Primary Grades K-2

Accomplishment Charts for Literacy Acquisition

Source: Comprehensive Reading for Alaska K-3, 2002 (UAS course)

Accomplishment charts “…shows a set of particular accomplishments that the successful learner is likely to exhibit. The lists are neither exhaustive nor incontestable, but do capture many highlights of literacy acquisition that have been revealed through several decades of research. Needless to say, the timing of these accomplishments will to some extent depend on maturational and experiential differences between children.” (Dr. Catherine Snow 1998)

The charts can be used as a management or assessment tool for various purposes such as:

To check and date the concepts/skills that were included in lessons;
To use as a checklist for each child at this level. After making a copy for each child at this level, highlight what the student knows and is able to do. The accomplishments not highlighted become a focus for future lessons.

Birth to Four-Year Old Accomplishments in Literacy
	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.
	Names objects in books.
	Comments on characters in books.
	Looks at a picture in a book and realizes it is a symbol for a real 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 to Four-Year Old Accomplishments in Literacy
	Knows that alphabet letters are a special category of visual graphics that can be individually named.
	Recognizes local environmental print.
	Knows that it is the print that is read in stories.
	Understands that different text forms are used for different functions of print (e.g., list for groceries).
	Pays attention to separable and repeating sounds in language (e.g., Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater, Peter 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 books and reading.
	When being read a story connects information and events to 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 10 alphabet letters, especially those from own name.
	“Writes” (scribbles) messages as part of playful activity.
	May begin to attend to beginning or rhyming sound in salient words.

Kindergarten Accomplishments in Literacy
	Knows the parts of a book and their functions.
	Begins to track print when listening to a familiar text being read or when rereading own writing.
	“Reads” familiar texts emergently, i.e., not necessarily verbatim from the print alone.
	Recognizes and can name all uppercase and lowercase letters.
	Understands that the sequence of letters in a written word represents the sequence of sounds (phonemes) in a spoken word (alphabetic principle).
	Learns many, though not all, one-to-one letter sound correspondences.
	Recognizes some words by sight, including a few very common ones (a, the, my, you, is, are).
	Uses new vocabulary and grammatical constructions in own speech.
	Makes appropriate switches from oral to written language situations.
	Notices when simple sentences fail to make sense.
	Connects information and events in texts to life and life to text experiences.
	Retells, reenacts, or dramatizes stories or parts of stories.
	Listens attentively to books teacher reads to class.
	Can name some book titles and authors.
	Demonstrates familiarity with a number of types of genres of text (e.g., storybooks, expository texts, poems, newspapers, signs, notices, labels).
	Correctly answers questions about stories read aloud.
	Makes predictions based on illustrations or portions of stories.
	Demonstrates understanding that spoken words consist of a sequence of phonemes.
	Given spoken sets like “dan, dan, den” can identify the first two as being the same and the third as different.
	Given a spoken word can produce another word that rhymes with it.
	Independently writes many uppercase and lowercase letters.
	Uses phonemic awareness and letter knowledge to spell independently (invented spell.)
	Writes (unconventionally) to express own meaning
	Builds a repertoire of some conventionally spelled words.
	Shows awareness of distinction between “kid writing” and conventional orthography.
	Writes own name (first and last) and the first names of some friends or classmates.
	Can write most letters and some words when they are dictated.

First Grade Accomplishments in Literacy
	Makes a transition from emergent to “real” reading.
	Reads aloud with accuracy and comprehension any text that is appropriately designed for the first half of grade 1.
	Accurately decodes orthographically regular, one-syllable words and nonsense words (e.g., sit, zot), using print-sound mappings to sound out unknown words.
	Uses letter-sound correspondence knowledge to sound out unknown words when reading text.
	Recognizes common, irregularly spelled words by sight (have,said,where,two).
	Has a reading vocabulary of 300 to 500 words, sight words, easily sounded out words.
	Monitors own reading and self-corrects when an incorrectly identified word does not fit with cues provided by the letters in the word or the context surrounding the word.
	Reads and comprehends both fiction and nonfiction that is appropriately designed for grade level.
	Shows evidence of expanding language repertory, including increasing appropriate use of standard more informal language registers.
	Creates own written texts for others to read.
	Notices when difficulties are encountered in understanding text.
	Reads and understands simple written instructions.
	Predicts and justifies what will happen next in stories.
	Discusses prior knowledge of topics in expository texts.
	Discusses how, why, and what-if questions in sharing nonfiction texts.
	Describes new information gained from texts in own words.
	Distinguishes whether simple sentences are incomplete or fail to make sense; notices when simple texts fail t make sense.
	Can answer simple written comprehension questions based on material read.
	Can count the number of syllables in a word.
	Can blend or segment the phonemes of most one-syllable words.
	Spells correctly three- and four-letter short vowel words.
	Composes fairly readable first drafts using appropriate parts of the writing process (some attention to planning, drafting, rereading for meaning and some self-correction).
	Uses invented spelling/phonics-based knowledge to spell independently, when necessary.
	Shows spelling consciousness or sensitivity to conventional spelling.
	Uses basic punctuation and capitalization.
	Produces a variety of types of compositions (e.g., stories, descriptions, journal entries), showing appropriate relationships between printed text, illustrations, other graphics.
	Engages in a variety of literary activities voluntarily (Choosing books and stories to read, writing).

Second Grade Accomplishments in Literacy
	Reads and comprehends both fiction and nonfiction that is appropriately designed for grade level.
	Accurately decodes orthographically regular multi-syllable words and nonsense words (e.g., capital, Kalamazoo).
	Uses knowledge of print-sound mappings to sound out unknown words in combination with other cueing sources.
	Accurately reads many irregularly spelled words and such spelling patterns as diphthongs, special vowel spellings, and common word endings.
	Reads and comprehends both fiction and nonfiction that is appropriately designed for grade level.
	Shows evidence of expanding language repertory, including increasing use of more formal language registers.
	Reads voluntarily for interest and own purposes.
	Rereads sentences when meaning is not clear.
	Interprets information from diagrams, charts, and graphs.
	Recalls facts and details of texts.
	Reads nonfiction materials for answers to specific questions or for specific purposes.
	Takes part in creative response to tests such as dramatizations, oral presentations, fantasy play, etc.
	Discusses similarities in characters and events across stories.
	Connects and compares information across nonfiction selections.
	Poses possible answers to how, why, and what-if questions.
	Correctly spells previously studied words and spelling patterns in own writing.
	Represents the complete sound of a word when spelling independently.
	Shows sensitivity to using formal language patterns in place of oral language patterns at appropriate spots in own writing.
	Makes reasonable judgments about what to include in written products.
	Productively discusses ways to clarify and refine writing of own and others.
	With assistance, adds use of conferencing, revision, and editing processes to clarify and refine own writing to the steps of the expected parts of the writing process.
	Given organizational help, writes informative well-structured reports.
	Attends to spelling, mechanics, and presentation for final products.
	Produces a variety of types of compositions e.g., stories, reports, correspondence).