Language,Literacy and Early Childhood Education, fourth edition, focuses on language and literacy development in children from birth to age eight, with a particular emphasis on four- to eight-year-olds.It describes pedagogical practices that will allow pre-service teachers to plan for play-based learning while also employing other approaches such as explicit teaching, collaborative learning and learning though exploration and discovery. Making explicit links to the Early Years Learning Framework and the Australian Curriculum, this book is based on current research and theoretical perspectives and includes practical strategies and activities to equip pre-service teachers with the knowledge and skills they need to effectively support young children's learning of language and literacy.This book is recognised for making sense of the complex process of children becoming literate in early childhood. It addresses the five key areas of literacy: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension.