Domain: NC Foundations for Early Learning: Language Development and Communication (LDC)

Subdomain: Foundations for Reading

Goal: Children comprehend and use information presented in books and other print media.

Skill Progression: Comprehend and use information presented in books and other print media

Age: 21-24 Months

Click here to go to all skills for ages 21-24 Months.

Observe the child and adult reading familiar books, singing songs and doing finger plays.

Ask the child to tell you the story in a familiar book. Relate actions or things in a book to her life. For example, “Tell me about your bath. Show me how you wash yourself.” Initiate familiar songs to sing with the child.

The child talks about things she can do that characters in the book do. For example, “Watch me dance!”

Early childhood educators and parents can help the child see how what happens in a book, such as a boy going to bed, is like what the child does. The adult can then encourage the child to act out what is in the book. “Show me how you sleep.” When reading a familiar book, adults can let the child help read, by having her identify in the pictures the words read in the text. The adult can also leave silent wait time for the child to fill in favorite lines for stories or lines from songs, etc. This helps build the child’s verbal memory skills.