- Likes listening to stories that I read aloud
- Follows simple two- and three-step directions
- Continuously understands and uses new words
- Retells a basic sequence of steps from an activity (such as baking cookies) or a story
- Connects own feelings and experiences to stories we read together
- Answers questions about experiences and stories in complete sentences
- Identifies common signs in the community (restaurants, stores)
- Uses a variety of descriptive words when talking (such as 鈥済igantic,鈥 鈥渆xcited,鈥 鈥渇rustrated,鈥 鈥減atient,鈥 鈥渞idiculous鈥)
- Asks questions to clarify or extend conversations
Preview the Screener
Read each of the following聽31 items聽and check 鈥淵es鈥 if you are confident your child routinely succeeds with that item. If you are not confident your child is successful with the item, check 鈥淣o.鈥
- Recognizes his or her own name in print
- Sings, says or recites the letters of the alphabet
- Names some letters, especially those in his or her name
- Points correctly to some letters as I name them
- Points correctly to some letters as I name the letter sound (鈥淲hich letter makes the /b/ sound?鈥)
- Says the correct letter sound as I point to letters (鈥淲hat sound does this letter make?鈥)
- Can identify at least 18 uppercase letters as I point to them
- Answers correctly when I ask if two simple words rhyme (鈥淒o 'cat' and 'bat' rhyme?鈥 or 鈥淒o 'car' and 'house' rhyme?)
- Tells me a word that rhymes with the word I say (鈥淭ell me a word that rhymes with red.鈥)
- Points to pictures that have the same beginning sound
- Names a word that begins with a specific sound (鈥淭ell me a word that starts with /b/.鈥)
- Identifies the beginning sound in words (鈥淲hat sound do you hear first when I say 'doll' and 'door'?鈥)
- Blends words into compound words (base + ball = baseball)
- Blends smaller parts of simple words (b + at = bat), using pictures for support
- Breaks compound words apart (pancake = pan + cake)
- Removes part of a compound word (Take away 鈥渟top鈥 from 鈥渟toplight,鈥 and you have 鈥渓ight鈥)
- Enjoys drawing and scribbling
- Holds writing instrument with a comfortable grip
- Understands that writing is different than drawing a picture
- Writes his or her name (all letters don鈥檛 have to be completely accurate, but the name should be recognizable)
- Writes some letters that I name
- Tries to write words or stories and uses one or more correct letters (such as 鈥渓o鈥 for 鈥測ellow,鈥 鈥渞鈥 for 鈥渁re,鈥 鈥渉s鈥 for 鈥渉ouse,鈥 etc.)