Language and Literacy

Oral Language

Nursery Rhymes, Poems, Fingerplays and Songs

Storybook Reading and Storytelling

Emerging Literacy Skills in Reading and Writing

FUNCTION

FORM

FUNCTION

FORM

GOAL: UNDERSTAND AND USE NONVERBAL FEATURES OF COMMUNICATION

GOAL: UNDERSTAND AND USE LANGUAGE TO COMMUNICATE

GOAL: UNDERSTAND AND USE LANGUAGE TO COMMUNICATE

GOAL: UNDERSTAND AND USE LANGUAGE TO THINK: ORGANIZE, RELATE AND ANALYZE INFORMATION 

GOAL: UNDERSTAND AND USE INCREASINGLY VARIED AND COMPLEX VOCABULARY AND SYNTAX

GOAL: UNDERSTAND AND USE INCREASINGLY VARIED AND COMPLEX VOCABULARY AND SYNTAX

GOAL: UNDERSTAND AND USE INCREASINGLY VARIED AND COMPLEX VOCABULARY AND SYNTAX

GOAL: DEVELOP MEMORIZATION SKILLS

GOAL: LISTEN TO NURSERY RHYMES, POEMS, FINGERPLAYS AND SONGS AND RESPOND WITH APPROPRIATE GESTURES 

GOAL: DEVELOP A SENSE OF RHYME

GOAL: LISTEN TO STORIES READ ALOUD

GOAL: PARTICIPATE IN STORIES READ ALOUD

GOAL: DEVELOP A NOTION OF “STORY SCHEMA”

GOAL: DEMONSTRATE AN AWARENESS OF BOOK AND PRINT (WRITTEN LANGUAGE) ORGANIZATION 

GOAL: DEVELOP AN AWARENESS OF WRITTEN MATTER/PRINT IN EVERYDAY SURROUNDINGS AND ITS MANY USES

GOAL: DEVELOP AN AWARENESS OF THE STRUCTURE OF PRINT 

GOAL: DEVELOP PHONEMIC AWARENESS

GOAL: DEVELOP THE FINE MOTOR SKILLS AND STROKES USED IN WRITING 

Conversing

Assert state of being, needs and desires

Narrate

Explain/direct

Express a point of view and imagine

Predict

Relate concepts and reason logically

Adapt the volume of one’s voice to different settings and different purposes.

Understand and use intonation and emphasis to ask a question or express surprise, agreement, displeasure or urgency.

Carry on a dialogue or conversation with an adult, initiating comments or responding to partner’s comments.

Carry on a dialogue or conversation with a child of approximately the same age, initiating comments or responding to partner’s comments.

Answer the telephone appropriately.

Carry on a simple conversation on the telephone.

Express personal needs and desires verbally in a comprehensible manner.

Identify and express physical sensations, mental states and emotional feelings (happy, sad, angry, afraid, frustrated, confused).

Given a picture, individual object or person within view, indicate the object, person or picture that has been designated.

Given a picture, individual object or person within view, describe the attributes of the object, person or picture so that someone else may identify it.

Sequence and describe three images of events or phases of a single event that have been experienced, occurring at temporally distinct times of the day

Sequence and describe three to five images of events or phases of a single event that have been experienced.

Describe an event or task that one is in the process of completing. 

Describe an event or task that has already taken place outside the immediate place and time.

Describe an event or task that one has just experienced in the immediate past.

Describe an event or task that will take place.

Give simple, single-step directions.

Give simple, multi-step directions.

Express a personal opinion.

Assume a different role or perspective and express different possibilities, imaginary or realistic.

Answer “what will happen if...” questions.

Identify outcomes and possible causes.

Pair pictures depicting opposites: big-little, cold- hot, dry-wet, full-empty, happy-sad, open-close.

Name opposites: big-little, cold-hot, dry-wet, fast-slow, rough-smooth, full-empty, hard-soft, large-small, loud-quiet, on-off, open-close, tall- short, yes-no.

Point to/understand increasingly precise nouns related to the home, family and food.

Point to/understand precise nouns related to the home, family, food, clothing, school, town/city, transportation and stores/services.

Use increasingly precise nouns related to the home, family and food.

Use increasingly precise nouns related to the home, family, food, clothing, school, town/city, transportation and stores/services.

Point to body parts: arm, ear, eye, face, finger, foot, hair, hand, head, leg, mouth, neck, stomach, toe.

Point to body parts: ankle, arm, back, body, chest, cheek, chin, ear, elbow, eye, eyebrow, eyelash, face, finger, foot, forehead, hair, hand, heel, hip, knee, leg, lips, mouth, nail, neck, nose, shoulder, teeth, toe, tongue, waist, wrist.

Name body parts: arm, ear, eye, face, finger, foot, hair, hand, head, leg, mouth, neck, nose, stomach, toe.

Name body parts: ankle, arm, back, body, chest, cheek, chin, ear, elbow, eye, eyebrow, eyelash, face, finger, foot, forehead, hair, hand, heel, hip, knee, leg, lips, mouth, nail, neck, nose, shoulder, teeth, toe, tongue, waist, wrist.

Understand increasingly precise verbs related to the five senses.

Understand increasingly precise verbs related to eating, movement and the five senses.

Use increasingly precise verbs related to eating, movement and the five senses.

Use increasingly precise verbs related to the five senses.

Point to colors: black, blue, brown, green, orange, purple, red, white, yellow. 

Name colors: black, blue, brown, green, orange, purple, red, white, yellow.

Point to shapes: circle, square, triangle.

Point to shapes: circle, square, triangle, rectangle.

Name shapes: circle, square, triangle.

Name shapes: circle, square, triangle, rectangle.

Point to: more-less (fewer), one–four.

Point to: any-some, all-none, more-less (fewer), most-least, many-few, equal, one–ten.

Use quantity words: more-less (fewer), one–four.

Use quantity words: any-some, all-none, more-less (fewer), most-least, many-few, equal, one–ten.

Point to sensory attributes: sweet-salty, loud- quiet, hard-soft, rough-smooth, hot-cold, wet-dry.

Use sensory attributes: sweet-salty, loud-quiet, hard-soft, rough-smooth, hot-cold, wet-dry.

Understand increasingly precise vocabulary (adjectives-describing words).

Demonstrate understanding of temporal words: today, before-after, now, first-last, day-night, cur- rent day, week.

Demonstrate understanding of temporal words: today-tomorrow-yesterday, always-never-some- times, before-after, now-immediate, first-last, beginning-middle-end, then-next, already, soon.

Use temporal words: today, before-after, now, first-last, day-night, current day, week.

Use temporal words: today-tomorrow-yesterday, always-never-sometimes, before-after, now- immediate, first-last, beginning-middle-end, then-next, already, soon.

Demonstrate understanding of spatial words: in-out, in front of-behind, at the top of-at the bottom of, under-over, in a line/row, up-down.

Show understanding of spatial words: there-here, in-on, in front of-behind, at the top of-at the bottom of, under-over, above-below, next to- in the middle of, near-far, inside-outside, around- between, up-down, high-low, left-right, front-back.

Use spatial words: in-out, in front of-behind, at the top of-at the bottom of, under-over, in a line/row, up-down.

Use spatial words: there-here, in-on, in front of-behind, at the top of-at the bottom of, under- over, above-below, next to-in the middle of, near- far, inside-outside, around-between, up-down, high-low, left-right, front-back. 

Use present and past verb tense.

Use the future verb tense.

Understand and use increasingly detailed, elaborated declarative sentences.

Understand and use complex sentences with clauses introduced by: because, if, as soon as, so that, while, before, after, who, that, when, (verb)+ing.

Ask or answer questions beginning with: who, what, where, when, why.

Ask or answer increasingly detailed, elaborated questions (other than those beginning with who, what, where, when, why).

Understand and use increasingly detailed, elaborated imperatives

Understand and use the negative forms of declarative sentences, questions and imperatives.

Combine simple sentences using “and.”

Combine simple sentences using “but” or “or.” 

Use personal pronouns correctly, especially “I” when referring to oneself.

Describe oneself, home and immediate family.

Point to: large-small, wide-narrow, big-little, full-empty, tall-short, heavy-light, long-short, thick-thin.

Use size words: large-small, wide-narrow, big-little, full-empty, tall-short, heavy-light, long-short, thick-thin.

After listening to an oral description of a scene, recreate the scene in pictures.

Give a detailed, sequential explanation of how to do something so that the activity can be carried out by another person.

Understand adverbs, i.e., describing words.

Use adverbs, i.e., describing words: quickly, slowly, gently, softly, nicely.

Memorize and recite with others a simple nursery rhyme, poem or song

Memorize and recite independently a simple nursery rhyme, poem or song.

With hands and/or feet, clap or tap the beat of a familiar rhyme, poem or finger play.

Perform previously taught hand and body gestures associated with a familiar rhyme, poem or fingerplay.

Interpret and act out through pantomime a nursery rhyme, poem or fingerplay using one’s own original gestures and movements.

Using familiar rhymes, poems or songs, finish a recitation that has begun with the correct rhyming word.

Using familiar rhymes, poems or songs, indicate several possible rhyming words (other than those included in the actual rhyme) to finish the recitation.

Attend and listen to illustrated picture books with simple story lines.

Attend and listen to picture books with story lines (30 minutes), as well as books of other genres, such as nonfiction (15 minutes).

Hold a book correctly, turning the pages in accordance with the story being read aloud, from beginning to end.

Find the illustration, or object within the illustration of a book, that is being described.

Answer who, what and where questions about a read-aloud.

Answer who, what, where, when and why Critical Skill questions about a read-aloud.

Describe an illustration.

Provide or join in repeating the refrain in books with repetitive phrases.

“Retell” a story that has been read aloud, Critical Skill including characters, a beginning and an ending.

“Retell” a story that has been read aloud, Critical Skill including character(s), setting (time, place), the plot (central idea) of the story, the sequence of events and an ending.

Sequence illustrations of three story events.

Sequence illustrations of three to five story events.

“Read”/tell a story using a wordless picture book.

“Read”/tell a story based on the illustrations of a book with text that has not been read aloud previously.

Identify previously read books by the title and cover.

Attend and listen to books with minimal or no illustrations (15 minutes).

Predict events in a story, i.e., what will happen next.

Provide a story ending consistent with other given story events.

Make up and tell a story.

Point to the title of a book; the top, middle, or bottom of a page; the beginning of a book; where to start reading a book; the order that words are read on a page; the end of a book; a word; and a letter.

Use cover and illustration cues to locate those books that pertain to a particular topic or might answer a topical question.

Point to words that begin with the same letter as own first name.

Identify different examples of print in the environment.

Dictate a caption for a drawing or photograph.

Dictate a simple letter, invitation or thank you note.

Collect objects using an illustrated list (pictures labeled with words).

Use a simplified schedule of daily activities, depicted in pictures and words, to describe the order of events for the day, i.e., which are the first and last activities.

Use a simplified, illustrated schedule of activities to indicate which activity preceded and which will follow an activity.

Use a simplified, illustrated telephone listing.

Represent “in written form” people, objects, events or activities, derived from one’s personal experience or imagination. 

Dictate a description to accompany one’s draw- ing of people, objects, events or activities, derived from one’s experience or imagination.

Follow a simple, illustrated recipe.

Assemble a simple object or craft following illustrated directions.

Represent “in written form,” following an actual experience: directions for a recipe or craft or scientific observation of events or experiments.

Recognize the initial letter of one’s first name.

Recognize the written form of one’s first name.

Write one’s first name, using uppercase and lowercase letters appropriately.

Sing the “Alphabet Song.” 

Read the first names of other classmates or family members.

Associate spoken and written language by matching written word labels with spoken words.

Point to words as distinct units on a page of print.

Make beginning efforts to use invented, phonetic spelling to communicate in writing.

Segment a spoken sentence into separate, distinct words.

Blend spoken parts of a compound word, saying a whole word.

Blend two spoken syllables, saying the whole word.

Given a sound and a choice of two words, choose the word that begins with the given sound.

Give the beginning sound of a spoken word.

Indicate the number of phonemes (one to three) heard in a real or nonsense word.

Identify at least ten letters of the alphabet by name, especially those in the child’s first name.

Given a word, provide a rhyming word.

Give the sounds of at least three letters of the alphabet, especially those in the child’s own name.

Perform activities requiring small muscle control.

Produce written marks on both horizontal and vertical surfaces.

Tear, fold and paste/glue paper

Color a simple drawing, staying within the lines.

Draw and use as motifs: horizontal line vertical line point spiral

Draw and use as motifs: horizontal line vertical line diagonal line zigzag line circle spiral moon cross cane hook bowl bridge wave x star

Draw horizontal and vertical lines between two end points.

Hold a writing instrument correctly between the thumb and index finger, resting it against the middle finger.

Trace and then draw independently the outlines of geometric shapes and irregular figures.

Write one’s first name, using uppercase and lowercase letters appropriately.