Early Childhood Education Assembly

For more than a century, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) has served as a home for language and literacy educators across the educational spectrum. In its vision statement, NCTE affirms that it “will apply the power of language and literacy to actively pursue justice and equity for all students and the educators who serve them” (NCTE, 2017). As the nation’s oldest professional organization for literacy educators, NCTE draws strength from its members’ professional research, lived experiences, and pedagogical knowledge. The organization embraces the language arts as multilingual, multimodal, and multigenre, providing educators with essential resources and opportunities to expand their practice. At the heart of NCTE’s mission is the belief in community—learning from one another and teaching together.

Founded in 2009, the Early Childhood Education Assembly (ECEA) of NCTE advocates for equitable, culturally and linguistically responsive early childhood literacy practices. The ECEA works to advance inclusive educational approaches that honor the rich diversity of children and families. The ECEA Book Series extends these commitments by integrating culturally responsive literacy pedagogy with research and reflective practice aimed at improving outcomes for all early learners. Grounded in participatory action research, the series highlights the importance of teacher agency, equity-centered inquiry, and holistic, community-based literacy education. It challenges deficit narratives often associated with young children and their families and offers practical strategies and new perspectives for classroom teachers, teacher educators, and scholars.