Literacy is a fundamental area of learning in the Early Years, providing children with the foundational knowledge and skills needed for future reading, writing, communication, and learning across the curriculum. Through a language-rich environment, children are immersed in stories, rhymes, songs, mark-making, and meaningful opportunities to communicate their ideas. Literacy may be represented throughout the environment through inviting book areas, story baskets, environmental print, labels, name cards, writing materials in all areas of provision, and opportunities for children to see adults using reading and writing for real purposes. Children develop early literacy skills through sharing high-quality texts, learning nursery rhymes, developing phonological awareness, building vocabulary, and engaging in mark-making and emergent writing activities. Practitioners carefully model reading and writing behaviours, introduce new vocabulary, and provide opportunities for children to retell stories, discuss texts, and develop their comprehension skills. By building strong foundations in speaking and listening, phonics, vocabulary, book knowledge, and early writing, children develop the confidence, knowledge, and skills needed to become successful readers and writers as they move through school.