Adventurers - Early Reading, Phonics and Writing

Teaching Early reading and phonics

Communication, language and interaction is the key focus when considering our approach to early reading and phonics. We provide a communication friendly environment where both verbal and non-verbal methods of communication are implemented. These include; visual supports including choice boards and colour semantics, simple Makaton and AAC devices where appropriate for the learners. 

As a school we follow the Read, Write, Inc programme for phonics which highlights the importance of developing an early love of books, rhymes and songs. Our children will be exposed to a variety of texts and will experience sensory stories and singing daily.

Through continuous assessment we will be able to judge when each individual will begin learning some of the set 1 sounds.  

 

Nursery rhymes and Story times

The main focus in our classrooms will be reading stories and rhymes to children and supporting development of  their early language and communication skills.

We will plan the nursery rhymes and stories which we will sing and read over and over again – using  the same actions, including Makaton, and special emphasis every time.

We will use the RWI ‘ten top tips for reading stories’.

 

Planning Communication throughout the day

 

Communication is integrated throughout our total communication approach. We intentionally plan the communicative elements embedded within play, identifying and emphasising key vocabulary that children should encounter and part of their learning and play experiences.                                                                                                        Simple Makaton is embedded in our everyday practice to support communication for our learners, this follows our Makaton Progression Planning. 

 

Teaching Read Write Inc phonics

We begin our phonics teaching and learning through daily phonics sessions which place emphasis on listening and responding to environmental sounds, instrumental sounds, body percussion, rhythm and rhyme and vocal sounds.                                          Through our continuous assessment of the children we will identify the appropriate developmental time to deliver the RWI Set 1 phonics using the following approaches:

Before starting to teach Set 1 sounds:

- Practise using ‘pure sounds’.

- Use Fred Talk to teach oral

- Teach children to name the

 

Start teaching sounds:

- Teach a new sound every

- Choose a time of the day when children are at their most

- Start teaching children to blend in small groups once the children can read all the single letter Set 1 sounds

 

Letter formation:

- Teach children to form the letters in the air during the Speeds Sounds

- If the children are ready, teach them the correct pencil grip and sitting position from the very beginning.

- Help children practise writing letters at a different time of the day in small groups, or as required

 

Teaching Writing

Writing systems are complicated ways to symbolise meaning and children need to learn many skills and develop a bit of knowledge before they begin to write (Birth to 5 Matters).

Our aim in the Early Years is to develop ‘early mark making’ skills, fine motor skills and support development of control skills. Early mark making is a sensory, physical and cognitive experience for our learners which supports them in seeing the connection between their actions and the resulting marks.

We plan for daily opportunities enabling children to develop their fine motor and early mark making skills. We provide a range of resources in order to support this. Our children need to develop strength and dexterity in their hands through a range of activities before they will successfully be able to write. Activities to support his will include grasping and releasing, manipulating a range of tools and equipment and developing a preference for their dominant hand.

Children will have access to writing tools and adults will model using a range of media to mark make, draw and write.

Through our planning of literacy activities, we will be able to effectively provide experiences and opportunities for our learners to build on their spoken language, non-verbal communication, understanding of language and their ability to record. 

 

 

All writing that the children produce will be celebrated and valued, especially in the early stages of mark making and emergent writing. It is our job to promote, encourage and recognise that the children have recorded something meaningful to them.