Literacy: The power to dream
How to use simple resources such as fabrics, hats and a basket of natural objects to encourage children to experiment and use their imaginations to create characters and dialogue.
Literacy is one of the seven areas of the early years foundation stage and is used to develop a child's ability read and write. Children show this in range of ways including understanding simple sentences, familiarity with phonics, demonstrating understanding of what they have read, the ability to write spoken sounds and words and even simple sentences.
Below you will find a range of practical articles and expert features that cover literacy to help you develop these skills and overcome challenges you might encounter. For more information on the EYFS you can download latest version of the statutory framework here.
How to use simple resources such as fabrics, hats and a basket of natural objects to encourage children to experiment and use their imaginations to create characters and dialogue.
Claire Hewson focuses on wish fulfilment stories which can help children to learn valuable life lessons, since they always carry a cautionary message. By discussing the stories with children we can help them to explore these ideas in relation to their own lives.
Claire Hewson provides a guide to using Apple’s My story app to enable children to create a book all about themselves. Help them to gain the skills to insert their own drawings, photos and text.
Claire Hewson suggests ways in which her chosen apps can deliver literacy learning when used alongside real learning experiences. It’s all about careful planning to ensure each child benefits.
There is one thing you can predict about a British summer, it is completely unpredictable! But as we know, with the right assortment of clothes, we go outside come rain or shine.
All you need is a selection of smooth pebbles to make excellent props for storytelling. Link them to themes by making simple drawings and marks, and discover how children use them as reference points.
This article shares a number of ideas on how to provide opportunities for young children to read for pleasure, so when they are ready, they will have the motivation and foundations in story to perservere.
'There's no such thing as bad weather – just inappropriate clothing,' as the saying goes. Use children’s colourful winter clothing as a link to many areas of learning.
Find out about the latest offer from a reading scheme that provides a range of fiction and non-fiction books which celebrate diversity and gender equality.
Now is the time to look at how wintery weather affects British wildlife. Start with birds that can be observed in your outdoor area and help children to discover why they need our help when the days become cold.
Continuing our exploration of the prime and specific areas of learning, this month we focus on the specific area of literacy and discuss how we can support the children in our settings.
To be a writer, children need experiences similar to those associated with play – testing skills through trial and error, exploring ideas imaginatively and creating something providing a sense of accomplishment.
Here we look at how resources can help to enhance a story, bringing it to life in exciting ways that are only limited by the imagination. It is surprising how easy it is to do, and how readily available these items are.