A Snapshot of Early Childhood Development in Australia 2012

2.5 Language and cognitive skills (school-based) domainThis domain measures childrens basic literacy, interest in literacy, numeracy and memory,advanced literacy and basic numeracy. This domain mainly reflects teachers scores for childrenslanguage and cognitive skills based on those necessary for school (with English as the languageof instruction) and does not necessarily reflect childrens proficiency in their home language.*Figure 2.5: Language and cognitive skills (school-based) domainBasic literacyInterest inliteracy/numeracyand memoryAdvancedliteracyChildren developmentally vulnerableDo not have most of the basic literacyskills; they have problems with identifyingletters or attaching sounds to them,rhyming, may not know the writingdirections and even how to write ownname.May not show interest in books andreading, or maths and number games, orboth, and may have difficultyremembering things.Have only up to one of the advancedliteracy skills; cannot read or write simplewords or sentences, and rarely writevoluntarily.Children on trackHave all the basic literacy skillsincluding how to handle a book, areable to identify some letters andattach sounds to some letters, showawareness of rhyming words, knowthe writing directions, and are ableto write their own name.Show interest in books and reading,maths and numbers, and have nodifficulty with remembering things.Have at least half of the advancedliteracy skills such as reading simplewords or sentences, and writingsimple words or sentences.Basic numeracyHave marked difficulty with numbers,cannot count, compare or recognisenumbers, may not be able to name allthe shapes and may have difficulty withtime concepts.Have all the basic numeracy skillsand can count to 20, recogniseshapes and numbers, comparenumbers, sort and classify, use oneto-onecorrespondence, andunderstand simple time concepts.* Children from Language Backgrounds Other Than English may be proficient in their home languages.21