This ongoing thesis project deals with literacy teaching for students with intellectual disability; how it could be designed and conducted to promote students’ learning of emergent and early literacy capabilities, rather than focusing onstudents’ individual characteristics as an explanation to learning difficulties. Cultural Historical Activity Theory (Vygotsky, 1978) in combination with subject-specific theories of reading and writing (Clay,1991) as well as Variation theory (Marton & Booth, 1997) offered a conceptual apparatus for discussing capabilities of emergent and early literacy as well as identifying, analysing and describing - at micro leve l- how these capabilities were expressed in joint classroom interaction.The study was strictly focusing on the development and implementation of teaching, in a process similar to action research,involving teachers in the design,implementation and evaluation of research lessons(Elliot, 2012;Marton & Booth, 1997). Initially, to find out about the specific learning needs among the students, a mapping of emerging literacy knowledge was carried out, asa basis fordesign ofthe first research lesson. The mapping showed that none of the four students were able to distinguish between a letter and a word, when asked to do so during shared reading of a picture book. Students’ opportunities to develop understanding of this specific object of learning-Being able to distinguish between words and letters when these are parts of acontinuous text - was in focus for the design and analysis of three lessons. Between lessons, the teachers jointly analysed video recordings of the enacted lessons and decided on adjustments for next lesson. These adjustments were related to how students’ joint interaction, in relation to the intended object of learning, could be optimized. During the course of the study, the teachers’ theoretical understanding of emergent and early literacy concepts developed and critical aspects of the intended object of learning were gradually refined and specified.