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

Subdomain: Foundations for Reading

Goal: Children develop interest in books and motivation to read.

Skill Progression: Develop interest in books and motivation to read

Age: 4-6 Months

Click here to go to all skills for ages 4-6 Months.

Observe the adult and child sharing a book. Watch the child’s attention to familiar objects or pictures of familiar people.

The adult can read a simple book with only a few words or labels on the page or just talk to the child about the pictures.

The infant’s attention will be drawn to pictures of familiar objects and people. She may pat the picture and look at the adult as if saying, “I know this one.”

Encourage parents to show the infant pictures of relatives and talk about them with the child. Also, books with familiar objects (clothing, cups, bottles, etc.) allow early childhood educators and parents to help children learn the relationship between real objects and pictures, as well as learn vocabulary. This is the first step toward understanding symbolic representation.