Milestones of early literacy development
Motor Development:
holds head steady, sits in lap without support, grasps books, puts in mouth, drops and throws books
Communication and Cognition:
smiles, babbles, coos, likes and wants your voice, likes pictures of baby faces, begins to say “ma,” “ba,” “da,” responds to own name, pats pictures to show interest
What to Read:
Board and cloth books, books with baby faces, nursery rhymes
Anticipatory Guidance:
talk back and forth with your baby, make eye contact, cuddle, talk, sing, read, play, point and name everyday things, follow baby’s cues for “more” or “stop,” play games such as “peek-a-boo” or “pat-a-cake”
Motor Development:
holds and walks with books, no longer puts books in mouth immediately, turns board book pages
Communication and Cognition:
says single words and eventually 2- to 4-word phrases, give book to adult to read, points at pictures, turns book right-side up, names pictures, follows simple stories
What to Read:
board books, rhyming books, picture books, books that name things
Anticipatory Guidance:
smile and answer when your child speaks or points, let your child help turn the pages, continue naming everyday things, use books in family routines (naptime, playtime, bedtime, on the potty, in the car, on the bus,) use books to calm or distract your child while waiting
Motor Development:
learns to turn paper pages (2 to 3 pages at a time,) starts to scribble
Communication and Cognition:
adds 2-4 new words per day, names familiar objects, likes the same book again and again, completes sentences and rhymes in familiar stories
What to Read:
rhyming books, picture books that tell stories, search and find books
Anticipatory Guidance:
be willing to read the same book again and again, talk about the pictures while you read, keep using books in daily routines, ask “Where’s the dog?” or “What is that?”
Motor Development:
turns pages one at a time from left to right, sits still for longer stories, scribbles and draws
Communication and Cognition:
recites whole phrases from books, moves toward letter recognition, begins to detect rhyme, pretends to read to dolls and stuffed animals
What to Read:
picture books that tell longer stories, counting and alphabet books
Anticipatory Guidance:
point out letters and numbers, point out words and pictures that begin with the same sound, make up stories about the pictures together, ask “What happens next?” in familiar stories
Motor Development:
starts to copy letters and numbers, sits still for even longer stories
Communication and Cognition:
can listen longer, recognizes numbers and letters, can retell familiar stories, can make rhymes, learning letter names and sounds
What to Read:
fairy tales and legends, books with longer stories and fewer pictures
Anticipatory Guidance:
relate the story to your child’s own experiences, let your child see you read, ask your child to tell the story, encourage writing and drawing, point out the letters in your child’s name
The above guidelines alone cannot diagnose a child with a developmental delay. If you suspect your child needs further assessment, please address this with your pediatrician. For families with children under the age of 3, you can contact your local DHS Office to obtain more information on whether your child qualifies for Early Intervention services.
resources for children with special needs
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Vision Loss
Developmental Delay
Learning Style Differences
Hearing Loss
Motor Delay
Autism
Speech & Language Delay
book guides
Please visit our Children’s Books webpage to explore our numerous book guides!