Literacy

Children are encouraged to develop a love for books and mark making. They enjoy taking part in story and rhyme sessions and exploring marks with a variety of medium. Alongside this exploration and enjoyment children are taught phonics. We follow the "Essential Letters and Sounds" programme. This plays a large part of our literacy curriculum as it is needed for both reading and writing. The children take part in dailly phonic adult led sessions. As children's early skills progress the phonic skills that they have gained reading and writing sessions with adults, either in small groups or as a whole class.

There are three Early Learning Goals within this section:

Comprehension: Children demonstrate understanding of what has been read to them by retelling stories and narrative using their own words and recently introduced vocabulary. They anticipate (where appropriate) key events in stories. Children use and understand recently introduced vocabulary during discussions about stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems and during role play.

Word Reading: Children say a sound for each letter in the alphabet and at least 10 digraphs. They read words consistent with their phonic knowledge by sound-blending. Children read aloud simple sentences and books that are consistent with their phonic knowledge, including some "harder to read words".

Writing: Children write recognisable letters (using letter formation consistent with the "Sassoon Primary Infant" font) most of which are correctly formed. They spell words by identifying sounds in them and representing the sounds with a letter or letters. Children write simple phrases and sentences that can be read by others.