This week, I’m focusing the blog on Early Literacy—how young children begin to read and write—and I’ll be sharing some of the lovely progress we’ve seen so far.
We do lots of early phonics work (understanding how sounds can be heard and written to form words). At this stage, much of the children’s phonics learning happens through play and exploring sounds. This week, we’ve been trying out a few fun tongue twisters (like Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers…) and looking at our mouths in the mirror as we repeat sounds, noticing the shapes our lips and tongue make.
Soon, the children will begin the complex task of turning these sounds into “shapes on paper” (letters to you and me), and this requires a whole set of skills to develop first. They need strength, coordination, and smooth, controlled movement, just to name a few! To support this, we dance with scarves, making big arm movements that later translate onto paper. This week, we practised anticlockwise circles, because letters like a, c, d, e, g, o, and q all start with an anticlockwise movement.
Our outdoor time not only gives the children a breath of fresh air, but also lets them move their bodies in ways that build strength and coordination. We include small group games indoors too, such as songs and rhymes with the lycra, to help develop these skills. Visiting the park as a family is a wonderful way to support your child’s early writing skills.
Your role as a parent is so important in shaping how children see themselves as learners — after all, you are their very first and greatest role model! A big thank you to all the parents who have continued to join our Read, Play, Connect sessions, helping the children see both themselves and you as readers.
This week, after the session had finished, the children asked to sit on the chairs “just like the grown-ups.”
Our playtime might look like simple “child’s play,” or just kids being kids, but if you look closely, there’s secret learning happening all the time. In our role play area, the children copy what they’ve seen doctors doing. They’re practising new vocabulary, writing skills, social skills, and even imagining themselves in a future career.
Early literacy is all around us, from playful phonics to dancing with scarves and exploring role play. By supporting these everyday learning moments, we help children grow as confident readers, writers, and curious learners.