A comprehensive textbook on language and literacy development in early childhoodLanguage, Literacy and Early Childhood Education, third 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. NEW TO THIS EDITIONAll chapters have been updated with new references to current Australian and international research and new literature examplesA new children’s literature chapter emphasises links to the Australian Curriculum, including the role of children’s literature in teaching general capabilities, and provides a foundation for references to the literature strand of the Australian Curriculum: English throughout the bookIcons throughout the text represent links to children’s literature to develop students’ understanding of the diversity of literature available and to support their assignment workChapter 24: Language, Literacy and Digital Technologies has been updated to take into account ongoing developments in digital technologies and the ways they intertwine with literacies.