1. Print Awareness:
* Interest in print: Do they show interest in books, magazines, signs, or written words in their environment? Do they point to words or letters? Do they pretend to read?
* Understanding of book handling: Do they know how to hold a book, turn pages correctly (left to right), and understand that print carries meaning?
* Recognition of print features: Can they identify letters, words, or their own name in print? Do they understand that words are made up of letters? Can they differentiate between letters and other symbols?
* Directionality: Do they follow print from left to right and top to bottom?
2. Phonological Awareness:
* Rhyming: Can they identify rhyming words (e.g., cat, hat)? Can they generate rhyming words given a word?
* Syllable awareness: Can they clap out syllables in words?
* Phoneme isolation: Can they identify the beginning or ending sounds of words (e.g., what sound does "cat" start with)? (This is more challenging for toddlers and might not be expected until closer to preschool age)
* Alliteration: Can they recognize or produce words that begin with the same sound (e.g., "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers")?
3. Vocabulary and Language Development:
* Vocabulary size: While difficult to quantify precisely in toddlers, observe their use of a range of words, including descriptive words and verbs. Do they use words appropriately in different contexts?
* Narrative skills: Do they engage in pretend play? Can they retell familiar stories or recount events in their day? Even simple narratives indicate developing language skills crucial for literacy.
* Oral language comprehension: Do they understand simple instructions and questions? Can they follow a story being read aloud?
4. Literacy-Related Play:
* Pretend reading: Do they hold a book and pretend to read it, making up their own stories?
* Scribbling: Do they engage in scribbling, and does it seem purposeful (e.g., attempting to form letters)?
* Drawing: Do they draw pictures and try to label them with words or scribbles?
* Use of literacy materials: Do they show interest in alphabet blocks, magnetic letters, or other literacy-related toys?
Assessment Methods:
* Observation: Observe the child's behavior during free play, shared reading, and other activities. Document their interactions with books and other literacy materials.
* Anecdotal records: Keep brief notes on the child's literacy-related behaviors.
* Checklists: Use checklists to track the child's progress on specific skills.
* Play-based assessments: Incorporate literacy into play, observing how the child uses language and interacts with print.
Important Considerations:
* Developmental appropriateness: Remember that toddlers develop at different rates. Don't compare a child's progress to other children.
* Focus on strengths: Highlight the child's strengths and interests to foster a positive attitude toward literacy.
* Collaborative approach: Work closely with parents and caregivers to get a holistic picture of the child's development.
By using these informal methods, you can gain a valuable understanding of a toddler's emergent literacy skills and plan developmentally appropriate activities to support their progress. If concerns arise, consult with a speech-language pathologist or other early childhood professional.