Lessons from Costa Rica and Chile for early literacy in Spanish-speaking Latin American countries

Abstract

This chapter offers an overview of early literacy provision in Costa Rica and Chile, two Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. Though they are in different phases of change, both countries are striving to improve the quality of early literacy. The analysis of these two cases may provide valuable insights for stakeholders and researchers in the 20 Spanish-speaking countries in the region, with an estimated 400 million speakers of Spanish as a first language. The chapter explores how early literacy should be taught based on the nature of Spanish as a writing system and language in Latin America, and how Costa Rica and Chile define early literacy learning in their official curricula. It examines whether the curricula more focused on code-based or meaning-construction skills and how wide the gap between the intended curriculum, pre-and in-service teacher training is, and the actual implementation of learning opportunities for early literacy in Chile.