Attends or responds to people or things in basic ways
Possible Examples
Quiets to the sound of a familiar voice.
Moves in response to an approach by a familiar adult.
Orients to an adult’s face or voice during a caregiving routine.
Responding Later
Plays with books; and
Responds to other literacy activities
Possible Examples
Interacts with a cloth or board book by holding or mouthing it.
Pats a textured board book.
Vocalizes or laughs in response to an adult singing and gesturing a simple finger-play song, such as, “Pat-a Cake” or “Los cinco deditos,” [“Five Little Fingers,” a finger
Exploring Earlier
Attends briefly to a
familiar adult reading books, singing songs, or saying rhymes
Possible Examples
Looks at pictures in a book for a short time while a familiar adult reads the book.
Reaches to turn the page of a board book as a familiar adult talks or signs about the pictures on the page.
Uses simple hand movements to participate during a familiar song or rhyme with a familiar adult.
Touches textured or tactile content on pages of a book as an adult is reading the book.
Exploring Later
Looks at books on own briefly,
or
Chooses to join reading, singing, or rhyming activities led by an adult
Possible Examples
Joins a group doing a simple finger play led by an adult.
Points at a picture
when joining an adult who is reading a book, newspaper, or tablet.
Picks up a book and looks at pictures, turns a few pages, and then drops the book to go play.
Building Earlier
Looks at books page by page,
or
Participates, from
beginning to end, in
listening to stories,
singing songs, or playing rhyming games, when supported by an adult
Possible Examples
Pretends to read a book from start to finish.
Explores a book with Braille and tactile content with hands.
Sings some words of
a familiar song, from
beginning to end, with an adult.
Building Middle
Initiates looking at and talking about books, listening to and talking about stories, singing songs, or playing rhyming games
Possible Examples
Asks questions or communicates about why something happened in a story.
Starts a song or rhyme with others while playing outside.
Uses finger puppets while reciting a familiar rhyme.
Building Later
Extends literacy activities by retelling a story, drawing pictures about a story, or acting out a story
Possible Examples
Uses flannel-board pieces to retell parts of a story after story time.
Retells a familiar story to a peer while pretending to read from a book.
Uses a communication device to tell the sequence of events in a favorite story.
Pretends to be a character from a story, using props.
Integrating Earlier
Initiates literacy activities that relate to classroom experiences as well as to own experiences or interests
Possible Examples
Chooses to read a book related to a particular theme or interest (e.g., dinosaurs or fairies).
Asks for help finding a book about bugs after a nature walk.
Participates, with others, in using the computer to create a story about a class trip.
Makes up own version of rhyming song with peers’ names.
