LITERACY MILESTONES for PRE-KINDERGARTEN

English literacy means the ability to read, write, speak, and listen. It helps us to
communicate with others, express our thoughts and ideas and learn new things.

When many people think of literacy, they tend to think of reading and writing. While those
are certainly important parts of literacy, being able to listen to others also has an important
role to play

Most children learn to read by age 7. Learning to read is built on a foundation of language
skills that children start learning at birth — a process that is both complicated and amazing.
Most children develop certain skills as they move through the early stages of learning a
language.

The following list of such accomplishments is based on current research in the field, where
studies continue and there is still much to learn. As you look over the list, keep in mind that
children vary a great deal in how they develop and learn.

If you have questions or concerns about your child's progress, talk with your child's doctor,
teacher, or speech and language therapist. For children with any kind of disability or learning
problem, the sooner they can get the special help they need, the easier it will be for them to
learn.

From ages 3-4, most pre-kindergarten students become able to:

• Enjoy listening to and talking about storybooks

• Understand that print carries a message

• Make attempts to read and write

• Identify familiar signs and labels

• Participate in rhyming games

• Identify some letters and make some letter-sound matches

• Use known letters (or their best attempt to write the letters) to represent written
language, especially for meaningful words like their names or phrases such as "I love
you"

Excerpted from: DeBruin-Parecki, A. with Perkinson, K. & Ferderer, L. (January, 2000). Helping Your Child Become A Reader.
U.S. Department of Education.