Reading Checkpoints The child knows that print carries meaning by:
Turning pages in a storybook to find out what happens next
"Writing" (could be scribbling or using invented spelling) to communicate a message
Using the language and voice of stories when narrating his/her own stories Dictating stories
The child knows what written language looks like by:
Recognizing that words are made up of combinations of letters
Identifying specific letters in unfamiliar words
Writing with "mock" letters or writing that includes features of real letters
The child can identify and name letters of the alphabet by:
Saying the alphabet
Pointing out letters of the alphabet in a text
The child knows that letters are associated with sound by:
Naming all the objects in a room that begin with the same letter
Pointing to words in a text that begin with the same letter
Picking out words that rhyme
Trying to sound out new or unfamiliar words while reading out loud
The child knows using words can serve various purposes by:
Pointing to signs that indicate specific places, such as a play area, a restaurant, or a store
Writing for different purposes, such as writing a (pretend) grocery list, writing a thank you letter, or writing a menu for play
The child knows how books work by:
Holding the book right side up
Reading from left to right and top to bottom
Beginning reading at the front of the book and moving sequentially to the back
The child can link text to previous learning by:
Engaging in conversation about what he or she has read
Identifying events or characters that are similar and/or different in two stories | 
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