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Communication, Language and Literacy
Older Toddlers (18 to 36 months)

Components and Developmental Indicators

Cute little girl whispering something to her brother under the cover

COMPONENT 1:
Communicating and Oral Language Development

Developmental Indicators

CLL Goal-1: Through their explorations, play, and social interactions, children successfully communicate for multiple purposes.
 
 
1

Checkmarks

Respond when others initiate conversation, as well as to their gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice using a larger selection of words or signs.

2

Checkmarks

Engage in short back and forth conversations with adults and peers.

 
3

Checkmarks

Ask questions or use verbal or nonverbal cues to initiate communication with another to meet needs.

 
 
1

Checkmarks

Follow two-step directions with visual cues if needed (“First, return this book to the shelf and then come outside with me.”).

2

Checkmarks

Answer and ask simple questions (“What were you playing with?” “My blue truck.”).

CLL Goal-2: Through their explorations, play, and social interactions, children speak clearly and use the grammar of their home language.
 
 
1

Checkmarks

Communicate messages with expression, tone, and inflection.

 
2

Checkmarks

Use speech that is understood most of the time by familiar listeners.

 
3

Checkmarks

Communicate in two-to-three-word sentences that follow the word order of their home language.

 
CLL Goal-3: Through their explorations, play, and social interactions, children understand and use an ever-expanding vocabulary.
 
 
1

Checkmarks

Use new words each day and have a word for almost all familiar people, objects, actions, conditions, and concepts (Gramma, chilly, big, little, in, out). 

2

Checkmarks

Talk to themselves and others about what they are doing, and events of the day. 

3

Checkmarks

Participate in or repeat familiar songs, chants, or rhymes.

 
4

Checkmarks

Use words, actions, or signs to communicate during dramatic play to act out familiar scenes and events and imitate familiar people.

 
Preschool kids holding a notebook - isolated over a white background

COMPONENT 2:
Foundations for Reading

Developmental Indicators

CLL Goal-4: Through their explorations, play and social interactions, children develop interest, motivation, and appreciation for literacy-based materials and activities.
 
 
1

Checkmarks

Explore reading behaviors independently (choosing books, opening and closing books, or turning individual or grouped pages).

2

Checkmarks

Show interest in choosing and exploring different types of books.

3

Checkmarks

Listen for short periods of time to storybooks, informational books, stories, poetry, songs and finger plays (child enjoys several minutes as adult reads short book to a few children but may leave before the end).

CLL Goal-5: Through their explorations, play, and social interactions, children comprehend, use, and begin to reflect on and analyze information in books and other media.
 
 
1

Checkmarks

While being read to by an adult, chime in by saying the word or repeated line in a book.

2

Checkmarks

Pretend to read familiar books from memory, repeat familiar phrases while looking at a book.

3

Checkmarks

With support, share personal experiences that relates to events described in familiar books.

CLL Goal-6: Through their explorations, play and social interactions, children begin to recognize basic concepts of print and discover that they can get meaning from print.
 
 
1

Checkmarks

Hold a book upright, turn some pages from front to back (but not always in the right order), close book, and say, “done” or “the end.”

 

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2

Checkmarks

Demonstrate knowledge of the basic concepts of print, such as knowing the differences between pictures and print.

3

Checkmarks

Demonstrate an understanding of realistic symbols such as photographs, and later abstract symbols such as signs and environmental print (know which pictures stand for which activities on a daily schedule, when looking at a symbol of hand-washing near a sink, says, “Wash hands.”).

4

Checkmarks

Demonstrate understanding of the need for and the uses of print (pretend to read a “grocery list” during play. When looking at a menu, says, “I want oranges.”).

CLL Goal-7: Through their explorations, play, and social interactions, children listen, identify, and respond to sounds, and develop phonological awareness.
 
 
1

Checkmarks

Play with the sounds of language with another person (name and rhyming games, imitating rhyming words).

2

Checkmarks

Participate in experiences using rhythmic patterns in poems and songs using words, clapping, marching, and/or using instruments.

3

Checkmarks

Notice sounds that are the same and different.

CLL Goal-8: Through their explorations, play, and social interactions, children develop knowledge of letters and the alphabetic principle.
 
 
1

Checkmarks

Demonstrate an interest in letters by asking about and/or naming letters they encounter on objects in their environment (recognizing the big M on the McDonald's sign).

Beautiful kid on the floor with color pencils - isolated over a white background

COMPONENT 3:
Foundations for Writing

Developmental Indicators

CLL Goal-9: Through their explorations, play, and social interactions, children use writing and drawing as means of communication.
 
 
1

Checkmarks

Pretend to write in ways that mimic adult writing (scribble on paper while sitting with adult who is writing, hold phone to ear and make marks with pencil).

CLL Goal-10: Through their explorations, play, and social interactions, children grow in their understanding of letters and writing skills.
 
 
1

Checkmarks

Explore a variety of tools that can be used for writing and transition from holding a crayon or marker in their fist to holding it between thumb and forefinger.

2

Checkmarks

Scribble and/or imitate an adult’s marks with markers, crayons, paints, etc.

children with-globe OT CLL comp 4

COMPONENT 4:
Learning New Languages

Developmental Indicators

CLL Goal-11: Through their explorations, play, and social interactions, children demonstrate an understanding that there are multiple languages and begin to communicate in another language other than their home language.
 
 
1

Checkmarks

Emerging as older toddlers listen to and repeat the sounds and simple words of their home language and other languages they hear.