Communication, Language and Literacy

These skills are developed through out Reception and are integrated into all daily activities. Specific Reception literacy skills are developed through the continuation of the Early Year Foundation Stage Curriculum (EYFS). This builds on the successful learning that has taken place in Nursery. Phonic knowledge and awareness is developed further though the continuation of the Letters and Sounds phonics programme.

Speaking and listening

We encourage children to join in action songs and there are lots of opportunities for children to join in during circle time. Each week the children have a new 'Chatting Chum' and they complete much of their work with that person. Children are encouraged to express their needs in words and questions and they are encouraged to say 'please' and 'thank you.' Role play areas are designed to maximise language development opportunities for children and listening centres are used to encourage listening skills.

Phonics

Letter sounds are taught using the Letters and Sounds programme. In Reception we focus on a scheme called Fast Phonics which allows the children to successfully gain and apply new phonic patterns quickly. The children are introduced to two new sounds every week, with a review week after every six sounds. The children are taught through a multisensory approach which involves learning the songs, actions and correct letter formation for each sound. Teachers and children also use the Interactive whiteboard to support the Fast Phonics scheme to reinforce learning.

Reading

The children read from a range of graded reading schemes including Oxford Reading Tree. They read twice a week in school from these schemes. Children select a book from an appropriate level to take home to share with a parent. They also have the opportunity to take home a library book each week. Key words and high frequency words are taken home weekly to help the children to increase their sight vocabulary in reading and to practise the sounds and word building skills.

Writing

Letter formation is taught explicitly to the children and is taught in conjunction with the teaching of phonics.  This helps to embed the phonics through the use of motor skill memory. Children are encouraged to write independently in a variety of genre and as the year progresses children are taught explicit skills such as correct sentence structure and basic punctuation. Word investigation is encouraged through the use of magnetic boards to practise word building and alphabetical order.