Emergent Literacy Beliefs and Practices of Early Childhood Development Practitioners in Low-Resource Communities

Abstract

Research has consistently established the importance of the development of emergent literacy skills in early childhood years as the foundation for later academic success. In South Africa, systemic challenges such as limited resources, multilingualism and insufficient ECD practitioner training often hamper effective literacy curriculum delivery. While evidence shows that practitioners’ beliefs and practices shape their pedagogical choices and are therefore central to how literacy is supported in early childhood, limited research has explored these dynamics in underserved South African contexts. This study explored the beliefs and practices of ECD practitioners in a low-resource South African community with regards to emergent literacy. A mixed-methods, cross-sectional survey design was employed. Thirty-six ECD practitioners working in ECD centres in, a low-resourced community participated. Data were collected using a structured electronic questionnaire on the Qualtrics platform, adapted from Smit et al. (2020) and Sandvik et al. (2014). Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed to examine practitioner beliefs and practices. The results showed that ECD practitioners strongly endorsed their role in promoting emergent literacy, reporting frequent use of practices such as shared book reading and interactive strategies that foster vocabulary, phonological awareness and comprehension. Findings also highlighted systemic barriers, including inadequate resources, multilingual factors and limited training, as well as practitioners’ expressed feelings of underpreparedness and a recurring desire for greater caregiver involvement in supporting children’s literacy. ECD practitioners in underserved contexts demonstrate strong role commitment and resilience in fostering emergent literacy, despite systemic constraints and feelings of underpreparedness. Addressing these barriers through resource-sensitive professional development training and strengthened caregiver collaboration may support ECD practitioners in enhancing the literacy outcomes for children in low-resource South African communities.