Developmental Domain 3: Language Development, Communication, and Literacy

Other Illinois Early Learning Guidelines: Birth to Age 3 sets

• Approaches to Learning
• Developmental Domain 1: Social and Emotional Development
• Developmental Domain 2: Physical Development and Health
• Developmental Domain 4: Cognitive Development
• Self-Regulation: A Foundation of Development

Responds to sounds found in the environment, e.g., cries if hears a loud bang, will turn toward a familiar voiceRC.1.1

Calms down when crying after hearing a soothing and familiar voice or receiving physical reassurance, e.g., a hug or gentle pats on backRC.1.2

Looks or turns toward the familiar person who says his or her nameRC.1.3

Responds to gestures, e.g., waves hello after a familiar person waves to him or her RC.1.4

Engages in joint attention with a caregiver, e.g., joins in looking at the same object or shifts gaze to where someone is pointingRC.2.1

Follows a one-step, simple request when a gesture is usedRC.2.2

Responds appropriately to familiar words, e.g., hears the words “so big,” and puts arms in air RC.2.3

Understands approximately 100 words relevant to their experiences and cultural contextRC.2.4

Recognizes and demonstrates understanding of familiar pictures, people, and objects, e.g., says “mama” while pointing to motherRC.3.1

Understands simple commands and questions and can follow two-step requests with the support of gestures and promptingRC.3.2

Demonstrates understanding of familiar words or phrases by responding appropriately, e.g., sits in chair after hearing it is snack timeRC.3.3

Points to body parts when promptedRC.3.4

Responds to personal pronouns, e.g., me, her, himRC.3.5

Names most objects and people in a familiar environmentRC.4.1

Comprehends compound statements and can follow multi-step directionsRC.4.2

Demonstrates understanding of a story by reacting with sounds, facial expressions, and physical movement, e.g., laughing, widening eyes, or clappingRC.4.3

Understands simple sentences or directions with prepositions, e.g., “Put cup in sink”RC.4.4

Responds verbally and/or nonverbally to comments or questions while engaged in conversations with both peers and adultsRC.4.5

Cries to signal hunger, pain, or distressEC.1.1

Uses smiles and other facial expressions to initiate social contactEC.1.2

Coos and uses physical movements to engage familiar othersEC.1.3

Babbles and experiments with all types of sounds (two-lip sounds: “p,” “b,” “m”) EC.1.4

Combines different types of babblesEC.1.5

Begins to point to objects in his/her environmentEC.1.6

Babbles using the sounds of the home language EC.2.1

Creates long, babbled sentences EC.2.2

Uses nonverbal communication to express ideas, e.g., waves bye-bye, signs “more” when eatingEC.2.3

Utters first words; these words are for familiar objects and people, e.g., “mama,” “bottle”EC.2.4

Names a few familiar objects in his/her environmentEC.2.5

Uses one word to convey a message, e.g., “milk” for “I want milk” EC.2.6

Uses more words than gestures when speakingEC.3.1

Repeats overheard wordsEC.3.2

Has a vocabulary of approximately 80 wordsEC.3.3

Begins to use telegraphic speech , consisting of phrases with words left out, e.g., “baby sleep” for “The baby is sleeping”EC.3.4

Speaks in three-word utterances, e.g., “I want ball”EC.4.1

Begins to use pronouns and prepositions, e.g., “He took my toy” and “on the table” EC.4.2

Makes mistakes, which signal that he or she is working out complex grammar rulesEC.4.3

Uses adjectives in speech, e.g., “blue car”EC.4.4

Uses simple sentences, e.g., “I want the yellow cup”EC.4.5

Has a vocabulary of more than 300 wordsEC.4.6

Shows awareness of printed materials, e.g., stares at a picture in a bookEL.1.1

Reaches out to grasp and mouth booksEL.1.2

Uses multiple senses to explore books, e.g., explores books with different texturesEL.1.3

Uses hands to manipulate printed materials, e.g., attempts to turn pages of a board book, grasps objects in handsEL.1.4

Points or makes sounds while looking at picture booksEL.1.5

Focuses attention while looking at printed materials for brief periods of timeEL.1.6

Points to pictures in a book and reacts, e.g., smiles when sees a picture of a dogEL.2.1

Initiates literacy activities, e.g., gestures toward a book or attempts to turn pages of a paper book or magazineEL.2.2

Imitates gestures and sounds during activities, e.g., hand actions during singing, babbles as caregiver reads bookEL.2.3

Increases ability to focus for longer periods of time on printed materialsEL.2.4

Grasps objects and attempts to scribble, e.g., makes a slight mark with a crayon on a piece of paperEL.2.5

Turns the pages of a board book, one by oneEL.3.1

Points to familiar pictures and actions in booksEL.3.2

Repeats familiar words in a book when being read toEL.3.3

Begins to anticipate what may happen next in a familiar book, e.g., generates sounds and movements and/or uses words for picturesEL.3.4

Randomly scribblesEL.3.5

 Identifies a favorite book and signals familiar others to read with him or her, e.g., brings the book over, or points and gesturesEL.3.6

Imitates adult role when engages with printed materials, e.g., pretends to read a book or newspaper to stuffed animals or dollsEL.4.1

Participates in early literacy activities independently, e.g., sits in a reading nook and browses through the pagesEL.4.2

Recites parts of a book from memoryEL.4.3

Scribbles in a more orderly fashion and begins to name what he or she has drawnEL.4.4

Expresses what happens next when reading a familiar book with a caregiver, e.g., uses gestures, words, and/or soundsEL.4.5