Book Handling and Orientation
Hand the book to the child completely upside down and backward. Say: "Show me how to hold this book the right way so we can read it together."
Child rotates the book right-side up with the front cover facing them.
Open to a page with a full paragraph of text. Say: "Put your finger on the very first word I should read on this page."
Child points to the top-left word.
Point to a large, colorful illustration in the book. Say: "Are these pictures the parts that I read aloud, or do they just show what is happening?"
Child states that pictures are for looking, not reading.
Place three index cards face-up in front of the child. One card has their name, the other two have random words of similar length (e.g., Stop, Cat). Say: "Point to the card that says your name."
Points to the card that says their name.
Show a picture of a bright red octagonal STOP sign. Cover the word "STOP" with your hand. Say: "What does this red sign tell a car to do, even if you don't read the letters?"
Stop.
Point to the closed book. Say: "Show me the front cover of the book, and then show me the back cover of the book."
Shows me the front cover of the book, and then shows me the back cover of the book.
Move your hand across the page. Say: "Use your finger to show me which way my eyes should move across the page when I am reading."
Child slides their finger from left to right.
Point directly to a line of text. Say: "What do these little black shapes on the page tell us when a teacher looks at them?"
Child answers with variations of: "They are words", "They tell the story", or "They tell you what to say".
Look at their written name. Say: "Point to the very first letter of your name. What is the name of that letter?"
Points to the very first letter of their name and correctly identifies that letter.
Show a picture of a fast-food restaurant logo they know well. Say: "What place does this big symbol tell us is nearby?"
McDonald's.
Open the book to a random page. Say: "If I want to read this story, show me where the top of the page is, and then show me the bottom of the page."
Shows me where the top of the page is, and then shows me the bottom of the page.
Point to the end of a line of text. Say: "When I finish reading to the end of this line, where does my finger go next?"
Child sweeps down and back to the left side of the next line.
Show the child a cereal box, a toy box, or a stop sign (or a picture of one). Point to the text and say: "Why are there words printed on this package/sign?"
Child recognizes that signs and labels provide information, like a name or a rule.
Look at their written name. Say: "Point to the very last letter of your name. Do you know what sound that letter makes?"
Points to the very last letter of their name and correctly identifies the sound that letter makes. /n/
Point to an exclamation point (!) or a question mark (?) in a book. Say: "This little mark at the end of a sentence changes how my voice sounds. Do you know what it tells me to do?"
Excitement, yelling, or asking a question.
Keep the book open. Say: "Point to the title of the book, or show me where the name of the story is written."
Points to the title of the book.
Point to a page with a large picture and a small line of text below it. Say: "Show me exactly where I look to find the words that tell the story."
Child differentiates text from illustrations.
Point to a single letter inside a word. Say: "Is this whole line a word, or is this just one single letter?"
A single letter.
Slide the card with their name forward. Say: "Count the letters in your name using your finger. How many letters are in your name?"
Brayden - 7
Damion - 6
Write a single number 5 and a single letter B side-by-side on a paper. Say: "Point to the one that is a letter you use to make a word."
B.
Turn to a new page. Say: "Show me how to turn just one page to find out what happens next in the story."
Shows me how to turn just one page to find out what happens next in the story.
Point to the last word on the right page of the book. Say: "Show me the very last word of the story on this page before we close the book."
Shows me the very last word of the story on this page.
Point to a blank white space between two words. Say: "Why did the writer leave a blank empty space right here between these words?"
Child explains that spaces keep words apart so we can read them.
Show the child a card with their name written entirely in lowercase, or with the letters scrambled. Ask: "Does this look exactly like the right way to spell your name, or is something different?"
Child should say it's written entirely in lowercase, or with the letters scrambled.
Point to a word the child knows by sight in the home. Say: "We see this word every single day. What does it tell us to do?"
Exit.