National Early Literacy Panel

As a result of federal legislation passed in 2002, the National Institute for Literacy appointed the National Early Literacy Panel (NELP) to evaluate instructional practices and interventions used with children from birth through age 5. NELP’s primary goal was to identify interventions, parenting activities, and instructional practices that promote the development of children’s early literacy skills. 

The panel was asked to apply a methodological review process, similar to that used by the National Reading Panel (NRP, 2000), to issues in instructional practices for young children, so that parents and teachers could better support their emerging literacy skills.