<![CDATA[Early reading is a critical foundation for a child's academic development; however, a comprehensive mapping of global research progress in this field remains limited. This study aims to analyze trends and patterns in early reading research in elementary schools using a bibliometric approach spanning 1977–2026. Data were retrieved from the Scopus database using the search string "Early Reading" OR "beginning reading" AND "elementary school" OR "primary school". After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 188 articles were selected for analysis. The analysis was conducted in Microsoft Excel and VOSviewer to visualize keyword networks, author collaborations, and citation maps. The results indicate that this field is growing at an average annual rate of 2.87%, with publication peaks in 2018 and 2021. The United States dominates global contributions to publications, and Florida State University is the most productive institution. Keyword analysis identified five thematic clusters: core literacy, school and family contexts, vocabulary and bilingualism, intervention and synthetic phonics, and genetics and reading difficulties. These findings confirm that early reading research is multidisciplinary and continuously evolving, with "reading" and "early reading" serving as the primary connecting hubs across clusters. This study is expected to serve as a reference for researchers, educators, and policymakers seeking to understand the developmental trajectory of early reading knowledge.]]>
