The New York State Education Department has adopted the national reading goal that all children will be able to read independently and well by the end of Grade 3. Building on previous English language arts documents of the Department, this document provides teachers with additional specificity regarding the early literacy skills that students should know and be able to demonstrate in grades prekindergarten through 3. The document is presented in three sections. Section 1 delineates early literacy competencies in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Section 2 summarizes the major findings of reading research regarding effective early reading and language arts practices, offers examples of instructional activities consistent with these recommendations, and contains references with additional instructional examples. Teachers are encouraged to use ongoing diagnostic assessments to inform their instruction. Section 3 presents strategies for achieving the English language arts standards. Each section is organized by grade level for prekindergarten/kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3. (Contains 70 references.) (KB)