  I help my child hear and say the first sound in words.

 I help my child hear words that rhyme.

 I introduce new words to my child, like "bow" and "stern," which mean the front and the back of a boat. 

  I talk with my child about the letters of the alphabet and notice them in books.

  I point out signs and labels that have letters, like street signs and foods in the grocery store.

  I encourage my child to find the joy and fun in reading. Usually, I let my child choose the books we read

 I talk with my child about stories and make connections to things that happen in our own lives.

 I ask "what," "where," and "how" questions when I read with my child to help him or her follow along and understand the stories.

 I help my child write notes or make books, even if his or her writing only looks like scribbles or marks.

 My child listens carefully to books read aloud.

 My child knows the shapes and names for the letters of the alphabet and writes uppercase and lowercase letters on his or her own.

 My child knows that spoken words are made of separate sounds.

  My child recognizes and makes rhymes, can tell when words begin with the same sound, and can put together, or blend, spoken sounds.

 My child can sound out some words.

 My child knows many common words such as a, the, I, and you, on sight.

 My child knows how to hold a book, and follows print from left to right and from top to bottom of a page when she or he is read to.

 My child knows the parts of a book and understands that authors write words and text and illustrators create pictures.

 My child writes his or her own first and last name.

 My child uses what he or she knows about letters and sounds to write words and sentences.

 My child writes some letters and words as they are said to her or him, and begins to spell some words correctly.

 My child predicts what will happen in a story and retells or acts out stories.