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Skill (What it is & milestone indicators)

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Skill (What it is & milestone indicators)

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Definition: Understanding how books and written language work (book handling, directionality, return sweep, concepts of word, letter, sentence, and that print carries a message). This is a broad early literacy knowledge domain often acquired through shared book reading and print-rich environments.

Milestones demonstrating mastery:

Emerging (by 24–36 months): Recognizes that pictures and print are different; can hold a book and turn pages correctly.

Developing (by 3–4 years): Points to words in print while retelling a story; demonstrates left-to-right tracking on a page with adult guidance.

Early mastery (by 4–5 years / preschool–K): Demonstrates return sweep, identifies first/last word on a line, recognizes environmental print (logos), and can match spoken words to printed words in simple sentences.

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2–5 years (Toddlers to Pre-K) with consolidation during Kindergarten.

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Assessment (2–3 evidence-based tools / strategies)

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Assessment (2–3 evidence-based tools / strategies)

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Concepts About Print (Clay, adapted tasks): Brief one-to-one probe where the teacher asks the child to show/point to parts of a book (front, back, title, author), demonstrates tracking, and identifies words vs. pictures. Use this to note which specific print concepts the child lacks and track improvement across shared reading sessions.

How used: Baseline and periodic (every 6–8 weeks) checks to measure observable mastery of book handling and directional reading behaviors.

Running Record observation focused on print behaviors: During guided reading or shared book reading, teacher documents instances of correct tracking, pointing to words while reading, and use of print cues.

How used: Use qualitative notes to guide instruction—e.g., if a student seldom points to words, plan explicit print-tracking activities.

Curriculum-embedded tasks (e.g., name writing and environmental print inventory): Simple classroom tasks where students locate words in the environment or write their name; scored for features like letter-spacing, directionality.

How used: Frequent formative checks to see transfer of print concepts to everyday writing and reading contexts.

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Concept taught: Left-to-right tracking & one-to-one correspondence between spoken and printed words.

Strategy (Shared book interactive read-aloud + tracking): During shared reading, use big books or projected text. The teacher models left-to-right tracking by pointing to each word while reading and invites students to join by pointing or using a finger/reading wand. Use predictable, repetitive text (e.g., cumulative rhymes) so students can anticipate and point to the next word. Provide immediate corrective feedback and praise.

Research base: Repeated interactive read-alouds with print referencing produce measurable gains in print concept knowledge (Clay, 2001; INTERNATIONAL DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION, 2019).

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Differentiation (ELs & students with dyslexia)

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Differentiation (ELs & students with dyslexia)

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Language scaffolds for ELs: Pair print-tracking with picture–word matching and native language labels when appropriate. Use bilingual big books or dual-language predictable texts so students can map spoken L1 to printed L2.

Multi-sensory supports for students with dyslexia: Use tactile letter strips under the printed line (e.g., raised dots beneath words) and highlight the word being tracked. Allow a student to trace printed words while listening to the sentence read aloud to reinforce orthographic mapping.

Tiered prompts: For novices provide modeling and hand-over-hand pointing; for advanced students ask them to lead the tracking during read-alouds.

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Skill (What it is & milestone indicators)

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Skill (What it is & milestone indicators)

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Definition: Broad umbrella of auditory skills related to the sound structure of oral language — includes syllable awareness, rhyming, onset-rime, blending and segmenting of spoken units (but not necessarily phoneme-level tasks which are phonemic awareness).

Milestones:

Emerging (2–3 years): Enjoys rhymes and songs; can clap syllables in own name.

Developing (3–4 years): Recognizes rhymes, can produce a rhyme, segments syllables in two- or three-syllable words.

Early mastery (4–5 years): Blends and segments onset-rime (e.g., /c/ + at = cat) and manipulates syllables reliably; beginning onset-rime deletion tasks.

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3–5 years (pre-K to Kindergarten), with phonological awareness developing before stable letter-sound instruction.

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Assessment (2–3 evidence-based tools / strategies)

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Assessment (2–3 evidence-based tools / strategies)

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Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) — preK/K subtests: Standardized screening tasks assessing rhyming, syllable segmentation, and rhyme production.

How used: Universal screening in fall and progress monitoring mid-year to identify students needing systematic small-group interventions.

Dynamic Assessment (informal probing with scaffolding): Begin with a simple rhyme recognition task; if the child fails, provide modeling and re-assess to see responsiveness to scaffolding.

How used: Useful for differentiating between lack of exposure and persistent deficits (important for ELs).

Quick phonological probes (teacher-made): 5–10 item probes for syllable counting and rhyme tasks used weekly to chart growth.

How used: Fast formative checks to evaluate whether instruction (e.g., rhyming games) produces immediate improvements.

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Concept taught: Syllable segmentation and onset–rime blending.

Strategy (Segmenting-blending routine with manipulatives): Use a daily mini-lesson: teacher says a multi-syllable word, students clap or move a token for each syllable, then practice blending onset and rime using Elkonin boxes for onset and rime (e.g., /b/ + /at/). Provide many practice opportunities with words from classroom contexts.

Research base: Systematic, explicit phonological awareness instruction (from larger to smaller units) improves later decoding ((INTERNATIONAL DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION, 2019; Torgesen, 2006).

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Differentiation (ELs & Students with Dyslexia)

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Differentiation (ELs & Students with Dyslexia)

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For English Learners (ELs) — connect to oral language: Use words from students’ home languages where possible for initial syllable work, and pair gestures with syllable clapping to build meaning.

For students with dyslexia — extended practice + multi-sensory support: Use tapping/Elkonin boxes with colored tokens and link to letters only after stable phonological manipulation at the syllable/onset-rime level.

Choice & engagement: Offer musical/rhythmic versions of phonological tasks for students who respond better to movement and music.

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Skill (What it is & milestone indicators)

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Skill (What it is & milestone indicators)

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Definition: Subset of phonological awareness focused on the ability to identify, manipulate, blend, and segment individual phonemes (the smallest units of sound). Phonemic awareness is strongly predictive of reading success.

Milestones:

Emerging (by 4 years): Can isolate initial sounds in simple words (/m/ in ‘mat’).

Developing (K): Can blend and segment simple CVC words into phonemes (e.g., /c/ /a/ /t/ = cat) and delete an initial phoneme to produce a new word (e.g., ‘stop’ minus /s/ = ‘top’).

Early mastery (1st grade): Can manipulate phonemes in multisyllabic or more complex words (substitute /m/ for /b/ to change ‘mat’ to ‘bat’).

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Late preschool through Grade 1 (approx. 4–7 years); targeted instruction often begins in Kindergarten and continues into first grade for those needing support.

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Assessment (2–3 evidence-based tools / strategies)

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Assessment (2–3 evidence-based tools / strategies)

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Phoneme Segmentation and Phoneme Elision tasks (administered individually): Standardized or teacher-created probes where children segment CVC words into phonemes or delete phonemes to form new words.

How used: Use as part of screening and more fine-grained diagnostic assessment to determine which phoneme manipulations a student can/cannot do.

Dynamic Assessment with scaffolds (sound boxes/Elkonin boxes): If a child struggles, provide modeling and scaffolds (e.g., tapping) to see responsiveness.

How used: Helps distinguish lack of instruction/exposure from persistent phonemic deficits.

Curriculum-based measures (CBMs) for phonemic tasks: Short weekly probes (e.g., 3-minute segmentation/ blending lists) to monitor progress and inform intensity of intervention.

How used: Use progress slopes to decide if progress is sufficient or if tier movement is warranted.

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Concept taught: Phoneme blending and segmentation with letter mapping (when appropriate).

Strategy (Systematic, explicit phoneme-level instruction with letters): Teach phoneme segmentation with Elkonin boxes and letter tiles: say a word, segment phonemes into boxes while moving a token, then map each phoneme to a letter tile and blend to form the word. Provide immediate corrective feedback and plenty of practice with controlled word lists (start with CVCs).

Research base: Explicit phonemic instruction, especially when combined with grapheme instruction, significantly boosts decoding and spelling outcomes ((INTERNATIONAL DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION, 2019; Kilpatrick, 2015).

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Differentiation (ELs & Students with Dyslexia)

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Differentiation (ELs & Students with Dyslexia)

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For English Learners (ELs) — focus on phoneme contrasts that exist in English but not in L1: Provide extra practice and visual cueing for phonemes absent in students’ first language; use minimal pair games (e.g., ship/sheep) with pictures.

For students with dyslexia — high-intensity, cumulative practice: Short, frequent (daily) sessions with explicit multisensory activities (tapping, mouth formation visuals, air-writing) and overlearning.

Assistive tools: Use sound amplification/headphones for students with auditory processing needs and software that provides multisensory phoneme practice.

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Skill (What it is & milestone indicators)

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Skill (What it is & milestone indicators)

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Definition: The ability to visually recognize and name letters of the alphabet, both uppercase and lowercase. This foundational skill supports grapheme–phoneme mapping, making it a strong predictor of future reading success.

Milestones:

Emerging (ages 3–4): Recognizes some letters, often those in their own name or familiar environmental print.

Developing (ages 4–5, Pre-K to Kindergarten): Names most uppercase letters and begins naming lowercase letters; shows growing automaticity.

Early mastery (ages 5–6, Kindergarten to early Grade 1): Accurately and rapidly names nearly all upper- and lowercase letters. Fluency benchmarks (e.g., 50–60+ letters per minute) indicate readiness for decoding.

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Ages 3–6 (Pre-K through Grade 1).

Most children acquire mastery during Kindergarten, with consolidation into early Grade 1.

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Assessment (2–3 evidence-based tools or strategies)

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Assessment (2–3 evidence-based tools or strategies)

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Letter Naming Fluency (LNF) probes (e.g., DIBELS): Students name as many randomly ordered letters as possible in one minute.

How used: Serves as a universal screener and progress monitoring tool. Benchmark scores help identify students at risk and track improvement over time.

Static letter identification tasks: Untimed assessment where children are shown individual letters and asked to name them.

How used: Provides diagnostic information about which specific letters students recognize and which require targeted instruction.

Curriculum-embedded checks (e.g., name-letter tasks): Assess whether students can identify letters from their own name or environmental print.

How used: Motivational and formative; helps teachers see how letter knowledge transfers into meaningful contexts.

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Concept taught: Rapid retrieval of letter names and letter–sound associations.

Strategy (Alphabet practice with explicit, distributed instruction): Teach a few high-utility letters at a time using explicit modeling. For each letter, introduce the letter name, connect it to its sound, and provide a keyword/picture cue (e.g., “M, /m/, as in mouth”). Use daily review with flashcards, alphabet charts, and interactive games (e.g., “find and name the letter” scavenger hunts). Incorporate retrieval practice and interleaving so students revisit both new and previously taught letters for fluency.

Research base: Explicit letter instruction paired with sound-symbol mapping has been shown to significantly enhance early decoding skills (Ehri, 2005; INTERNATIONAL DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION, 2019).

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Differentiation (ELs & Students with Dyslexia)

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Differentiation (ELs & Students with Dyslexia)

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For English Learners (ELs): Connect letters to familiar vocabulary, including cognates when possible. Pair letters with visuals and gestures (e.g., T for “table,” with a picture of a table). This builds conceptual understanding while reinforcing both letter recognition and language.

For students with dyslexia: Use multisensory strategies (e.g., tracing letters in sand, sky-writing, or using tactile letter cards) to strengthen memory. Provide frequent, shorter practice sessions with cumulative review.

Flexible response modes: Allow students to point, match, or type letters if oral recall is difficult, supporting engagement and reducing frustration.