Reading as one aspect of literacy learning

Literacy learning is a lifelong process of ongoing development and joyful exploration. Through literacy and shared engagement through language, humans connect across time, space, and context. It is through language and literacy that we participate and share in the broader human story. Creating opportunities for all of us to be part of this bigger story is so important. However, due to many misconceptions and narrowly conceived notions of language and literacy, and of what it means to have Down syndrome, there are many barriers to literacy for learners with Down syndrome. In this chapter we focus on one particular aspect of literacy, and that is reading. A key message here is to think about access.