Early Literacy
Parent observes early reading and writing milestones: recognizing and reading first name, reading simple high-frequency words, early mark-making and writing attempts, and defining words using abstract or relational language. Covers four early literacy milestones at 52-70mo.
Opens a guided voice session in TogetherTime.
What you'll need
Write your child's name on a piece of paper before starting. Have a few familiar printed labels nearby if available.
How it works
- 1~90s
Show your child their name written on the paper. Don't read it — just ask: 'What does this say?' Then write 2-3 simple words your child might know — their favourite food, a family member's name, a word they see often like 'stop' or 'milk'. Ask: 'Can you read this?' Watch what happens — pointing to letters, sounding out, or whole-word recognition. Tell me.
Watch for: Child reads own first name
- 2~90s
Give your child paper and pencil without any instruction. Just say: 'Can you write something?' Watch what happens — does your child write their name? Draw and label pictures? Write any letters or words? Note what is produced. Then ask your child to write their name specifically — see if it matches what they can read. Tell me.
Watch for: Child writes independently with communicative intent
- 3~90s
Ask your child to define 4-5 words. Choose a mix: concrete ('What is a bicycle?'), relational ('What is a friend?'), and abstract ('What does angry mean?'). Listen for the quality of the definition — does your child describe by function, category, or give an abstract/relational explanation? A bicycle is 'something you ride' (function) or 'a vehicle with two wheels' (category) vs 'it's when you pedal.' Tell me the examples.
Watch for: Child defines words using abstract or relational language