There are six broad areas of study for children. Language devlopment is a core element of Nursery practice and permeates throughout the curriculum.
Language for Communication - children will learn to:
- Begin to experiment with language describing possession
- Join in with rhymes and stories
- Describe main story settings, events and characters
- Use simple statements and questions
- Listen to others
- Respond to simple instructions
- Question why things happen and give explanations
- Listen to stories
- Build up vocabulary that reflects the breadth of their experiences
- Begin to use more complex sentences
- Answer 'yes/no' questions appropriately
- Identify picture or object with three critical elements, for example, 'big girl jumping'
- Use possessives, for example, 'the boy's teddy'
- Give information about own life and favourite things
- Answer questions more fully, providing more than one piece of information
- Identify objects by description, for example, 'the wet one' or 'the dirty one'
- Understand all pronouns: 'they', 'he', 'she', 'him', 'her'
- Understand use of objects, for example "What do we use to cut things with?"
- Show understanding of prepositions such as 'under', 'on top', 'behind' and 'next to' by carrying out action or selecting correct picture
- Provide appropriate information in response to 'what' and 'where' questions
- Realise the correct volume to talk at, not too loud or quiet
- Sings on their own
- Uses words to: - give reasons; - say what they want; - play with others; - direct others; - tell others about things
- Retell a simple past event in correct order, for example, went down slide, hurt finger and later can retell a simple story recalling events and characters
- Use a range of tenses, for example, 'play', 'playing', 'will play' and 'played'
- Ask increasingly detailed questions to find out information
- Know when to wait while others are talking and can control the urge to butt in
- Use plurals, for example, 'cats'
Language for Thinking - children will learn to:
- Use talk to give new meanings to objects and actions, treating them as symbols for other things
- Use talk to connect ideas, explain what is happening and anticipate what might happen next
- Talk activities through, reflecting on and modifying what they are doing
- Use talk, actions and objects to recall and relive past experiences
Linking sounds and letters - children will learn to:
- Recognise rhythm in spoken words
- Enjoy rhyming and rhythmic activities
- Show awareness of rhyme and alliteration
- Look at books independently
- Notice if an adult uses wrong language in familiar story
- Remember three or four items shown on a list, for example, a picture shopping list of apples, oranges and bananas
- Remember a spoken list of three objects or names (with no visual clues)
- Be able to follow directions (if not intently focused on own choice of activity)
- Speak in longer sentences
- Take part in 'reading' by filling in words and phrases
- Listen eagerly to stories and requests favourites over and over again
- Copy letter forms
- Concentrate and listens for more than ten minutes in adult-led activities that they enjoy
- Shows interest in letter forms
Reading - children will learn to:
- Handle books carefully
- Begin to be aware of the way stories are structured
- Understand the concept of a word
- Know information can be relayed in the form of print
- Listen to and join in with stories and poems, one-to-one and also in small groups
- Suggest how the story might end
- Show interest in illustrations and print in books and print in the environment
- Hold books the correct way up and turn pages
Writing - children will learn to:
- Ascribe meanings to marks that they see in different places
- Sometimes give meaning to marks as they draw and paint
Handwriting - children will learn to:
- Draw lines and circles using gross motor movements
- Use one-handed tools and equipment
- Manipulate objects with increasing control