English, Nursery Literacy Information

The literacy skills of pre-reading and pre-writing are developed through the delivery of the initial stages of the Early Year Foundation Stage Curriculum (EYFS). Nursery children are made phonic aware through the delivery of phase 1 of the Letters and Sounds phonics programme. This UK based programme continues in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2

 

Communication, Language and Literacy

 

This aspect of the EYFS is developed through a variety of carefully planned activities which allow our children to become confident learners. They are included in many activities. We aim to develop children’s visual discrimination and sequencing skills to assist with their pre-reading skills. Children learn to read in a variety of ways and in order to prepare children to read we must help them develop the skill of visual perception (so that they can begin to notice differences in words and their shapes). We do this through activities such as:

  • Copying patterns
  • Removing and replacing shapes
  • Memory games like Kim's Game
  • Continuing sequences
  • Completing graded jig-saws
  • Predicting what might happen next in a story
  • Matching like objects
  • Noticing differences in similar pictures

Another way of developing reading skills is to develop memory and audio discrimination skills. This assists with de-coding words and reading them phonetically. It is important that children first learn the sounds of letters and not the names. In readiness for phonic work, auditory perception must be developed. We do this through games and practical activities like:

  • Sound lotto
  • Following a sequence of directions
  • Using musical instruments in music lessons
  • Jingles and rhymes
  • Marching, clapping and dancing to rhythms in PE
  • Finding the "odd one out” and observing differences in orientation

 

Pre-Writing Skills

 

To develop pre-writing skills in order to prepare for writing, manipulative skill, fine motor control and eye-hand co-ordination all need to be developed. The following physical play activities help to develop these skills:

  • Posting shapes
  • Balancing bricks
  • Completing jigsaws
  • Making marks in wet sand
  • Chalking
  • Colouring within shapes
  • Threading beads
  • Using small pieces of construction toys
  • Using malleable materials
  • Cutting and sticking
  • Free drawing and painting
  • Dot to dot
  • Tracing and drawing between lines