Language, Literacy, and Communications

Turns towards and focuses on a nearby caregiver who is communicating.

Watches caregiver actions and gestures.

Responds to nonverbal and verbal cues (e.g., cooing or babbling in response to caregiver).

Responds to conversation, questions, and one-word requests (e.g., caregiver asks, "Where's the object?" and the child looks or points towards the object).

Understands and follows a one-step direction.

Responds to descriptive language about objects, actions, and concepts. (e.g., when asked, the child points to the blue object).

Shows understanding of questions and statements about people, objects, ideas, and feelings.

Shows understanding of in/out, under/over, top/bottom, when requested (e.g., points to place or object when asked).

Responds to direct questions and follows two-step directions.

Shows understanding of vocabulary that indicates the location of person or thing (e.g., "above" or "below") by communicating or pointing to objects based on verbal cues.

Follows directions that involve three or more steps.

Responds to increasingly complex vocabulary that indicates location, such as "besides," "around," and "next to."

Responds appropriately to "wh-" questions or understands a question has been asked.

(C) Follow sequence of a story or discussion or steps in a process.

Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media (ex. poems, rhymes, songs) by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if something is not understood.

Imitates and responds to facial expressions and caregiver sounds.

Initiates social interaction through vocalization (e.g., babbling, crying), facial expressions (e.g., smiles) or body movements (e.g., flapping their arms).

Initiates shared attention to an object or an event.

Uses sounds, gestures, or actions to intentionally communicate and express needs and wants.

Shows reactions to objects, people, or activities (e.g., seeks comfort from a familiar adult in the presence of a stranger).

Uses real or made-up words, signs, or gestures to express basic wants and needs (e.g., signs for "more").

Responds with gestures, sounds, or words to extend interactions with others.

Uses an increased number of descriptive sounds, signs, words, or phrases to express desires and interests to others.

Begins to ask "why" questions.

Initiates and responds to conversations with others.

Initiates or extends conversations with varied comments or questions.

Communicates clearly enough to be understood by the majority of those who speak the same language.

Uses verbal or nonverbal communication to understand and solve problems with adults or other children.

Asks and answers questions to seek help or get information.

Share personal perspective, identity and voice, verbally or visually.

State of personal opinion for the purpose of sharing, verbally, visually or in written form, with support and guidance.

Make a statement about a topic and offer one or two details about the topic, verbally, visually or in written form, with support and guidance.

Verbally or visually respond to a story, with support and guidance.

Tell a story about a personal experience or that of a character, verbally, visually or in written form.

Ask questions to participate in shared research and writing projects.

(A and B) a. Help create and follow agreed-upon norms for a discussion (e.g., speaker norms, listener norms, participation norms) respectful of culture. 
b. Participate as a speaker and listener, and continue exchange of ideas through multiple exchanges.

Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings and ideas clearly.

Coos and gurgles, makes some vocal sounds.

Practices producing and combining sounds or signs (e.g., babbling).

Uses vocalizations, signs, and gestures to represent concepts (e.g., signing for more milk).

Names a few objects, animals, people, or activities with words or signs (e.g., first word).

Imitates familiar or environmental sounds (e.g., animal sounds).

Constructs two-word sentences (object and action).

Shows rapid growth in quantity of words or signs used in conversation or play.

Uses increasingly complex and varied vocabulary.

Constructs simple sentences with more than two words (e.g., "I want water").

Begins or increases use of verbs or action words in everyday conversation.

Uses increasingly longer sentences to share information about experiences with people, places, or things.

Uses more new words that more precisely name and describe objects.

Applies language rules to words or sentences, accurately or inaccurately (e.g., "We goed to the store").

Uses increasingly complex sentences to describe relationships between two or more things or events.

Uses increasingly specific and precise words to name objects and their features and functions.

Uses words and longer sentences to describe events in sequence (e.g., storytelling).

Describe the connection between two pieces of information, events, people or ideas in informational text, with prompting and support.

Ask and answer questions about unfamiliar vocabulary in informational text read aloud.

Correctly order beginning, middle and end of a story, with support and guidance.

Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings and ideas clearly.

Maintains some shared attention while being read to and/or looking at pictures.

Makes sounds while looking at text or images.

Engages with books and other print materials (e.g., child brings book to caregiver for reading).

Points to a few pictures in print on their own or in response to a question from a caregiver.

Imitates reading.

Makes a connection between an object in print and an object in real life.

Asks for or picks out favorite texts.

Focuses on a book while listening to the reader.

Points to both pictures and text when engaging with print books (e.g., points to letters in their name).

Shows persistence with longer and more complex narratives and informational text (e.g., maintains attention throughout read aloud).

Offers a personal response to stories read aloud.

Actively participates in reading activities with enjoyment and purpose.

Retells familiar stories using a book as a guide.

Initiates shared and solitary book use.

Requests information and access to new literacy materials.

Notices environmental print (e.g., classroom or building signs, food logos) and finds meaning behind it.

Demonstrate understanding of the basic features of print: 
a. Follow words from left to right, top to bottom and page by page. 
b. Recognize and name all uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet. 
c. Understand that words are separated by spaces in print

Choose and read texts that explore personal identity and interests, with prompting and support.

Ask and answer questions about key details in a text, with prompting and support.

Identify the topic of a text, with prompting and support.

Identify characters and setting, in a literary text, with prompting and support.

Describe the connection between two pieces of information, events, people or ideas in informational text, with prompting and support.

Recognize the difference between literary and informational text, through listening or reading.

Recognize the connection between illustrations and text.

Recognize common types of text (e.g., storybooks, informational, poems) through listening or reading.

Looks at the caregiver's lips and face when the caregiver is speaking.

Demonstrates awareness of sounds in the environment and spoken language from caregivers (e.g., turns head when phone rings).

Shows interest in songs, rhymes, chants, and stories.

Notices and listens to sounds and words from home language and if different, the language of care.

Imitates sounds heard in the environment.

Identifies and produces sounds heard in the environment.

Participates in songs, rhymes, chants, and stories.

Repeats different sounds in familiar words or rhymes (e.g., sings words in familiar songs).

Distinguishes between spoken language and environmental sounds.

Recalls previously heard words, songs, and rhymes (e.g., sings familiar song while playing).

Shows interest in and associates sounds with words (e.g., child shows reaction when hearing the first letter of their name).

Plays with sounds, words, and language (e.g., rhyming and matching first sounds in words) with or without attention to meaning.

Identifies and continues sound patterns in words.

Produces rhyming words or words with the same beginning sound, when prompted.

Identifies individual sounds or segments (parts) of words when prompted (e.g., Identifying first part of the word "cupcake").

Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

Read decodable texts accurately, with guidance and support.

Recognize rhythm, alliteration and repeated lines in a story, poem or song read aloud.

Demonstrate one-to-one letter-sound correspondence.

Pays attention to familiar objects, images or people.

Shows interest in familiar objects, images or people.

Recognizes and attempts to label familiar objects, images, or people.

Names familiar colors, shapes, and objects.

Points to or names some shapes, colors, letters, and other familiar symbols (e.g., first letter in child's name).

Names familiar letters (e.g., letters in child's name) and produces letter sound (e.g., "ef" for F).

Recognizes (verbally or nonverbally) the difference between letters and other symbols (e.g., a square versus the letter "T").

Names some objects, shapes, colors, letters, numbers, and symbols with increasing fluency.

Demonstrate understanding of the basic features of print: 
b. Recognize and name all uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet.

Print many uppercase and lowercase letters.

Explores books and other print materials (e.g., grasping and bringing a book to mouth to suck and chew).

Attempts to hold print materials (e.g., a book) with both hands.

Turns the pages of print materials (e.g., board books).

Turns the print materials right side up.

Identifies the front and back of a print material.

Begins to understand that print has meaning (e.g., asks "what does this say?").

Looks at and shares books and other print materials with others from front to back.

Names some parts of a print material (e.g., cover and pages of a book).

Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of print orientation in English (e.g., left to right and top to bottom) and/or languages that are used in the home or community.

Points to words or symbols and attempts to read.

(A). Demonstrates understanding of the organization and basic features of print. 
a. Follow words from left to right, top to bottom and page by page.

Recognize orientation (front cover, back cover, title) of print text and navigation of digital text.

Define the role of an author and illustrator in telling a story.

Recognize common types of text (e.g., storybooks, informational, poems), through listening or reading.

Demonstrates response to face and voice interactions from others (e.g., moves head and follows gaze).

Shows interest in stories read out loud (e.g., focused attention, cooing, babbling).

Points to or gestures toward characters during reading.

Demonstrates understanding (e.g., focused attention), when stories and texts are read or told.

Communicates (verbally or nonverbally) about characters and events during reading or storytelling.

Relates objects in stories or texts to objects in the real world.

Asks and answers questions during reading or storytelling.

Acts out, draws, or describes parts of a story or text.

Identifies and describes basic information from the text of a print material (e.g., characters, objects, and events).

Retells important information from a story or text.

Tells simple stories and experiences from their own life.

Uses vocabulary related to key concepts and central themes from a story or text.

Predicts what will happen next in a story using language or drawings.

Retells a story or events from text using a variety of media, materials, and props (e.g., acts out the story using dress-up).

Describes conflict and conflict resolution themes from a story or text (e.g., "The rabbit got away from the farmer").

With guidance and support, read and monitor understanding of grade-level text, self-correcting as needed, using strategies including, but not limited to, decoding, asking questions and making connections.

Ask and answer questions about key details in a text, with prompting and support.

Identify the topic of a text, with prompting and support.

Identify characters and settings in a literary text, with prompting and support.

Recognize the difference between literary and informational text, through listening or reading.

Correctly order beginning, middle and end of a story, with support and guidance.

Grasps and squeezes a toy or object.

Uses hands or feet to make a physical connection with objects or people.

Coordinates eye and hand movements and has control over grasp.

Uses small muscle movement to do simple tasks (e.g., picking up small items).

Uses writing tools (e.g., crayons or drawing boards).

Uses scribbles, shapes, or pictures to represent thoughts and ideas.

Demonstrates interest in writing to communicate (e.g., may imitate typing on a device).

Uses letter-like symbols to make letters or words in home language and/or English.

Uses symbols and drawing to represent writing.

Writes own name and words about familiar and interesting things.

Understands the different purposes for writing (e.g., stories, lists, or labels).

Uses invented spelling (e.g., chooses incorrect or unusual letters to spell words).

Uses words, pictures, letters, or letter-like symbols to communicate information and ideas, or to create original stories.

Recognize that words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters, which are separated by spaces, and put in a specific order to create a sentence.

Write routinely (may include a combination of drawing, dictating and writing), with support and guidance.

Plan and draft writing (may include a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing) and revise to strengthen writing in a shared setting.