’s growth and development. Through continuous quality improvement and access to professional development and resources, Keystone STARS encourages programs to provide literacy-rich experiences that support school readiness and ensure that children have a strong foundation for future academic achievement.
Early literacy and social-emotional health are closely connected because reading, storytelling, conversations, and other language-rich experiences help children develop self-awareness, empathy, emotional expression, and positive relationships. Through books and shared reading experiences, children learn to recognize emotions, understand different perspectives, build communication skills, and develop strategies for managing feelings, all of which contribute to healthy social-emotional development and school success.
Pennsylvania’s Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Consultation program supports the social and emotional well-being of young children by helping early learning professionals and families create nurturing environments that foster healthy relationships, emotional regulation, and learning. IECMH resources, including the Bright Start: Supporting Social-Emotional Development materials and consultation services, can be used alongside early literacy activities to encourage meaningful interactions, strengthen family and educator-child connections, and promote both literacy and social-emotional growth.
Early literacy and children’s health are closely connected because the language, communication, and comprehension skills developed through activities such as reading, talking, and storytelling help children understand health information, develop healthy habits, and make informed decisions as they grow. Strong early literacy skills support overall well-being by building the foundation for lifelong learning, positive health outcomes, and successful engagement with healthcare and community resources.
The Pennsylvania Key’s Health Trends in Early Childhood resource, “The Link Between Early Literacy and Children’s Health,” highlights how early literacy experiences such as shared reading, storytelling, and meaningful conversations help children build the language, comprehension, and communication skills that support both school readiness and lifelong health. This provides families and early childhood professionals with information and tools to promote literacy-rich experiences that strengthen children’s ability to understand and use information, develop healthy habits, and support their overall well-being.
Literacy-rich early learning environments begin with educators who understand and embrace the value of reading and writing. For this reason, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) continues to support the work of Professional Development Organizations (PDOs), which play a critical role in ensuring that the ECE workforce is equipped to foster the growth and development of young children and their families.
PDOs were established to promote degree and credential attainment through educational pathways that emphasize evidence-based literacy practices and ongoing professional learning. Simply put, when early childhood educators are prepared to value and implement quality literacy instruction, young children gain greater opportunities to develop essential skills and thrive throughout their educational journeys.
Pennsylvania’s Professional Development (PD) Registry serves as the Commonwealth’s system for accessing and tracking training and professional development opportunities for early childhood educators. Through the PD Registry, professionals can search for and enroll in courses focused on child development, curriculum, family engagement, assessment, and early literacy. The system provides access to a variety of early literacy-related training that supports educators in understanding how young children develop language, communication, reading, and writing skills from birth through age 8.
Early literacy courses available through the PD Registry help educators implement evidence-based practices that strengthen children’s vocabulary, phonological awareness, oral language, print knowledge, comprehension, and emergent writing skills. By applying strategies learned through these courses, early childhood professionals can create literacy-rich learning environments, integrate reading and writing opportunities throughout the day, and engage families in supporting literacy development at home. These professional development opportunities help ensure that Pennsylvania’s youngest learners build the foundational literacy skills necessary for school readiness and long-term academic success. Check out the list below of early literacy-related courses within the PD Registry.
Together, OCDEL and its partners advance a statewide commitment to early literacy by supporting families, educators, and early learning programs in providing quality experiences that nurture children’s language and literacy development. These coordinated efforts help ensure that Pennsylvania’s youngest learners have equitable opportunities to build strong literacy foundations, supporting school readiness and long-term educational success.