Reading and Writing-Developmental Accomplishments

According to Burns, Griffin, and Snow (1999) in the book Starting Out Right the following are a list of accomplishments that children experience as they develop in their reading and writing.  (These are not extensive lists.)

Birth to Three Years Old

Recognizes specific books by cover
Pretends to read books
Understands that books are handled in particular ways
Enters into a book-sharing routine with primary caregivers
Vocalization play in crib gives way to enjoyment of rhyming language, nonsense word play, etc.
Label objects in books
Comments on characters in books
Looks at pictures in book and realizes it is a symbol for read object
Listens to stories
Requests/commands adult to read or write
May begin attending to specific print, such as letters in names
Uses increasingly purposeful scribbling
Occasionally seems to distinguish between drawing and writing
Produces some letter-like forms and scribbles with some features of English writing

Three-Four Year Old

Knows that alphabet letters are a special category of visual graphics that can be individually named
Recognizes print in the local environment
Knows that it is the print that is read in stories
Understands that different text forms are used for different functions of print (i.e. a grocery list is different from a menu)
Pays attention to separable and repeating sounds in language (i.e. Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater)
Uses new vocabulary and grammatical constructions in own speech
Understands and follows oral directions
Is sensitive to some sequences of events in stories
Shows an interest in book sand reading
When being read a story, connects information and events to real-life experiences
Questions and comments demonstrate understanding of literal meaning of story being told
Displays reading and writing attempts, calling attention to self: "Look at my story."
Can identify about 10 alphabet letters, especially those from own name
Writes (scribbles) message as part of playful activity
May begin to attend to beginning or rhyming sounds in salient words

Kindergarten

Knows the parts of a book and their functions
"Reads" familiar texts emergently, i.e., not necessarily verbatim from the print along
Beings to track print when listening to a familiar text being read or when rereading own writing
Can name some book titles and authors
Correctly answers questions about stories read aloud
Retells, reenacts, or dramatizes stories or parts of stories
Learns many, though not all, one-to-one letter-sound correspondences
Recognizes some words by sight, including a few very common ones ("the," "I," "my," "you," "is," "are")
Recognizes and can name all uppercase and lowercase letters
Writes own name (first and last) and the first names of some friends
Can write most letters and some words when they are dictated

First Grade

Makes a transition from emergent to "real" reading
Uses letter-sound correspondence knowledge to sound out unknown words when reading text
Has a reading vocabulary of 300-500 sight words and easily sounded-out words
Creates own written texts for others to read
Reads and understands simple written instructions
Uses how, why, and what-if questions to discuss nonfiction texts
Spells correctly three and four letter short vowel words
Describes new information gained from texts in own words

Second Grade

Reads and comprehends both function and nonfinction that is appropriately designed for grade level
Shows evidence of expanding language repertory, including increading use of more formal language registers
Recalls facts and details of texts
Reads voluntarily for interest and own purposes
Rereads sentences when meaning is not clear
Discusses similiarities in characters and events across stories
Correctly spells previously studied words and spelling patterns in own writing
Attends to spelling, mechanics, and presentation for final products

Third Grade

Read aloud with fluency and comprehension any text that is appropriately designed for grade level
Reads longer fictional selections and chapter books independently
Summarizes major points from fiction and nonfiction texts
Asks how, why, and what-if questoins in interpreting nonfiction texts
Infers word meaing from taught roots, prefixes, and suffixes
Combines information from multiple sources in writing reports
Presents and discusses own writing with other students and responds helpfully to other students' compositions
Independently reviews work for spelling, mechanics, and presentation

Resource:
Burns, M.S., Griffin, P. & Snow, C. E. (Eds.) (1999). Starting out right: A guide to promoting children's reading success. Washington DC: National Academy Press.