Language Development and Emergent Literacy: Birth-5

Other New Hampshire Early Learning Standards sets

• Cognitive Development – Approaches to Learning: Birth-5
• Cognitive Development – Early Numeracy: Birth-5
• Cognitive Development – Early Numeracy: Birth-5
• Creative Expression and Aesthetic Appreciation: Birth-5
• Physical Development and Health: Birth-5
• Social and Emotional Development: Birth-5

Birth to Nine Months: Use various sounds and movements to communicate2.1.1

Nine Months to Eighteen Months : Communicate using consistent sounds, gestures, and facial expressions2.1.2

Eighteen to Twenty-Four Months: Understand others’ nonverbal symbolic cues such as nodding for yes or shaking head for no2.1.3

Twenty-Four to Thirty Months: Use gestures to augment what they are trying to communicate with words (E.g. Destiny shakes her head emphatically as she says, “No, no, no.”) 2.1.4

Thirty Months to Three Years: Begin to understand other children’s nonverbal social cues 2.1.5

Three Years: Notice other children’s body language and try to interpret it2.1.6

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Understand non-verbal cues2.1.7a

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Communicate needs, wants, or thoughts using nonverbal gestures, actions, or expressions (E.g. 5-year-old Devin points to the block area when he is asked what he wants to do next.)2.1.7b

Birth to Nine Months: Use sounds to get adult attention and to engage adults3.1.1

Nine Months to Eighteen Months : Begin to use single words to communicate3.1.2

Eighteen to Twenty-Four Months: Convey a variety of meanings through simple vocabulary (E.g. Jeff says “milk,” which can mean, “I want milk,” “I’m finished drinking milk,” or “I spilled my milk.”)3.1.3

Twenty-Four to Thirty Months: Use language for a variety of functions3.1.4

Thirty Months to Three Years: Can participate in simple conversational exchanges, usually with adults 3.1.5

Three Years: Begin to understand the rules for communication in different situations (E.g. Charlie whispers when dad explains that he needs to use a quiet voice when visiting grandpa in the hospital.)3.1.6

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Use language according to rules appropriate for the cultural context (may need adult help in recognizing appropriate cultural context) (E.g. 4-year-old Savannah asks her peer, “Can I please have the purple crayon?”)3.1.7a

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: With adult support, can take turns in conversations and group discussions3.1.7b

Birth to Nine Months: At this age children are not communicating with words4.1.1

Nine Months to Eighteen Months : Produce their first word and may have a vocabulary of up to 15 words4.1.2

Eighteen to Twenty-Four Months: Combine two words to express wants or needs (E.g. As Harper walks to the car she says, “Car go.”)4.1.3

Twenty-Four to Thirty Months: Demonstrate a burst of new vocabulary words, which they may or may not use correctly4.1.4

Thirty Months to Three Years: Correctly use a growing number of vocabulary words and show interest in new words (E.g. Liam knows that fast, quick, and speedy mean the same thing.)4.1.5

Three Years: Continue to build their vocabulary including more descriptive words4.1.6

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Use increasingly complex and varied vocabulary and language4.1.7a

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Use words and phrases learned through conversations and being read to (E.g. 4-year-old Hazel says, “The end”, when she finishes her snack.)4.1.7b

Birth to Nine Months: Begin vocalizing using a variety of sounds (E.g. Stan uses different types of cries to communicate different needs.)4.2.1

Nine Months to Eighteen Months : Move from imitating single words to beginning to use single words to communicate4.2.2

Eighteen to Twenty-Four Months: Begin to use words to communicate and may combine two to three words to form short phrases or sentences4.2.3

Twenty-Four to Thirty Months: Use words and some common rules of speech to express their ideas and thoughts (E.g. Margie exclaims, “I climbed up stairs!”)4.2.4

Thirty Months to Three Years: Use more connecting words, such as “and” or “then” 4.2.5

Three Years: Can relate a simple story (E.g. When asked about her day, Rhianna says, “I went out on the playground and it was so icy and I fell and I cried and cried and my teacher helped me.”)4.2.6

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Speak clearly enough to be understood4.2.7a

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Use language for a variety of purposes, including communicating information (E.g. 5-year-old Sean shows his friends his new race car and they ask him questions about it and tell him stories about theirs.)4.2.7b

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Ask questions and initiate and respond in conversations with others4.2.7c

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Tell stories with multiple characters and events 4.2.7d

Birth to Nine Months: Focus on picture books while an adult is reading to them (E.g. 6-month-old Alisha sits on her mother’s lap and looks and pats her hand on the book that her mother is reading.)5.1.1

Nine Months to Eighteen Months : Enjoy being read to and may seek opportunities to be read to and to interact with books 5.1.2

Eighteen to Twenty-Four Months: May show preferences for specific books and turn pages at the appropriate time with adult assistance 5.1.3

Twenty-Four to Thirty Months: While being read to, point to and comment on illustrations and repeat or anticipate familiar words or phrases in the text5.1.4

Thirty Months to Three Years: Enjoy being read to and looking at books independently; May say familiar words and phrases while looking at the appropriate page (E.g. Kali, 33 months, sings along to the repetitious book, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, as her teacher reads it to her.)5.1.5

Three Years: May describe what’s happening in the pictures while turning the pages in a familiar book5.1.6

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Learn new information from books being read to them5.1.7a

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Ask for a story to be read and respond to stories told or read aloud 5.1.7b

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Respond to adult questions about a book or story5.1.7c

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Ask questions about a book or story5.1.7d

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Make connections between a book or story to personal experiences (E.g. Irena points to a picture of a dog and says, “I have a dog like this, only bigger and my dog never chews shoes”.)5.1.7e

Birth to Nine Months: Look at the face of an adult describing the sequence of what will happen next (E.g. 5-month-old Nate stares intently at his father’s face when he describes how he will change Nate’s diaper.)5.2.1

Nine Months to Eighteen Months : Participate in book reading activities (E.g. Brandon, 15 months, makes a shhh sound and puts his finger on his lips at the appropriate time when reading The Napping House.)5.2.2

Eighteen to Twenty-Four Months: Can recognize that a story is beginning from a clue such as ‘Once upon a time’ 5.2.3

Twenty-Four to Thirty Months: May relay or retell simple stories5.2.4

Thirty Months to Three Years: Can react to dramatic elements of a story and may respond with predictions when asked, “What will happen next?” (E.g. Addison, 33 months, is able to predict what is hidden under the flap on a page of a familiar book.)5.2.5

Three Years: Relate or retell stories with more parts5.2.6

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Guess what will happen next in a story using pictures as a guide5.2.7a

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Tell their own stories 5.2.7b

Birth to Nine Months: Enjoy hearing a book being read and looking at the pictures, but do not understand the sequence of the story5.3.1

Nine Months to Eighteen Months : May focus on certain elements in the illustrations, but often skip pages or focus on a particular page5.3.2

Eighteen to Twenty-Four Months: Point to and vocalize about an illustration or imitate an action seen in a picture (E.g. 18- month-old Angelique imitates the jumping action of the frog when being read, Jump Frog Jump.)5.3.3

Twenty-Four to Thirty Months: Identify with a particular character or scene (E.g. When listening to the book, Where’s My Teddy Said Eddie, Zaviel, 25 months, makes a scared face, identifying with the little boy in the woods.)5.3.4

Thirty Months to Three Years: Ask for familiar books to be read in exactly the same way each time and know when sections are being skipped5.3.5

Three Years: Can ask and answer simple questions about the story5.3.6

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Represent stories told or read aloud through a variety of media or in play5.3.7a

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Use their own words to retell a simple familiar story while looking at a book5.3.7b

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Retell information from a book (E.g. 5 year old Mac tells his Papa that Tyrannosaurus Rex runs as fast as a horse.)5.3.7c

Birth to Nine Months: Show enjoyment at being read to through vocalizing, eye contact, and movement (E.g. 8-month-old Sophia squeals in delight when her mother reads Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes.)5.4.1

Nine Months to Eighteen Months : Bring a book to an adult to be read to and/or respond positively to an adult’s offer to read5.4.2

Eighteen to Twenty-Four Months: Name and/or ask for favorite book and may show preference for books on certain topics5.4.3

Twenty-Four to Thirty Months: May ask an adult to read the same book repeatedly5.4.4

Thirty Months to Three Years: Ask for familiar books to be read in exactly the same way each time and know when sections are being skipped5.4.5

Three Years: Say what they like about a favorite book5.4.6

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Select favorite books, authors, or illustrators5.4.7a

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Request or respond to informational books on favorite topics 5.4.7b

Birth to Nine Months: Respond to sounds and words heard often5.5.1

Nine Months to Eighteen Months : Recognize and react to the sounds of language and can discriminate between nonspeech environmental sounds (E.g. Jamie continues playing when he hears the refrigerator door open, but stops when he hears a jar being opened.)5.5.2

Eighteen to Twenty-Four Months: Enjoy chants and songs and books that rhyme5.5.3

Twenty-Four to Thirty Months: Enjoy chants and songs and books that rhyme5.5.4

Thirty Months to Three Years: Participate in chants and songs and books that rhyme5.5.5

Three Years: Enjoy playing with the sounds of language (E.g. Claire laughs loudly when her friend calls her Clairey Berry.)5.5.6

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Listen to and recognize different sounds in rhymes, songs, and familiar words (E.g. When the teacher sings, “Willaby wallaby Wecca an elephant sat on...”, Becca shouts, “Becca!”)5.5.7a

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Play with sounds of spoken language including letter sounds, rhymes, and words (E.g. Ray says, “My name rhymes with play.”)5.5.7b

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Can distinguish the beginning sounds of some words5.5.7c

Birth to Nine Months: Treat books as any other object by exploring with hands and mouth (E.g. 5- month-old Colby grabs a board book and puts it to his mouth to chew on it.)5.6.1

Nine Months to Eighteen Months : Look at pictures in books, but often treat books like other toys and objects in the environment5.6.2

Eighteen to Twenty-Four Months: Hold the book properly and turn pages, sometimes several at a time5.6.3

Twenty-Four to Thirty Months: Can identify the front of the book and use clues on the cover to select a book (E.g. Using the cover of the book as a clue, Charna, 28 months, picks up The Itsy Bitsy Spider and says to her mother, “Spider book.”)5.6.4

Thirty Months to Three Years: Can turn the book to the first page for an adult to begin reading and close the book and say, “The end”5.6.5

Three Years: Understand proper handling of books to avoid damage and help repair books, with adult support5.6.6

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Identify parts of books such as cover, first page, and title5.6.7a

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Understand that print carries a message5.6.7b

Birth to Nine Months: Note: Children at this age are not aware of print as being distinct from anything else in their environment.6.1.1

Nine Months to Eighteen Months : May begin to recognize that labels convey meaning (E.g. Jared sees a box of cheerios and says, “Oh, Oh!”)6.1.2

Eighteen to Twenty-Four Months: Can show awareness of and recognize some print in the environment6.1.3

Twenty-Four to Thirty Months: Recognize that print and numerals are symbols that convey meaning (E.g. Colin, age 2, points to the bottom of his painting on his classroom wall and says, “There’s my name.”)6.1.4

Thirty Months to Three Years: Point to print and ask, “What does that say?” or ask someone to write for them6.1.5

Three Years: Begin to recognize their own name and may notice words that start with the same letter as their own name6.1.6

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Recognize some letters in the alphabet, especially those in their own name (E.g. While putting her things away in her cubby, 4-year-old Azlyn notices other children’s names on their cubbies. She exclaims,“Hey, Autumn starts the same as me!”)6.1.7a

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Begin to associate sounds with words or letters6.1.7b

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Understand that specific symbols are used to communicate in writing6.1.7c

Birth to Nine Months: Note: Children at this age are not aware of writing.6.2.1

Nine Months to Eighteen Months : Use writing tools (crayons, markers, pens) and notice that they can make marks with these utensils6.2.2

Eighteen to Twenty-Four Months: Gain more control over the kinds of marks they make (lines vs. circular marks)6.2.3

Twenty-Four to Thirty Months: Scribble and draw and see these as the same6.2.4

Thirty Months to Three Years: Use their increased fine motor control to control the size and shape of their scribbles6.2.5

Three Years: Begin to differentiate between drawing and writing, and their scribbles may look more like writing (E.g. After painting a picture, 3-year-old Isaiah makes a series of vertical lines, representing his name.)6.2.6

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Understand that writing is a way of communicating6.2.7a

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Use scribbles, shapes, pictures, or dictation to represent thoughts or ideas6.2.7b

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Engage in writing using letter-like symbols to make letters or words6.2.7c

Four- and Five-Year-Olds: Begin to copy or write their own name6.2.7d