Building Strong Literacy Foundations, Birth to Three Years

SHELLS (Support at Home for Early Language and LiteracieS) is a program designed for families with children from birth to three years of age. It has operated in Australia since 1998. Partnerships are at the heart of SHELLS. Parents know their children, their community, and what is culturally appropriate. Facilitators know the community, have educational qualifications, and have received specialised SHELLS training. Researchers know which factors have been identified as important in supporting early literacy. A combination of these areas of expert knowledge--situated expertise--offers children strong, ongoing support in their early literacy learning.