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).
Children learn to make sense of their environment through the development of language skills, and literacy skills must be linked to language and communication. The ability to speak clearly in order to communicate with adults and peers will promote the building of relationships, the sharing of information and self-expression. Success depends on the quality of our communication with individual children.
We aim to:
- Work in partnership with parents in order to provide the best opportunities for children to develop their literacy skills.
- Ensure that we provide high quality adult/child interaction.
- Provide materials and resources which will stimulate and develop literacy competence.
- Provide literacy activities which are meaningful and purposeful and which take place in context.
- Provide opportunities each day for children to engage in a wide variety of phonic experiences and activities.
- Record and assess children's literacy development regularly.
- Provide extra support and help foster phonic awareness when necessary.
- Increase our own knowledge about literacy development through attending relevant in-service courses and through being aware of current research.
- Develop children’s interest in a variety of books and their reading skills.
- Develop children’s interest in mark making and early writing skills.
