A Government priority for education is that every child achieves literacy and numeracy levels that enable success. A literate society is important for educational and economic reasons. There are also social, cultural, and personal benefits for children developing good literacy knowledge and practices. The Ministry of Education has highlighted literacy as a focus area of professional development in early childhood education stating that “Literacy and numeracy skills are the foundation for continuing learning and provide access to other parts of the curriculum” (Ministry of Education, 2009 a: p.8).