For centuries, learning to be literate has been regarded as foundational to an education that may enhance lifetime outcomes. However, the exponential progress of digital technologies over recent years, laid bare during the global COVID-19 pandemic, leads us to question what ‘being literate’ means in 2021 and beyond. In this presentation, I draw on my experiences as a researcher and doctoral supervisor in the field of education and as Editor of the International Journal of Early Years Education1 to highlight key questions emerging from research concerning the nature and value of learning to be literate in the C21st. I consider the implications of those questions for the field of education and a good future for us all.

Learning to be literate in the C21st: new meanings for the alpha generation and beyond