Writing prompts www.earlybirdyeducation.com This is a useful prompt to ensure that writing is covered and taught effectively towards the 40-60 month age band. www.earlybirdyeducation.com

Writing www.earlybirdyeducation.com Ensure that all the areas are fully equipment with a variety of writing frames. Allow each area to have a self selection point whereby writing frames and formats are available. Make sure that writing materials support ‘writing for real’ e.g. birthday invitations, present list and thank you letters. Target boys writing where necessary by setting challenges e.g. can you draw and label you own super hero? Power ranger? Transformer? Make sure that the classroom environment has a wide range of text, font and size displayed. Create a working wall display whereby children can add key words, home learning or independent writing. Refer to this working wall daily to encourage writing across all learners. At each station have key words available e.g. Construction area- build, connect, tall, tower, fix, join, stick. Create a key word box at each station and leave blank cards for children to add their own vocabulary. To develop fine motor skills make sure that there is ample small equipment and one-handed tools available. Make use of the outdoor area and get creative e.g. different sized paint brushes and water, mud painting, different sized chalk. Writing Give meaning to marks they make as they draw, write and read. Begins to break the flow of speech no words. Continues a rhyming string Hears and says the initial sound in words Can segment the sounds in simple words ad blend them together. Links sounds to letters, naming and sounding the letters of the alphabet. Uses some clearly identifiable letters to communicate meaning, representing some sounds correctly and in sequences. Writes own name and other things such as labels, captions Attempts to write short sentences in meaningful contexts. Ensure a daily phonics session is being taught. Start phonics with the transition from phase 1 into phase 2. Remember not all children have been to nursery so they will not have been exposed to phase 1. Phase 1 is an integral part of listening. As phase 2 and 3 phonics are taught, ensure that when the phase is being recapped children are put into groups. Whole class teach the sound, and then split the children into 2 or 4 groups on the carpet. This will ensure that writing is being extended for all learners. e.g. Group1- writing short caption, Group 2- writing simple sentence., Group 3- writing simple sentence. Group 4- Write sound and word. www.earlybirdyeducation.com