Emerging Literacy, Numeracy and the Role of Technology in Early Years Classrooms

In this episode, we explore what emerging literacy and numeracy look like in today’s early years classrooms, how students’ diverse experiences shape their learning, and how technology can support — but not replace — foundational literacy and numeracy development. You’ll hear about key concepts, practical examples, and how to strike the right balance between digital and non-digital learning. 

Music by amado zapana from Pixabay

Transcript

Hi everyone — welcome back to Digital Pedagogy in Practice.

Today, we’re exploring an important topic for all early years educators — the development of emerging literacy and numeracy, and how technology can support this learning in today’s classrooms.

Now, you’re probably already familiar with the terms literacy and numeracy. They’re key focus areas in Australian education — and, let’s be honest, they often attract a lot of commentary from stakeholders, especially in this era of national standardised testing.

In recent years, we’ve seen more attention placed on early years curriculum,  literacy and numeracy standards.

One challenge teachers face is that not all children start school with the same level of readiness — and this includes literacy and numeracy skills.

If you imagine a typical Foundation–Year 1 classroom, you’ll find students who’ve had a variety of early learning experiences:

• Some may have attended kindergarten
• Some may have been in full-day or half-day childcare — with or without a formal learning program
• And some may have had little or no structured early learning

On top of that, many students come from homes where English isn’t the primary language — adding another layer to the diversity of experiences and needs.

So — what do we mean by emerging literacy and numeracy?

As the name suggests, these are skills that are just starting to develop. They may be early or incomplete — but they’re key foundations for later learning.

For example — for emerging literacy, we might expect a child to:

• Recognise some letters and sounds
• Attempt writing some letters or words
• Begin to understand meanings of words and sentences

For emerging numeracy, we might expect them to:

• Recognise numbers
• Understand simple counting
• Begin to grasp basic patterns, measurements, or comparisons

But — it’s important to remember: not all students will enter school with these skills, and they’ll be at different points along the learning continuum.

Emerging literacy today also looks different to how it might have been defined in the past. In our digital world, it’s not just about reading printed books — it includes being able to understand, interpret, and create meaning from digital texts too.

UNESCO describes literacy as:
 The ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, compute and use printed and written materials associated with varying contexts.

In practice, literacy is about developing the ability to:

• Decode text
• Understand language structure
• Think critically about meaning
• Engage with both printed and electronic materials

When it comes to numeracy, we’re not just talking about basic counting either.

Numeracy today is the ability to reason with numbers, interpret data, and apply mathematical thinking to real-life contexts — from cooking at home, to reading graphs, or managing a budget.

The Australian Curriculum describes numeracy as:
 The knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions students need to use mathematics in a wide range of situations.

And here’s something important — numeracy and literacy are closely linked. To engage meaningfully with numbers, students also need language — to express ideas, to interpret questions, to communicate reasoning.

Now — let’s talk about technology.

Technology is playing an increasing role in supporting literacy and numeracy in the early years — and there’s growing evidence to back this up.

But first — we need to understand some key terms:

Educational technology — how we design, use and manage tech tools to improve learning outcomes
Instructional technology — the theory and practice of using specific tools and resources to support learning
Technology of education — the tools themselves — like tablets, apps, and interactive software

When used well, technology can:

• Support fine motor development
• Build alphabet and number recognition
• Encourage early reading and writing
• Support problem-solving and early mathematical thinking

Here are just a few examples:

Assistive technology — things like text-to-speech, closed captions, or voice-activated devices — can support ALL learners, not just those with diagnosed needs.

Digital storytelling — using tools like images, video, text and sound — can engage children in creating their own narratives, building both language and technology skills.

Interactive multimedia apps — combining visuals, sound and movement — can make learning literacy and numeracy fun and accessible for young learners.

But here’s the key: not all tech is equally effective. The impact depends on factors like:

• The quality and age-appropriateness of the tool
• The teacher’s knowledge and confidence using it (their TPACK)
• How well the tech aligns with the learning needs of the students

Now — as much as technology offers exciting ways to support emerging literacy and numeracy, it’s really important to say — we must also maintain a balance.

Not every lesson needs to use digital tools. In fact, for many early years learners, rich hands-on, play-based, and face-to-face learning experiences are still absolutely vital.

Children need time to develop their fine motor skills with pencil and paper, to engage in oral language through storytelling and conversation, to manipulate physical objects for counting and problem-solving.

Technology should never replace these essential learning experiences — but when used intentionally, it can complement and enhance them.

As educators, the key is to choose the right tool for the right moment — and to design learning experiences that blend digital and non-digital activities to meet the needs of each child.

Finally — one last really important takeaway:

Many young learners today arrive at school already exposed to technology — but that doesn’t mean they are digitally fluent. They may know how to swipe and tap, open an app or search for a YouTube video to watch — but they still need guidance on how to use technology purposefully, for learning, not purely for entertainment.

As educators, we can harness that natural interest and use it to support emerging literacy and numeracy — while also building digital literacy along the way.

So — in summary:

• Emerging literacy and numeracy are critical foundations — and students will enter school at different levels.
• Literacy today means more than just reading — it includes critical engagement with all kinds of texts.
• Numeracy involves real-world mathematical thinking — not just basic arithmetic.
• Technology, used well, can play a powerful role in supporting both.

That’s it for today’s episode!

Thanks for listening — and I’ll see you next time.