Developmental Milestones of Early Literacy

This information was perpared by Reach Out and Read, an organization whose National Center is a resource for Research related to early literacy interventions. You can use it (this information) to learn about how children interact with the printed word as their literacy grows. Keep in mind, every child develops at his or her own rate, and this chart/information may not be applicable to all.

• 6 -12 months:  Motor Skills: Reaches for book, book to mouth, sits in lap, head steady, turns pages with adult help

• Cognitive Skills: Looks at picture, vocalizes, pats pictures, prefers pictures of faces

• What Parents Can Do: hold child combortably: face-to-face gaze, follow baby's clue for "more" and "stop", point and name pictures

• 12 - 18 Months:  Motor Skills: Sits without support, may carry book, holds book with help, turns board pages, several at a time

• Cognitive Skills: No longer mouth right away, Points as pictures with one finger, may make same sound for particular picture (labels), Points whe asked "where's...?, turns book right side up, gives book to adult to read

• What Parents Can Do: repond to child's prompting to read, let child control the book, be comfortable with toddler's short addention span, ask "where's the ...?" and let child point

• 18 -24 Months: Motor Skills: turns board book pages easily, one at a time, carries book around the house, may use book as transitional object

• Cognitive Skills: Names familiar pictures, fills in words in familiar stories, "reads" to dolls or stuffed animals, recites parts of well-known stories, attention span highly variable

• What Parents Can Do: Relate books to child's experiences, use books in routines such as bedtime, ask "what's that?" and give child time to answer, pause and let child complete the sentence

• 24 - 36 Months: Motor Skills: Learns to handle paper pages, goes back and forth in books to find favorite pictures

• Cognitive Skills: recites whole phrases, sometimes whole stories, coordinates text with picture, protest when adult gets a word wrong in a familiar story, reads familiar books to self

• What Parens Can Do: Keep using books in routines, read at bedtime, be willing to read the same strory over and over, ask what's that?", relate books to child's experiences, provide crayons and paper

• 3 - years and up: Motor Skills: Competent book handling, turns paper pages one at a time

• Cognitive Skills: Listens to longer stories, can retell familiar story, understands what test is, moves finger along text, "writes"name, moves toward letter recognition

• What Parents Can Do: Ask "what's happening?", encourage writing and drawing, let the child tell the story

I hope you found this information to be usefull and please remember how important it is to read, read, read to your child. Thanks for reading this and be sure to check out my store/items for some great deals on books and other great items.

Darlene