Literacy Timeline

By laurelreese
  • 3000 BCE

    Clay Tablets

    Clay Tablets
    Southern Mesopotamians started to write on clay tablets and developed cuneiform script (the first writing system), which was mostly symbols and shaped the way we write today.
  • 1440

    Printing Press

    Printing Press
    Invented by John Guttenburg, the printing press allowed for literature to be mass published and become more accessible to the public. Before the printing press, books were generally only attainable for the wealthy.

  • Louise Rosenblatt

    Louise Rosenblatt
    Reader Response Theory suggests that each individual student/reader brings their own interpretation or feelings to a piece of literature. The reader and the text simultaneously influence each other.

  • Jeanne Chall

    Jeanne Chall
    Suggests that each child goes through certain stages of reading development throughout their childhood. These stages can be used to determine the appropriate timeline for the general population of students in terms of reading levels and abilities.

  • First "Science of Reading" Law

    First "Science of Reading" Law
    In Mississippi in 2013, laws were passed to require schools to use evidence-based strategies to teach students how to read. Since then, 40 other US states have passed similar laws.

  • Early Literacy Laws

    Early Literacy Laws
    In 2023, 10 US states passed acts and laws to strengthen students’ reading ability and general literacy education. For example, Georgia passed the Georgia Early Literacy Act, which provides high-quality curriculum and materials to districts across the state.