Understanding the Reformed EYFS Literacy Programme

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Aims
 
To become more familiar with reformed eyfs.
 
T
o deepen your knowledge and understanding of EYFS literacy and the aspect of
writing, in order to support babies and young children to develop and learn.
 
To raise your confidence in using your own professional judgement when observing
and assessing children.
To deepen your knowledge and understanding of the EYFS literacy curriculum, in order
to support you to design and deliver your own literacy curriculum.
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The Reformed Statutory
Framework
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Changes to the EYFS statutory framework effective from September
2021, highlight the need for practitioners to develop, extend and use
their professional knowledge to support children’s learning and
development.
 
Literacy is the lowest achieving area of learning in the early years
and is a Government focus. Government say changes to the EYFS
Statutory Framework ( September 2021) will improve outcomes for
all children, but particularly the language and literacy outcomes for
disadvantaged children.
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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)
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The National Curriculum divides writing into two broad areas:
transcription and comprehension.
 
Transcription covers the technical aspects of
writing: handwriting, spelling, grammar & punctuation.
 
Composition is about sharing their ideas and thinking about the
purpose for their writing.
 
Good writing involves balancing all these different parts as well
as 
developing
 fluent, legible and, eventually, speedy handwriting
.
Learning to write isn
’t an easy job and it starts in the early years.
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ELG
Writing Children at the expected level of development will: - Write recognisable letters, most of
which are correctly formed; - Spell words by identifying sounds in them and representing the
sounds with a letter or letters; - Write simple phrases and sentences that can be read by others.
Prime Areas
Practitioners must consider the individual needs, interests, and development of each child in
their care, and must use this information to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience for each
child in all areas of learning and development. 
Practitioners working with the youngest children
are expected to ensure a strong foundation for children’s development in the three prime areas.
The specific areas of learning provide children with a broad curriculum and with opportunities to
strengthen and apply the prime areas of learning. This is particularly important in developing
language and extending vocabulary.
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The development of children’s spoken language underpins all seven areas of learning
and development. Children’s back-and-forth interactions from an early age form the
foundations for language and cognitive development. 
The number and quality of the
conversations they have with adults and peers throughout the day in a language-rich
environment is crucial. By commenting on what children are interested in or doing, and
echoing back what they say with new vocabulary added, practitioners will build
children's language effectively. Reading frequently to children, and engaging them
actively in stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems, and then providing them with
extensive opportunities to use and embed new words in a range of contexts, will give
children the opportunity to thrive. 
Through conversation, story-telling and role play,
where children share their ideas with support and modelling from their teacher, and
sensitive questioning that invites them to elaborate, children become comfortable using
a rich range of vocabulary and language structures.
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Using Birth to Five Matters
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Literacy is about understanding and being understood. Early literacy
skills are rooted in children’s enjoyable experiences from birth of
gesturing, talking, singing, playing, reading and writing. Learning
about literacy means developing the ability to interpret, create and
communicate meaning through writing and reading in different
media, such as picture books, logos, environmental print and digital
technologies. It involves observing and joining in the diverse ways
that different people and communities use literacy for different
purposes. Most importantly, literacy is engaging, purposeful and
creative.
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Developing literacy competence and skills is a complex, challenging yet
rewarding journey that requires high-quality pedagogical activities to
enhance learning. Young children need to be listened to by attentive
adults who recognise and value children’s choices. They need enjoyable,
playful opportunities of being included and involved in the literacy
practices of their home, early years setting, and community
environments.  They need experiences of creating and sharing a range of
texts in a variety of ways, with different media and materials, with adults
and peers, both indoors and outdoors, as well as learning about using
different signs and symbols, exploring sound and developing alphabetic
and phonetic skills.
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Range 1 and 2 (birth to 18months)
 
Writing systems are complicated ways to symbolise meaning, and children need
to learn many skills and develop a lot of knowledge as they begin to
write.  Writing skills and understanding start to develop in babies and
toddlers.   
Firstly, children begin to understand that written texts are symbolic
and carry meaning. Later they begin to produce and read written marks
purposefully (See the roots of Writing in 
Communication and language).
 
What is often referred to 
as ‘early mark-making’ is  the beginning of writing
It is
a sensory and physical, and cognitive experience for babies and toddlers,
which enables them to see the connection between their actions and the
resulting marks
, recognising their own agency.
 
(See 
roots of mark-making and
handwriting in 
Playing and exploring 
and
 Physical Development
).
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ange 1
Encourage children to use their fingers and implements to explore and trace
marks on a surface, e.g. using a spoon in their food, or a finger in the sand.
Make marks together with babies and toddlers using a range of appropriate
materials and tools.
 
Range 2
Encourage children to use their fingers and implements to explore and trace
marks on a surface, e.g. using a spoon in their food, or a finger in the sand.
Make marks together with babies and toddlers using a range of appropriate
materials and tools.
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Range 1
Provide a range of materials: sand, paint, early writing apps etc. for babies and
toddlers to make marks with their hands and fingers, feet and bodies.
Give children large sheets of paper, trays of gloop, paint, soil etc. to make marks
collaboratively.
 
Range 2
Provide a range of materials: sand, paint, early writing apps etc. for babies and
toddlers to make marks with their hands and fingers, feet and bodies.
Give children large sheets of paper, trays of gloop, paint, soil etc. to make marks
collaboratively.
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Range 3 (18-24months)
 
As toddlers develop, they increase their understanding of how their marks are symbolic and convey
meaning. Their marks may not yet resemble letters and words but nonetheless may carry meaning for
the child.
Begins to understand the cause and effect of their actions in 
mark making
Knows that the 
marks
 they make are of value
Enjoys the sensory experience of making 
marks
Range 4 (2-3years)
Distinguishes between the different 
marks 
they make
Enjoys drawing and writing on paper, on screen and on different textures, such as in sand or
playdough and through using touch-screen technology
 
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Range 3
Encourage different mark-making movements – big, small, hard, soft, quick and slow, and different shapes, circles, lines
and dots.
Tell children about the marks you are making and encourage them to talk to you about theirs.
Value these early mark making activities by sharing them with others including parents and carers.
Write down (scribe) children’s words, and read them back to children.
 
Range 4
Listen and support what children tell you about their drawings and early writing.
Write down (scribe) the words that children use and display these words, for example, with photos
Co-create stories orally with individual children and in small groups. Scribe the stories and display them for children to
look at independently or with a parent or friend.
Encourage children to make recordings of their own stories (e.g. on a digital tablet) and create opportunities for children
to perform their stories to each other.
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Range 3
Introduce a range of appropriate implements including large brushes, chalk and crayons, sticks and sponges for children
to trace patterns and shapes.
Offer children a range of different surfaces to make marks on, inside and out, e.g. chalkboards, light boxes, sand and
pathways.
Provide a broad range of opportunities for early writing experiences through sensory and symbolic play.
 
Range 4
Draw attention to marks, signs and symbols in the environment and talk about what they represent. Ensure this involves
recognition of English, other languages and scripts.
Provide materials which reflect cultural diversity, so children see symbols and marks with which they are familiar, and
learn that there are many different script systems e.g. Arabic, Chinese, Greek and Braille.
Try to have a notepad to hand (e.g. A5 size) in which you can scribe children’s stories and special words and share these
stories and words with children.
Ensure children see you writing for a purpose, e.g. a shopping list, message for parents, labels in children’s play areas or
reminders for ourselves.
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Range 5 (3-4years)
Makes up stories, play scenarios, and drawings in response to experiences, such as  outings
Sometimes gives 
meaning to their drawings and paintings
Ascribes meanings to signs, symbols and words 
that they see in different places, including those they make
themselves
Includes 
mark making and early writing 
in their play
Imitates adults’ writing by making 
continuous lines of shapes and symbols (early writing) from left to right
Attempts to write their own name, or other names and words, using combinations of lines, circles and curves, or
letter-type shapes
Shows interest in letters on a keyboard, identifying the initial letter of their own name and other familiar words
Begins to make 
letter-type shapes to represent the initial sound of their name 
and other familiar words
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Range 5
Notice and encourage children’s drawing, painting and early writing and the meanings that
they give to them, such as when a child covers a whole piece of paper and says, “I’m
writing”.
Celebrate and value children’s early attempts at graphic representation – focusing on the
meaning and content rather than letter formation.
Model and include children in using signs and writing to expand playful experiences such
as making signs for a shop or car wash, instructions for a ball game, a list of names for a
taking turns.
Support children in recognising and writing their own names.
Make paper and digital books with children of activities they have been doing, using
photographs of them as illustrations.
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Range 5
Write down things children say to support their developing understanding that what they say can be written down, and then read and
understood by someone else. Encourage parents to do this as well.
Set up environments of offices, dens in the garden, library, shop, home corner with greetings cards, etc., so that children engage in
literacy events in which they spontaneously participate.
Provide a range of accessible materials and tools for writing as part of everyday play activity, including role play, both indoors and
outdoors.
Write poems and short stories together with the children, writing down ideas they suggest.
Scribe children’s stories and re-read and enact their stories in small group activities.
Involve children when you make lists or write notes and messages.
Think out loud and talk through what you are doing when writing on typing on screen.
Break down your flow of speech into individual words, exemplifying the correspondence between the spoken and written word.
Provide activities during which children can experiment with writing, for example, leaving a message.
Encourage children to use their phonic knowledge when writing, and model this in your own writing.
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Being a writer – talkers and
listeners….
Developing early writing skills
 
 
‘Writing is … communication. It is also a way for individuals to share their identity with others. …
any piece of writing should be exclusive to the individual, to show that the writer has a unique
voice’ – Helen Bromley (2006).
 
Before writing, children need experiences of:
Developing the confidence and competence with oral language.
Exploring and experiencing a wide variety of stories and texts.
Opportunities to develop fine and gross motor skills – the ‘physical journey’ of writing.
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The Importance of Communication and
Language development
 
 
Reading and writing float on a sea of talk’ – James Britton (1983).
 
Our understanding of how children develop both confidence and competence across the different
elements of literacy continues to grow and impact our practice. However, what remains consistent is the
message that we need to ensure that children's communication and language skills are secure, building a
firm foundation for learning. This is emphasised within Getting it right in the Early Years Foundation Stage
(Pascal et al2019):
 
‘Promoting higher order literacy skills before the child has secure development in oral language will lead to
problems for these children.
 
‘The evidence indicates that literacy learning should be a key element in the EYFS from birth, but that it is
fundamentally linked to language development and relies on the secure development of language skills
and understanding.’
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Range 1(Birth – 12months)
Turns toward a familiar sound then locates range of sounds with accuracy
Listens to, distinguishes and responds to intonations and sounds of voices
Listens to familiar sounds, words, or finger plays
 
Range 2 (12-18months)
Moves whole body to sounds they enjoy, such as music or a regular beat
Concentrates intently on an object or activity of own choosing for short periods
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Range 1
Practises and gradually develops speech sounds (babbling) to communicate with adults; says
sounds like 
baba, nono, gogo
Points and looks to make requests and to share an interest
 
Range 2
Uses sounds in play, e.g. 
brrrm
 for toy car
Uses single words
Uses words to communicate for a range of purposes (e.g. 
teddy,
 
more, no, bye-bye)
Creates personal words as they begin to develop language
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Range 1
Turns when hears own name
Starts to understand contextual clues, e.g. familiar gestures, words and sounds
 
Range 2
Responds to simple questions when in a familiar context with a special person
(e.g. 
Where’s Mummy?, Where’s your nose?
)
Understanding of single words in context is developing, e.g
. cup, milk, daddy
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Babies - Range 1 and 2 (Birth – 18 months)
Get physically close making sure the baby can see your face, using eye contact and touch to create
shared moments of interaction.
Be attentive, leave space and imitate baby’s response for the baby to start a “serve and return”
conversation.
Use facial 
expressions and a lively voice with ups and downs to 
show babies you are interested in
them.
Say the baby’s name to draw their attention.
Encourage playfulness, laughter, turn-taking and responses, using “peek-a-boo” and action rhymes.
Sing songs and rhymes during everyday routines.
Use repeated sounds, and words and phrases so babies can begin to recognise particular sounds
.
Follow the baby’s focus and pay joint attention to what they are interested in.
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Range 1 and 2 (Birth – 18months)
Let babies see and hear the sequence of actions you go through as you carry out familiar routines.
 
Provide resources and spaces  that stimulate babies’ interests such as a shiny bell, a book or a mirror
on the floor or on your lap.
Find out from parents how babies make themselves understood at home. Find out about and inclu
de
home languages
Tune into what different children enjoy and create environments where babbling and talking feels
easy and comfortable and where children can experiment freely with the sounds they can make.
Provide appropriate sensory experiences as well as opportunities for movement and private
conversations and sound – possibly in dens and cosy corners.
Find out from parents the words that children use for things which are important to them, such
as 
bankie
 for their comfort blanket, remembering to extend this question to home languages.
 
 
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Range 1 and 2 (Birth – 18months)
Share stories, songs and rhymes from all cultures and in babies’ home languages and other
languages common in communities.
Share favourite stories, songs, rhymes or music as babies are settling to sleep, or at other quiet
times.
Sing frequently with young babies, encouraging them to join in.
Create an environment which invites responses from babies and adults, for example, touching,
smiling, smelling, feeling, listening, exploring, describing and sharing.
Establish a familiar pattern by spending prolonged moments of time each day interacting with
the baby, or a small group of babies.
Consider what it feels like to use your voice in your environment – what kinds of soundscape and
sensory atmosphere do children experience? Is the invitation to “join in” with this environment,
using voices, bodies and objects to make noise, irresistible?
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Being a writer - Physical
Development ….
Handwriting and Physical development
 
Learning how to communicate their thoughts, ideas and feelings is a key
aspect of children’s early development. At first they do this orally, but
gradually they also learn to do it through the written word. In order to be
able to write, children need to develop the physical skills needed.
Handwriting is about putting words down on paper, while writing is the
‘thinking’ of the actual words. Children need to 
develop 
their hand–eye
coordination, build up the muscles and control in the hands
, 
be able to
coordinate their arms and shoulders.
McPhillips et al (2000) noted that children who experience difficulties with
reading also have difficulties with balance and motor control, so it is vital
to understand the impact of physical development on children’s cognitive
development.
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The physical skills of writing are dependent on the development of a range of
gross and fine motor skills. It is important for children to develop the necessary
physical skills and coordination before attempting to teach them how to form
letters.
 
Muscle development for writing is a comprehensive process that begins with
movements of the whole arm and progresses toward very detailed fine motor
control at the fingertips (Adolph, 2008, p.100)
 
There are many different specific motor skills which are necessary for a child to
write successfully: • Developing gross motor skills • Bilateral integration (using
both sides of the body in a coordinated way) • Fine motor control • Developing
dexterity • Holding and manipulating a writing tool. Activities to develop these
skills will be a crucial part of the journey to becoming a writer.
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Gross motor control 
is the term used to describe the development of controlled movements of
the whole body, or limbs (arms or legs). Of particular importance in relation to handwriting is
the development of good posture and balance. Activities such as dance, football, use of small
apparatus, cycling, gripping climbing frames and building with large-scale construction kits all
develop gross motor control.
 
Fine motor control 
is the term used to describe smaller movements, usually of the hand and
fingers (or of the feet and toes for children who communicate using touch sensitive pads with
their feet). Fine motor control is best developed through activities which involve small-scale
movements. Until children have gained reasonable fine motor control through art, mark making
and other activities, formal handwriting worksheets are not appropriate. Many early years
practitioners find that boys develop fine motor control more slowly than girls.
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Children learn to control their bodies from the centre outwards and from the top
downwards. In other words, babies build up their neck muscles so they can hold up their
heads, then the trunk muscles so they can sit, and finally the whole body control and
balance required for walking
.
Controlling these larger movements is what comes first when children are very young. So,
while young children may enjoy mark-making, we must be careful not to force them into
writing small as they will find it easier if they have had the chance to work on controlling
their whole arm movements. This will also help them to develop a better handwriting style
later on.
These larger movements are usually made by children quite naturally as they play outdoors,
by throwing balls or using their arms to help them climb up a slide. When they run, jump,
climb, twist and twirl, young children are actually building the muscles they need for good
handwriting later on
.
To develop gross motor skills, plan physical activities including outdoors.
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Arm and finger control follows the same pattern: at first a child will be able to manipulate the arm from the
shoulder joint; gradually they understand how to control the hands; finally they learn how to make the fine
finger movements needed to write your children need to develop the fine motor control required to hold
and manipulate a writing tool. They need to develop strength in their wrists and hands, and also a high
level of finger control. Many of the games and activities you do in early years settings will help your
children develop these movements:
● At snack-time, build hand and finger strength by cutting up foods, grating, squeezing and using cloths to
wipe up
● In the sand and water trays, squeezing out sponges, pouring liquids from one jug to another and washing
up.
● Drawing on vertical surfaces helps build strength in the wrists and is also very useful for left-handed
children.
● Squashing and squishing activities will build up lots of strength in the hands – playdough, clay, pastry,
gloop and so on.
● Toys that involve pop-together-and-pull-apart movements are great for building finger strength.
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In order to be able to write, children need to be able to coordinate both sides of their bodies together
with one hand holding the paper, while the other manipulates the pen.
This ability to coordinate the two sides of your body, while doing different things with each side, is
known as ‘bilateral integration’. It allows us to perform activities such as tying knots, or kicking a
football.
C
hildren will  need to learn how to ‘cross the mid line’ – to be able to control their movements across
the centre point of the body. It is this that will let them write without changing the pen over to their
other hand midway through a line.
Gross Motor Activities
Jumping and skipping, Riding a bike, Catching a ball, Swimming
, 
Beating a drum, Pushing/pulling
activities, Sports.
   
Fine Motor Activities
Tying shoelaces, Threading beads, Using a knife and fork, Cutting with scissors, Doing buttons, Lacing
activities, Using a ruler to draw a line
 
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W
hen writing, it is important it is that you have a high level of dexterity – the ability to use
hands skillfully. This skill is needed for lots of other activities too, including self-care tasks such
as doing up buttons and pulling on clothes. Help children develop their dexterity by:
● Doing up and undoing buttons and zips
● Threading beads
● Using tweezers and chopsticks
● Building towers
● Turning keys in locks
● Playing with peg boards
● Colouring in between the lines on a picture
● Icing biscuits
Holding a writing tool
 
 
At first, children usually grasp the pencil or pen using a fist grip, then a finger grasp. The ultimate
aim is for them to learn how to use a ‘dynamic tripod grasp’, where the pen or pencil is held
between the thumb and the index and middle fingers, and they should be able to do this from
about three or four years old.
 
The child makes a tripod shape with the thumb and fingers, with the pencil resting on the soft
bit between the thumb and forefinger. Help your children learn how to control their individual
fingers by singing lots of rhymes where the fingers hide or disappear.
 
Keep an eye on your young writers, and encourage them to hold their writing tool correctly –
bad habits are easy to get into but very hard to break.
Early Movers– helping under 5s live active and healthy lives
,
Jabadao
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Range 2
Belly crawling moves into crawling up on hands and knees
Becomes adept at changing position from crawling to sitting in order to stop, pick up, handle and
investigate objects
Sits unsupported on the floor, leaving hands free to manipulate objects with both hands
Picks up objects in palmar grip and shakes, waves, bangs, pulls and tugs them between two
hands while looking at them
Enjoys finger and toe rhymes and games.
Pulls to standing from crawling, holding on to furniture or person for support
Walks around furniture lifting one foot and stepping sideways (cruising)
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Starts walking independently on firm surfaces and later on uneven surfaces
Points with first finger, sharing attention with adult.
Starts to throw and release objects overarm.
Enjoys the sensory experience of making marks in food, damp sand, water, mud, paste or paint
Pushes, pulls, lifts and carries objects, moving them around and placing with intent
Climbs inside, underneath, into corners and between objects
Manipulates objects using hands singly and together, such as squeezing water out of a sponge
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Range 2
Enable older babies to have at least three hours a day moving and being active, taken in short
periods, across the day and according to the child’s interest.
Develop a shared approach to managing risk that enables babies to explore and develop their
abilities.
Ensure that clothing supports babies’ mobility for crawling and is not hindering or restrictive.
As much as possible, allow babies to put themselves into a sitting position rather than doing this
for them.
Engage babies in varied active physical experiences, such as bouncing, rolling, rocking, swooping
and splashing, both indoors and outdoors.
Encourage babies to use resources they can grasp, squeeze, tug and throw.
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Be aware that babies may have limited awareness of things that might be dangerous for
them.
Show babies different ways to make marks in dough or paint by swirling, poking or patting
it.
Whilst supporting babies’ drive to stand and walk, continue to encourage plenty of floor
play and crawling.
Help parents understand the value of waiting until babies are ready to take steps by
themselves, rather than providing assistance to speed things along, so as to develop their
own balance and control.
Provide plenty of time for babies to have bare feet during floor play and crawling, so that
their feet can develop well.
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Range 2
Alongside the continuing role of adult bodies, the floor is the best enabling environment
for babies at this stage.
Limit the time older babies spend in seats, highchairs, bouncers and other “containers” as
this prevents the critical physical development that takes place through crawling.
Plan space to encourage free movement, while being kept safe by attentive adults.
Maintain a familiar and nurturing environment that allows babies to feel secure, curious
and adventurous, both indoors and outdoors.
Provide large cushions, tunnels, slopes and low-level steps or platforms to stimulate and
challenge toddlers.
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Offer continuous low-level surfaces outdoors as well as indoors, so that babies can pull up
to a standing position, cruise sideways and take first steps.
Provide sturdy push-along carts, wheeled toys and pull-along toys indoors and out for
pushing and pulling.
Use music to encourage and enjoy movements.
Make play resources easily and simply accessible on shelves and open containers for
children to reach and fetch for themselves.
Provide resources that stimulate babies to handle and manipulate things, e.g. metal and
wooden objects or board books.
Use gloop (cornflour and water) in small trays so that babies can enjoy putting fingers into
it and lifting them out.
undefined
 
 
Being a writer – mark making…
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1. Children begin their journey towards writing by making marks
. B
abies love to play with spilt
food and drinks, touching them with little palms and fingers to create patterns before the spill
can be mopped up. They’re not just making a mess, they’re making marks.
 
2. T
he first clear sign that children are interested in mark  making comes when they use thick
crayons to make big circular and straight lines. This type of mark-making is often thought of as
scribble, but it is actually an important step in learning to write, because children are trying out
new things to see what happens.
 
3. The marks children make slowly begin to have more meaning for them, and you will be able to
see this by listening to what they say when they play with pens, crayons and paper. At first,
mark-making is a blend of writing and drawing, as children are keen to use their new skills. But
most begin to understand the difference between drawing and writing sometime after their
third birthday. They may act out ‘writing’ situations, especially if they have seen other people do
them.
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4. From first words to confident writing  At around four years old,
children begin to write their first words – and their own name is usually
the first of all.
 
5. 
The next stage of writing depends on children’s knowledge of
reading. As children learn about reading, letter shapes and words begin
to have more meaning for them. This allows them to remember what
is, after all, just a collection of shapes. Reading also allows children to
work out how to write the sounds of the words that they can hear in
their heads - most do not really get into the swing of reading until they
are six years old. When children are learning to read, they often start to
write quite simple and repetitive sentences such as ‘I like to…’ because
they are confident about how to put these down.
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There is a difference between exploratory and intentional mark making although there will be
times where they overlap.
 
At first, very young children’s mark making experiences will have more of a sensory aspect to
them as they learn to handle mark making materials and notice the marks and traces their
actions leave behind. For example, a child making marks in cornflour gloop may notice that
marks are left behind when they move their fingers through the mixture and may repeat this
action or vary their movements in response to the experience.
 
As children’s mark making becomes more deliberate, they will start to attribute their own
meaning to their marks by talking to themselves or others as they make marks or share their
creations and tell others about their mark making to which they attribute specific meaning. For
example, a child making marks with chalk may talk as they write about their play or about
events.
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Young children will often make and give meaning to marks which do not match the alphabetic
code for English. Yet these symbols and their meaning will be important to their author so they
must be acknowledged and valued.
 
Children may mimic the act of writing by making marks that look like scribbles, dots or patterns
rather than alphabetic letters. Or they may write a random combination of letters. A child may
talk as they make these marks or will tell others the meaning of their early writing, so it is
important to ask children about their writing and respect its meaning for the child.
 
Early writing often occurs spontaneously in play contexts, such children writing a shopping list
during role play or creating a sign or label for a play area. Children may enjoy copying the
symbols they see in the environment and attach their own meaning to these. To support young
children’s early writing, practitioners might set up a ‘Message Centre’ where children are
encouraged to leave messages for others using their own symbols and codes.
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Children will often reproduce graphic representations which
carry meaning for them, such as hearts and kisses in a
greetings card,.
 
Other times children might represent parts of words or
whole words that they see regularly such as their own
name, the names of friends and family.
 
Children will enjoy exploring these familiar words and
symbols in a range of contexts, for example when role
playing.
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To write meaningfully, children must have the motivation and inspiration to write in the first
place. They need to understand that writing has meaning and that the words they write can be
read back again. They need to see:
adults around them using writing for a purpose and modelling the use of written language in a
range of contexts, such as shopping lists, invitations, postcards, text messages, emails, greetings
cards, storytelling and so on.
adults finding opportunities to model and encourage writing in everyday and playful contexts
and modelling writing for specific audiences, for example such as writing a letter to a family
member or friend who lives far away.
adults finding relevant opportunities in children’s self-initiated play to model and encourage
writing for a purpose, such as creating a sign for a den to tell baddies to ‘keep out’ or writing
invitations to a tea party, following child’s interests.
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Reflecting on practice
 
• What opportunities are there for children to celebrate their own and each other’s mark making, drawing
and writing successes?
 
• How do you use children’s interests to plan for meaningful mark-making opportunities?
 
• How do you document children’s learning to enable them to revisit and reflect on their achievements?
 
• How do you value and celebrate the mark making, mathematical graphics, writing and drawing efforts of
all children so that they have a sense of achievement and their self-esteem is promoted?
 
• How do you support time children to explore and develop mark making and representational methods
which are personal to them?
 
• How do you work with adults in both the home and setting environments to understand and value
children’s early mark making and recording systems?
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Reflecting on practice
 
Do you ensuring that there is a range of mark-making materials available that will support mark
making, mathematical graphics, drawing and writing in areas of the indoor and outdoor learning
environment other than the writing area?
 
Do you allow time for children to browse and share mark-making resources with adults and other
children.
 
Do you promote children’s progress in mark-making journeys across all six areas of learning and
development?
 
Do you encourage children to bring in mark making, drawings, writing or models from home and what
happens to them?
 
What opportunities do you provide to share and celebrate children’s mark making and writing
successes within setting and with parents?
 
How do you monitor children’s progress in mark making and writing and use this information to
inform next steps in learning?
undefined
 
 
Being a writer - reading….
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From birth, children actively seek to make meaning from the many different representations of
language that surround them (Bruner,1990; Vygotsky 1986; Daniels, 2014), so it is important that
early years settings reflect children’s lives.
This means that resources should include different everyday objects that children can use in role
play and imaginary games, as well as familiar images and texts from their wider worlds.
These might include materials such as empty packaging from children’s favourite foods,
household and personal items, signs, labels, and digital platforms as well as printed text.
Practitioners can draw children’s attention to symbolic meaning in the materials, signs, print and
books around them as they play. Children’s names are important.
When taking trips out into the community, practitioners might talk about the symbols, print and
meaning in the environment, from road signs and street names to shop symbols, letters and word
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Young children very quickly gain an awareness
of symbols and what they mean.
 
● A visual register, for instance, the children
could put their names on the ‘happy’ or ‘sad’
sides of the board
, mark 
making on signing in
sheet.
 
● Signs giving key messages around the
setting, for instance, a set of images in the
toilets showing how to wash your hands
properly.
 
● Name tags (for registers, book trays, etc.)
which include a picture, e.g. a symbol on their
trays etc.
Sue Cawley article –
Graphic symbols
 
 
Children will understand many of the graphic symbols you
use around the setting – the cross on your first aid box, the
arrows pointing to the fire exit, the girl/boy symbols on the
toilets. Boys often seem particularly drawn to graphic
representations and symbols, and enjoy using them in their
own mark making.
Road signs are another example of graphic symbols that are
all around us – take the children on a walk to see which
symbols they can identify, and what meaning they can gather.
Use road signs when playing outside.
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The roots of phonics, being able to decode the patterns of sounds in printed words, lie in
children’s developing capacity to distinguish and play with environmental, instrumental,
spoken sounds and language.
 
For phonological awareness to develop effectively, it needs to be a speech only skill. It’s
not about seeing visual patterns and seeing the letter shapes, it’s about being able to
hear and manipulate the sounds themselves. Phonological awareness starts developing
with an understanding of rhythm and is why singing, dancing, nursery rhymes and
playing with simple percussion is so crucial in early years for all stages of development.
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Young children and babies need lots of practice and meaningful experiences
to begin to notice and manipulate the range of sounds all around their world.
 
Their developing brains need lots of opportunity to hear and explore sounds,
rhythms and oral language to support their dexterity in finding and making
patterns of sound indoors and outdoors.
 
The world is full of sounds, tuning in with babies and children to what they
hear and pointing out familiar and unfamiliar sounds that you hear helps
them notice and attend to the sounds around them.
 
The ability to listen and distinguish between both environmental and speech
sounds from one another. The awareness that spoken sentences are not a
continuous stream of sound but are separable into words. It is the first skill
needed towards the task of segmenting words into sounds.
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To help children develop their phonological awareness, the following strategies are helpful:
provide experiences for babies and children to make sound patterns in indoors and outdoors.
Singing songs gives children experience in listening and joining in, breaking down words into units of sound or
syllables, and hearing the rhythms of words, such as ‘Hump-ty Dump-ty’ and ‘Merr-i-ly, merr-i-ly, merr-i-ly, merr-i-
ly, gent-ly down the stream.’ Clapping along with the rhythms of songs and words will help children break down
units of sounds in spoken words.
Choose books that encourage children to hear and make sounds in words and to notice and explore rhythm and
rhyme, such as ‘Tanka Tanka Skunk’, ‘Chicky Chicky Chook Chook’, ‘The Train Ride’, ‘Fast & Slow’, ‘Whatever Next’.
Create opportunities for children to explore the complex concept of rhyming syllables at the end of spoken words.
They will need lots of experiences to hear and play with spoken rhymes in songs and poems and as their
confidence grows, practitioners can encourage children to make up their own rhymes – silly rhymes can be very
popular
As children grow in confidence hearing and playing with sounds in words and syllables, adults can playfully
introduce simple oral blending and segmenting experiences into daily routines and games. ‘Let’s z-i-p up your
coat, zzzzz ip!” or “have you seen my p-e-n?’. Keep it simple and meaningful at first.
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Phonics is a way of teaching children how to read and write. It involves matching
the sounds of spoken words with individual letters or groups of letters. there is
no research to suggest that rushing ahead with phonics has any benefits.
 
Reading and linguistic specialists 
agree that teaching phonics can enable
children to make better progress than unsystematic or no phonics instruction
(Torgerson et al., 2019). However, it 
needs to be supported by other strategies
that rely on a good grasp of the sounds of their spoken language and a good
understanding of how books work. This isn’t most children until they are 5 years
old and in Reception.
 
Early writing skills benefit more from time in nursery spent on developing
communication and language skills, playing with rhymes and rhythms, and
enjoying stories and books in print and digital media.
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Positive relationships - Range 6 (4-5 years)
Talk to children about the letters that represent the sounds they hear at the beginning of their own names and other
familiar words.
Model how to segment the sounds(phonemes) in simple words and how the sounds are represented by letters
(graphemes).
Encourage children to apply their own grapheme/phoneme knowledge to what they write in meaningful contexts.
 
Enabling environment - Range 6 (4-5years)
Demonstrate using phonics as a strategy to decode words while children can see the text, e.g. using big books or an
interactive whiteboard.
Provide varied texts, including decodable texts, and encourage children to use all their skills including their phonic
knowledge to practise reading with the skills and knowledge they have, so they experience success.
Begin to introduce playful systematic phonics sessions in fun ways that capture children’s interest, sustain motivation and
reinforce learning and success
.
undefined
 
 
The Enabling Environment
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Environmental print: Populate the setting, both indoors and outdoors, with print on displays, labels, name cards
and signs that represent the cultural diversity of the setting. Include inviting posters, with familiar characters or
nursery rhymes in the nappy-change area.
 
Props: Include story sacks, small world props and magnetic boards with story characters, pictures, letters and
emoticons that enable children to express their thoughts, retell familiar stories and create their own.
 
Role play areas: Include leaflets, take away menus, recipe books, food packaging, signs for local shops, written
text and writing materials associated with vets, hospitals, an office, supermarkets, train stations, airports or
hairdressers. Also include signage and writing materials in outdoor play areas.
 
 Digital Technology: Include eBooks and story apps. A wide range of apps offer online access to thousands of
children’s eBooks titles, with functions such as read-aloud, text highlight and interactive modes that can be
turned on or off. Story making apps enable the creation of digital picture books, which can be personalised and
engaging. Stop-frame animation apps and cartoon sequence apps also allow children generate their own stories.
 
Reading area: Create a cosy and inviting reading area with a comfortable space for children and adults to engage
with storybooks, non-fiction, interactive books, comics, poetry, eBooks, and other reading materials.
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Reading outside - some children might need a reason to sit and read outdoors as
they see reading as an indoor activity.
Bring out some reference books - the current Superheroes of the day could be
encouraged to check up on some information, before they go off on their
adventures.
Books about nature beside a tree or the hand made bug hotel.
Create a cosy area with cushions and books to hide away inside
  - dens/pop up
tents.
Literacy development can be enhanced through creating literacy rich
environments and through adult scaffolding and modelling of literacy during play
and everyday activities.
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• places and props for role play scenarios and imaginative play - a ‘magic carpet’ can transport a small group with an
adult to imaginary or real places, using the environment as a stimulus.
 
 • landscapes for small world play, such as a gravel surface for dinosaurs, and long grass in a tractor tyre for jungle
animals.
 
• battery powered CD or cassette players so that children can listen to music, rhymes and stories, and record their own
voices outdoors
 
• puppet shows and performance spaces - using a wooden pallet or upturned bread crates tied together as simple,
flexible platforms
 
• moving water play with large containers, hoses, pipes and guttering. Working out how to get water from the tap and
across the outdoor space to water the plants can be a demanding and satisfying experience involving a huge amount and
range of talk.
 
 • construction and den building with large items, such as wooden blocks, planks and big cardboard boxes. Playing with
these requires plenty of sharing of ideas and talk to realise the plans.
 
• digging and transporting soil, sand or gravel in wheelbarrows. This is often a shared activity where much negotiation
can take place
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Sensory play 
– sand, water, playdough, gloop, spaghetti etc.
 
Physical play 
– gross motor and fine motor – climbing, balancing, riding bikes,
wheelbarrows large construction, buckets, spades etc. Threading, building,
water play using jugs and sponges, playdough rollers and cutters, open ended
natural materials  etc.
 
Mark making and early writing resources – 
printing, chalks, chunky crayons,
spray bottles, brushes, post its, large pieces of paper, clip boards, open ended
materials eg large boxes, tubes etc – all easily accessible and not just in writing
area.
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Babies Ranges 1 and 2 (Birth -18months)  
- l
earn from parents
regarding caring practices at home so you can establish predictable
and familiar patterns within your own interactions allowing the child
to feel safe with you.
 
Continue to provide children with a secure base for them to return
to and to explore from by being available if needed.
 
Babies learn while you care for them – feeding and changing
times so important.
 
Need home-like environment with comfy, cosy, nurturing
spaces.
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Toddlers Ranges 3 and 4 (18-36months)
Create regular opportunities to be in very small groups or 1:1 times with the key person.
Play name games to welcome children to the setting and help them get to know each other and the staff
Cultivate a sense of belonging by involving all children in welcoming and caring for one another and in the
shared organisational tasks of the group.
Use mealtimes as ideal occasions for children to practice social skills by sitting together in small groups with
their key person.
Plan routine care events to support the development of close relationships between the key person and
child and to support children’s friendships
Need home like cosy comfy spaces along with spaces where can come together in very small key person
groups.
Well organized environment – labels – photographs.
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Range 5 (3-4 years)
Create familiar, predictable routines, including opportunities to help in appropriate tasks, e.g.
setting the table or putting away toys.
Use daily routine to embed early literacy skills eg daily message board, songs for tidy up time.
Photographs of daily routine including snack time
Highscope approach to active learning – plan do review.
Small group times.
Well organized resources – labelled.
Seeing adults reading and writing for a purpose
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Use of reading and writing in routines:
 self-registration, name places, lists, naming
paintings, labels on toy storage to help with selecting and tidying toys away, letters
home; Reading and writing for pleasure: stories, poems, rhymes and songs;
 
Reading and writing around the setting:
 peg labels, display labels, directions,
instructions, labels on toy storage;
 
Observing and using emergent reading and writing during focused activities:
 e.g.
writing down the children’s descriptions of their models and reading them out at group
time before putting them on display; google, read out, and refer to a recipe on a
website when baking;
 
Provision of resources so children can engage in emergent reading and writing during
child-initiated play:
 books, pencils and paper, computers and tablets.
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High quality interaction with the children – play partner, providing running commentary, building up
vocab, encouraging children to talk, using  open ended questions
● Labelling toy boxes and cupboards – with both picture and word;
● Putting up signs – ‘toilet’ ‘kitchen’ ‘cloakroom’, etc.;
● Labelling displays – this can be done alongside the children, who can be involved in deciding what the
captions should say and observe them being written;
● Labelling role-play areas with appropriate signs, captions and charts;
● Providing opportunities to engage with authentic literacy in play – e.g. providing menus, price lists,
appointment books, maps, instructions, leaflets, notebooks and pencils, reference books, charts, etc;
● Labelling children’s work as they observe you and explaining why you are doing this;
● Drawing children’s attention to reading and writing in the setting, both to enable them to notice it in their
environment, and see when and how you engage in reading and writing.
undefined
 
 
Being writers and Parent
Partnership
Parent Partnership
 
 
Parents often feel that the only way to get their child to learn to write is through
writing activities such as tracing over his or her name, or practising letter
formation. Share lots of information about the importance of fine and gross
motor activities with your parents, so that they can support you in helping your
children build these vital pre-writing skills.
 
Children develop the hand skills as they make everyday movements around the
house rather than with paper and a pen. Folding clothes, wiping up spills and
learning to dry up cups all strengthen their hands and build hand–eye
coordination as well as making children feel part of the family. Other everyday
opportunities such as putting on coats, pouring out drinks and cooking, playing
games that need hand skills, such as ‘Kerplunk’ or ‘Pick up sticks’, and using
jigsaws, building bricks or threading chunky beads onto laces.
 
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Pencil grip: 
Children who are developing strange pencil grips 
often 
do so because they
are 
trying to find 
a way to control their movements. The grip used by young children
will usually improve as their hand movements become more controlled, so long as they
are not put under pressure to gain control by doing a lot of tracing or being expected to
produce small writing. It is quite hard to change pencil grip in older children and, so
long as the grip works for the child, it is often best to leave it.
 
Left-handed children
: Children are born being either right-handed or left-handed and
this normally shows by about three years. Left-handed children find it easier if they are
writing on a slope and benefit from having opportunities to do large scale mark-making.
If a child has not developed a hand preference by three years, look out for regular
activities around the home where one hand is used to stabilise the child and the other
is doing something active, such as drying a plate or chopping a peeled banana.
 
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National Literacy Trust, 
Words for Life website
 –
activities for parents and support materials.
BBC Tiny Happy People -
https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people
Early Education Learning together series
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/physical-
activity-guidelines-children-under-five-years/
 
 
Thank you
 
 
 
Any Questions?
 
 
denisehenry@gateshead.gov.u
k
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Deepen your knowledge of the reformed EYFS literacy programme with a focus on writing to support children's development. Explore changes to the statutory framework effective from September 2021 and the importance of literacy in early childhood education. Learn about transcription, comprehension, and the National Curriculum's approach to writing. Enhance your skills to design and deliver a comprehensive literacy curriculum for young learners.


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  1. The Reformed EYFS : Build and Strengthen Your Understanding of the Literacy educational programme writing

  2. Aims To become more familiar with reformed eyfs. To deepen your knowledge and understanding of EYFS literacy and the aspect of writing, in order to support babies and young children to develop and learn. To raise your confidence in using your own professional judgement when observing and assessing children. To deepen your knowledge and understanding of the EYFS literacy curriculum, in order to support you to design and deliver your own literacy curriculum.

  3. The Reformed Statutory Framework

  4. The Reformed EYFS 2021 The Reformed EYFS 2021 Changes to the EYFS statutory framework effective from September 2021, highlight the need for practitioners to develop, extend and use their professional knowledge to support children s learning and development. Literacy is the lowest achieving area of learning in the early years and is a Government focus. Government say changes to the EYFS Statutory Framework ( September 2021) will improve outcomes for all children, but particularly the language and literacy outcomes for disadvantaged children.

  5. Reformed Statutory framework Reformed Statutory framework Literacy Educational Programme Educational Programme Literacy 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)

  6. Transcription and comprehension Transcription and comprehension The National Curriculum divides writing into two broad areas: transcription and comprehension. Transcription covers the technical aspects of writing: handwriting, spelling, grammar & punctuation. Composition is about sharing their ideas and thinking about the purpose for their writing. Good writing involves balancing all these different parts as well as developing fluent, legible and, eventually, speedy handwriting. Learning to write isn t an easy job and it starts in the early years.

  7. Reformed Statutory Framework Reformed Statutory Framework ELG Writing Children at the expected level of development will: - Write recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed; - Spell words by identifying sounds in them and representing the sounds with a letter or letters; - Write simple phrases and sentences that can be read by others. Prime Areas Practitioners must consider the individual needs, interests, and development of each child in their care, and must use this information to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience for each child in all areas of learning and development. Practitioners working with the youngest children are expected to ensure a strong foundation for children s development in the three prime areas. The specific areas of learning provide children with a broad curriculum and with opportunities to strengthen and apply the prime areas of learning. This is particularly important in developing language and extending vocabulary.

  8. Reformed New Statutory Framework Reformed New Statutory Framework - -Communication and Language Educational and Language Educational Programme Communication Programme The development of children s spoken language underpins all seven areas of learning and development. Children s back-and-forth interactions from an early age form the foundations for language and cognitive development. The number and quality of the conversations they have with adults and peers throughout the day in a language-rich environment is crucial. By commenting on what children are interested in or doing, and echoing back what they say with new vocabulary added, practitioners will build children's language effectively. Reading frequently to children, and engaging them actively in stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems, and then providing them with extensive opportunities to use and embed new words in a range of contexts, will give children the opportunity to thrive. Through conversation, story-telling and role play, where children share their ideas with support and modelling from their teacher, and sensitive questioning that invites them to elaborate, children become comfortable using a rich range of vocabulary and language structures.

  9. Using Birth to Five Matters

  10. Birth to Five matters Birth to Five matters Literacy Literacy Literacy is about understanding and being understood. Early literacy skills are rooted in children s enjoyable experiences from birth of gesturing, talking, singing, playing, reading and writing. Learning about literacy means developing the ability to interpret, create and communicate meaning through writing and reading in different media, such as picture books, logos, environmental print and digital technologies. It involves observing and joining in the diverse ways that different people and communities use literacy for different purposes. Most importantly, literacy is engaging, purposeful and creative.

  11. Birth to Five matters Birth to Five matters Literacy Literacy Developing literacy competence and skills is a complex, challenging yet rewarding journey that requires high-quality pedagogical activities to enhance learning. Young children need to be listened to by attentive adults who recognise and value children s choices. They need enjoyable, playful opportunities of being included and involved in the literacy practices of their home, early years setting, and community environments. They need experiences of creating and sharing a range of texts in a variety of ways, with different media and materials, with adults and peers, both indoors and outdoors, as well as learning about using different signs and symbols, exploring sound and developing alphabetic and phonetic skills.

  12. The Unique Child The Unique Child writing writing Range 1 and 2 (birth to 18months) Writing systems are complicated ways to symbolise meaning, and children need to learn many skills and develop a lot of knowledge as they begin to write. Writing skills and understanding start to develop in babies and toddlers. Firstly, children begin to understand that written texts are symbolic and carry meaning. Later they begin to produce and read written marks purposefully (See the roots of Writing in Communication and language). What is often referred to as early mark-making is the beginning of writing. It is a sensory and physical, and cognitive experience for babies and toddlers, which enables them to see the connection between their actions and the resulting marks, recognising their own agency. (See roots of mark-making and handwriting in Playing and exploring and Physical Development).

  13. Writing Writing - - Positive relationships Positive relationships Range 1 Encourage children to use their fingers and implements to explore and trace marks on a surface, e.g. using a spoon in their food, or a finger in the sand. Make marks together with babies and toddlers using a range of appropriate materials and tools. Range 2 Encourage children to use their fingers and implements to explore and trace marks on a surface, e.g. using a spoon in their food, or a finger in the sand. Make marks together with babies and toddlers using a range of appropriate materials and tools.

  14. Writing enabling environment Writing enabling environment Range 1 Provide a range of materials: sand, paint, early writing apps etc. for babies and toddlers to make marks with their hands and fingers, feet and bodies. Give children large sheets of paper, trays of gloop, paint, soil etc. to make marks collaboratively. Range 2 Provide a range of materials: sand, paint, early writing apps etc. for babies and toddlers to make marks with their hands and fingers, feet and bodies. Give children large sheets of paper, trays of gloop, paint, soil etc. to make marks collaboratively.

  15. The Unique Child The Unique Child writing writing Range 3 (18-24months) As toddlers develop, they increase their understanding of how their marks are symbolic and convey meaning. Their marks may not yet resemble letters and words but nonetheless may carry meaning for the child. Begins to understand the cause and effect of their actions in mark making Knows that the marks they make are of value Enjoys the sensory experience of making marks Range 4 (2-3years) Distinguishes between the different marks they make Enjoys drawing and writing on paper, on screen and on different textures, such as in sand or playdough and through using touch-screen technology

  16. Writing Writing - - Positive relationships Positive relationships Range 3 Encourage different mark-making movements big, small, hard, soft, quick and slow, and different shapes, circles, lines and dots. Tell children about the marks you are making and encourage them to talk to you about theirs. Value these early mark making activities by sharing them with others including parents and carers. Write down (scribe) children s words, and read them back to children. Range 4 Listen and support what children tell you about their drawings and early writing. Write down (scribe) the words that children use and display these words, for example, with photos Co-create stories orally with individual children and in small groups. Scribe the stories and display them for children to look at independently or with a parent or friend. Encourage children to make recordings of their own stories (e.g. on a digital tablet) and create opportunities for children to perform their stories to each other.

  17. Writing enabling environment Writing enabling environment Range 3 Introduce a range of appropriate implements including large brushes, chalk and crayons, sticks and sponges for children to trace patterns and shapes. Offer children a range of different surfaces to make marks on, inside and out, e.g. chalkboards, light boxes, sand and pathways. Provide a broad range of opportunities for early writing experiences through sensory and symbolic play. Range 4 Draw attention to marks, signs and symbols in the environment and talk about what they represent. Ensure this involves recognition of English, other languages and scripts. Provide materials which reflect cultural diversity, so children see symbols and marks with which they are familiar, and learn that there are many different script systems e.g. Arabic, Chinese, Greek and Braille. Try to have a notepad to hand (e.g. A5 size) in which you can scribe children s stories and special words and share these stories and words with children. Ensure children see you writing for a purpose, e.g. a shopping list, message for parents, labels in children s play areas or reminders for ourselves.

  18. The Unique Child The Unique Child writing writing Range 5 (3-4years) Makes up stories, play scenarios, and drawings in response to experiences, such as outings Sometimes gives meaning to their drawings and paintings Ascribes meanings to signs, symbols and words that they see in different places, including those they make themselves Includes mark making and early writing in their play Imitates adults writing by making continuous lines of shapes and symbols (early writing) from left to right Attempts to write their own name, or other names and words, using combinations of lines, circles and curves, or letter-type shapes Shows interest in letters on a keyboard, identifying the initial letter of their own name and other familiar words Begins to make letter-type shapes to represent the initial sound of their name and other familiar words

  19. Writing Writing - - Positive relationships Positive relationships Range 5 Notice and encourage children s drawing, painting and early writing and the meanings that they give to them, such as when a child covers a whole piece of paper and says, I m writing . Celebrate and value children s early attempts at graphic representation focusing on the meaning and content rather than letter formation. Model and include children in using signs and writing to expand playful experiences such as making signs for a shop or car wash, instructions for a ball game, a list of names for a taking turns. Support children in recognising and writing their own names. Make paper and digital books with children of activities they have been doing, using photographs of them as illustrations.

  20. Writing enabling environment Writing enabling environment Range 5 Write down things children say to support their developing understanding that what they say can be written down, and then read and understood by someone else. Encourage parents to do this as well. Set up environments of offices, dens in the garden, library, shop, home corner with greetings cards, etc., so that children engage in literacy events in which they spontaneously participate. Provide a range of accessible materials and tools for writing as part of everyday play activity, including role play, both indoors and outdoors. Write poems and short stories together with the children, writing down ideas they suggest. Scribe children s stories and re-read and enact their stories in small group activities. Involve children when you make lists or write notes and messages. Think out loud and talk through what you are doing when writing on typing on screen. Break down your flow of speech into individual words, exemplifying the correspondence between the spoken and written word. Provide activities during which children can experiment with writing, for example, leaving a message. Encourage children to use their phonic knowledge when writing, and model this in your own writing.

  21. Being a writer talkers and listeners .

  22. Developing early writing skills Writing is communication. It is also a way for individuals to share their identity with others. any piece of writing should be exclusive to the individual, to show that the writer has a unique voice Helen Bromley (2006). Before writing, children need experiences of: Developing the confidence and competence with oral language. Exploring and experiencing a wide variety of stories and texts. Opportunities to develop fine and gross motor skills the physical journey of writing.

  23. Talkers and listeners Talkers and listeners Communication and Language is a prime area focus of learning and development in early years. Children s confidence in their spoken language is crucial early foundation for later literacy in the written version Confident talkers and listeners can work out the link between sounds when you say it and what it looks like when a word is written down.

  24. The Importance of Communication and Language development Reading and writing float on a sea of talk James Britton (1983). Our understanding of how children develop both confidence and competence across the different elements of literacy continues to grow and impact our practice. However, what remains consistent is the message that we need to ensure that children's communication and language skills are secure, building a firm foundation for learning. This is emphasised within Getting it right in the Early Years Foundation Stage (Pascal et al2019): Promoting higher order literacy skills before the child has secure development in oral language will lead to problems for these children. The evidence indicates that literacy learning should be a key element in the EYFS from birth, but that it is fundamentally linked to language development and relies on the secure development of language skills and understanding.

  25. The Unique Child CL The Unique Child CL - -Listening and attention attention Listening and Range 1(Birth 12months) Turns toward a familiar sound then locates range of sounds with accuracy Listens to, distinguishes and responds to intonations and sounds of voices Listens to familiar sounds, words, or finger plays Range 2 (12-18months) Moves whole body to sounds they enjoy, such as music or a regular beat Concentrates intently on an object or activity of own choosing for short periods

  26. The Unique Child CL The Unique Child CL - - Speaking Speaking Range 1 Practises and gradually develops speech sounds (babbling) to communicate with adults; says sounds like baba, nono, gogo Points and looks to make requests and to share an interest Range 2 Uses sounds in play, e.g. brrrm for toy car Uses single words Uses words to communicate for a range of purposes (e.g. teddy, more, no, bye-bye) Creates personal words as they begin to develop language

  27. The Unique Child CL The Unique Child CL- - Understanding Understanding Range 1 Turns when hears own name Starts to understand contextual clues, e.g. familiar gestures, words and sounds Range 2 Responds to simple questions when in a familiar context with a special person (e.g. Where s Mummy?, Where s your nose?) Understanding of single words in context is developing, e.g. cup, milk, daddy

  28. Positive relationships Positive relationships CL may do to support the unique child may do to support the unique child CL - -what the adult what the adult Babies - Range 1 and 2 (Birth 18 months) Get physically close making sure the baby can see your face, using eye contact and touch to create shared moments of interaction. Be attentive, leave space and imitate baby s response for the baby to start a serve and return conversation. Use facial expressions and a lively voice with ups and downs to show babies you are interested in them. Say the baby s name to draw their attention. Encourage playfulness, laughter, turn-taking and responses, using peek-a-boo and action rhymes. Sing songs and rhymes during everyday routines. Use repeated sounds, and words and phrases so babies can begin to recognise particular sounds. Follow the baby s focus and pay joint attention to what they are interested in.

  29. Enabling Environment Enabling Environment CL adult may do to support the unique child adult may do to support the unique child CL - -what the what the Range 1 and 2 (Birth 18months) Let babies see and hear the sequence of actions you go through as you carry out familiar routines. Provide resources and spaces that stimulate babies interests such as a shiny bell, a book or a mirror on the floor or on your lap. Find out from parents how babies make themselves understood at home. Find out about and include home languages Tune into what different children enjoy and create environments where babbling and talking feels easy and comfortable and where children can experiment freely with the sounds they can make. Provide appropriate sensory experiences as well as opportunities for movement and private conversations and sound possibly in dens and cosy corners. Find out from parents the words that children use for things which are important to them, such as bankie for their comfort blanket, remembering to extend this question to home languages.

  30. Enabling Environment Enabling Environment CL what the adult may provide to support the unique child may provide to support the unique child CL what the adult Range 1 and 2 (Birth 18months) Share stories, songs and rhymes from all cultures and in babies home languages and other languages common in communities. Share favourite stories, songs, rhymes or music as babies are settling to sleep, or at other quiet times. Sing frequently with young babies, encouraging them to join in. Create an environment which invites responses from babies and adults, for example, touching, smiling, smelling, feeling, listening, exploring, describing and sharing. Establish a familiar pattern by spending prolonged moments of time each day interacting with the baby, or a small group of babies. Consider what it feels like to use your voice in your environment what kinds of soundscape and sensory atmosphere do children experience? Is the invitation to join in with this environment, using voices, bodies and objects to make noise, irresistible?

  31. Being a writer - Physical Development .

  32. Handwriting and Physical development Learning how to communicate their thoughts, ideas and feelings is a key aspect of children s early development. At first they do this orally, but gradually they also learn to do it through the written word. In order to be able to write, children need to develop the physical skills needed. Handwriting is about putting words down on paper, while writing is the thinking of the actual words. Children need to develop their hand eye coordination, build up the muscles and control in the hands, be able to coordinate their arms and shoulders. McPhillips et al (2000) noted that children who experience difficulties with reading also have difficulties with balance and motor control, so it is vital to understand the impact of physical development on children s cognitive development.

  33. Birth to five matters document Birth to five matters document The physical skills of writing are dependent on the development of a range of gross and fine motor skills. It is important for children to develop the necessary physical skills and coordination before attempting to teach them how to form letters. Muscle development for writing is a comprehensive process that begins with movements of the whole arm and progresses toward very detailed fine motor control at the fingertips (Adolph, 2008, p.100) There are many different specific motor skills which are necessary for a child to write successfully: Developing gross motor skills Bilateral integration (using both sides of the body in a coordinated way) Fine motor control Developing dexterity Holding and manipulating a writing tool. Activities to develop these skills will be a crucial part of the journey to becoming a writer.

  34. What is the difference between gross What is the difference between gross and fine motor control? and fine motor control? Gross motor control is the term used to describe the development of controlled movements of the whole body, or limbs (arms or legs). Of particular importance in relation to handwriting is the development of good posture and balance. Activities such as dance, football, use of small apparatus, cycling, gripping climbing frames and building with large-scale construction kits all develop gross motor control. Fine motor control is the term used to describe smaller movements, usually of the hand and fingers (or of the feet and toes for children who communicate using touch sensitive pads with their feet). Fine motor control is best developed through activities which involve small-scale movements. Until children have gained reasonable fine motor control through art, mark making and other activities, formal handwriting worksheets are not appropriate. Many early years practitioners find that boys develop fine motor control more slowly than girls.

  35. Developing gross motor skill Developing gross motor skill Children learn to control their bodies from the centre outwards and from the top downwards. In other words, babies build up their neck muscles so they can hold up their heads, then the trunk muscles so they can sit, and finally the whole body control and balance required for walking. Controlling these larger movements is what comes first when children are very young. So, while young children may enjoy mark-making, we must be careful not to force them into writing small as they will find it easier if they have had the chance to work on controlling their whole arm movements. This will also help them to develop a better handwriting style later on. These larger movements are usually made by children quite naturally as they play outdoors, by throwing balls or using their arms to help them climb up a slide. When they run, jump, climb, twist and twirl, young children are actually building the muscles they need for good handwriting later on. To develop gross motor skills, plan physical activities including outdoors.

  36. Building fine motor control Building fine motor control Arm and finger control follows the same pattern: at first a child will be able to manipulate the arm from the shoulder joint; gradually they understand how to control the hands; finally they learn how to make the fine finger movements needed to write your children need to develop the fine motor control required to hold and manipulate a writing tool. They need to develop strength in their wrists and hands, and also a high level of finger control. Many of the games and activities you do in early years settings will help your children develop these movements: At snack-time, build hand and finger strength by cutting up foods, grating, squeezing and using cloths to wipe up In the sand and water trays, squeezing out sponges, pouring liquids from one jug to another and washing up. Drawing on vertical surfaces helps build strength in the wrists and is also very useful for left-handed children. Squashing and squishing activities will build up lots of strength in the hands playdough, clay, pastry, gloop and so on. Toys that involve pop-together-and-pull-apart movements are great for building finger strength.

  37. Bilateral integration Bilateral integration crossing the mid line mid line crossing the In order to be able to write, children need to be able to coordinate both sides of their bodies together with one hand holding the paper, while the other manipulates the pen. This ability to coordinate the two sides of your body, while doing different things with each side, is known as bilateral integration . It allows us to perform activities such as tying knots, or kicking a football. Children will need to learn how to cross the mid line to be able to control their movements across the centre point of the body. It is this that will let them write without changing the pen over to their other hand midway through a line. Gross Motor Activities Jumping and skipping, Riding a bike, Catching a ball, Swimming, Beating a drum, Pushing/pulling activities, Sports. Fine Motor Activities Tying shoelaces, Threading beads, Using a knife and fork, Cutting with scissors, Doing buttons, Lacing activities, Using a ruler to draw a line

  38. Developing dexterity Developing dexterity When writing, it is important it is that you have a high level of dexterity the ability to use hands skillfully. This skill is needed for lots of other activities too, including self-care tasks such as doing up buttons and pulling on clothes. Help children develop their dexterity by: Doing up and undoing buttons and zips Threading beads Using tweezers and chopsticks Building towers Turning keys in locks Playing with peg boards Colouring in between the lines on a picture Icing biscuits

  39. Holding a writing tool At first, children usually grasp the pencil or pen using a fist grip, then a finger grasp. The ultimate aim is for them to learn how to use a dynamic tripod grasp , where the pen or pencil is held between the thumb and the index and middle fingers, and they should be able to do this from about three or four years old. The child makes a tripod shape with the thumb and fingers, with the pencil resting on the soft bit between the thumb and forefinger. Help your children learn how to control their individual fingers by singing lots of rhymes where the fingers hide or disappear. Keep an eye on your young writers, and encourage them to hold their writing tool correctly bad habits are easy to get into but very hard to break. Early Movers helping under 5s live active and healthy lives, Jabadao

  40. The Unique child The Unique child - -Physical development Physical development Range 2 Belly crawling moves into crawling up on hands and knees Becomes adept at changing position from crawling to sitting in order to stop, pick up, handle and investigate objects Sits unsupported on the floor, leaving hands free to manipulate objects with both hands Picks up objects in palmar grip and shakes, waves, bangs, pulls and tugs them between two hands while looking at them Enjoys finger and toe rhymes and games. Pulls to standing from crawling, holding on to furniture or person for support Walks around furniture lifting one foot and stepping sideways (cruising)

  41. The Unique child The Unique child - -Physical development Physical development Starts walking independently on firm surfaces and later on uneven surfaces Points with first finger, sharing attention with adult. Starts to throw and release objects overarm. Enjoys the sensory experience of making marks in food, damp sand, water, mud, paste or paint Pushes, pulls, lifts and carries objects, moving them around and placing with intent Climbs inside, underneath, into corners and between objects Manipulates objects using hands singly and together, such as squeezing water out of a sponge

  42. Positive relationships Positive relationships Physical Development Physical Development Range 2 Enable older babies to have at least three hours a day moving and being active, taken in short periods, across the day and according to the child s interest. Develop a shared approach to managing risk that enables babies to explore and develop their abilities. Ensure that clothing supports babies mobility for crawling and is not hindering or restrictive. As much as possible, allow babies to put themselves into a sitting position rather than doing this for them. Engage babies in varied active physical experiences, such as bouncing, rolling, rocking, swooping and splashing, both indoors and outdoors. Encourage babies to use resources they can grasp, squeeze, tug and throw.

  43. Positive relationships Positive relationships Physical Development Physical Development Be aware that babies may have limited awareness of things that might be dangerous for them. Show babies different ways to make marks in dough or paint by swirling, poking or patting it. Whilst supporting babies drive to stand and walk, continue to encourage plenty of floor play and crawling. Help parents understand the value of waiting until babies are ready to take steps by themselves, rather than providing assistance to speed things along, so as to develop their own balance and control. Provide plenty of time for babies to have bare feet during floor play and crawling, so that their feet can develop well.

  44. Enabling environment Enabling environment - -Physical Development Physical Development Range 2 Alongside the continuing role of adult bodies, the floor is the best enabling environment for babies at this stage. Limit the time older babies spend in seats, highchairs, bouncers and other containers as this prevents the critical physical development that takes place through crawling. Plan space to encourage free movement, while being kept safe by attentive adults. Maintain a familiar and nurturing environment that allows babies to feel secure, curious and adventurous, both indoors and outdoors. Provide large cushions, tunnels, slopes and low-level steps or platforms to stimulate and challenge toddlers.

  45. Enabling environment Enabling environment - -Physical Development Physical Development Offer continuous low-level surfaces outdoors as well as indoors, so that babies can pull up to a standing position, cruise sideways and take first steps. Provide sturdy push-along carts, wheeled toys and pull-along toys indoors and out for pushing and pulling. Use music to encourage and enjoy movements. Make play resources easily and simply accessible on shelves and open containers for children to reach and fetch for themselves. Provide resources that stimulate babies to handle and manipulate things, e.g. metal and wooden objects or board books. Use gloop (cornflour and water) in small trays so that babies can enjoy putting fingers into it and lifting them out.

  46. Being a writer mark making

  47. Early Education Early Education Learning together series Learning together series 1. Children begin their journey towards writing by making marks. Babies love to play with spilt food and drinks, touching them with little palms and fingers to create patterns before the spill can be mopped up. They re not just making a mess, they re making marks. 2. The first clear sign that children are interested in mark making comes when they use thick crayons to make big circular and straight lines. This type of mark-making is often thought of as scribble, but it is actually an important step in learning to write, because children are trying out new things to see what happens. 3. The marks children make slowly begin to have more meaning for them, and you will be able to see this by listening to what they say when they play with pens, crayons and paper. At first, mark-making is a blend of writing and drawing, as children are keen to use their new skills. But most begin to understand the difference between drawing and writing sometime after their third birthday. They may act out writing situations, especially if they have seen other people do them.

  48. Learning together series Learning together series 4. From first words to confident writing At around four years old, children begin to write their first words and their own name is usually the first of all. 5. The next stage of writing depends on children s knowledge of reading. As children learn about reading, letter shapes and words begin to have more meaning for them. This allows them to remember what is, after all, just a collection of shapes. Reading also allows children to work out how to write the sounds of the words that they can hear in their heads - most do not really get into the swing of reading until they are six years old. When children are learning to read, they often start to write quite simple and repetitive sentences such as I like to because they are confident about how to put these down.

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