You will know when children are ready to transition from Sign-In, Level 1 to Sign-In, Level 2 by observing their progress in letter formation and concept understanding.
Sign-In, Level 1 is intended for children who are emergent writers and need foundational support, specifically those who:
• Are unable to form letters independently.
• Are not accurate (emergent) when forming letters in their name.
• Do not understand the concept of left-to-right orientation.
• Are not accurate (emergent) with identifying letter names or letter sounds.
For this level, children use a large, upright surface like a whiteboard and thicker writing utensils, and their name cards may include a picture of themselves.
Children are ready to move to Sign-In, Level 2 when they:
• Are able to form letters independently, even if not always accurately.
• Are accurate (fluent) with identifying letter names.
• Can fluently, accurately, and confidently write their first names.
• Demonstrate understanding of the chosen concept of print.
• Are ready to add new learning, such as more advanced concepts about print and/or writing more than their first names.
For Sign-In, Level 2, children are ready to begin writing on a flat, horizontal surface with smaller writing utensils like a pencil, and name cards no longer require picture cues as children can accurately find their names without them.
The SEEDS framework provides Planning Tools to help educators observe, document, and reflect on children’s behaviors and progress, which guides decisions on when to increase or decrease scaffolding and transition between learning stages.