Literacy

EYFS Statutory Educational Programme

It is crucial for children to develop a life-long love of reading. Reading consists of two dimensions: language comprehension and word reading. Language comprehension (necessary for both reading and writing) starts from birth. It only develops when adults talk with children about the world around them and the books (stories and non-fiction) they read with them, and enjoy rhymes, poems and songs together. Skilled word reading, taught later, involves both the speedy working out of the pronunciation of unfamiliar printed words (decoding) and the speedy recognition of familiar printed words. Writing involves transcription (spelling and handwriting) and composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech, before writing).

3 and 4 year-olds will be learning to;

• Understand the five key concepts about print:

• print has meaning

• print can have different purposes

• we read English text from left to right and from top to bottom

• the names of the different parts of a book

• page sequencing

• Develop their phonological awareness, so that they can:

• spot and suggest rhymes

• count or clap syllables in a word

• recognise words with the same initial sound, such as money and mother

• Engage in extended conversations about stories, learning new vocabulary.
• Use some of their print and letter knowledge in their early writing. For example: writing a pretend shopping list that starts at the top of the page; writing ‘m’ for mummy.
• Write some or all of their name.
• Write some letters accurately.