Early Literacy

All Parents want to help their child to read but sometimes it’s hard to know how to give the best support.

Pre-reading skills are very important and give a child a head start. Re telling a story, recognising rhyme and alliteration all help a child to tackle reading successfully.

Play games with alliteration (things which start with the same sound) Sam likes sausages Lucy loves lollies Dan loves dinosaurs Sing raps together and clap the beat as you sing Ten dirty dogs came knocking at my door Knocking at my door Knocking at my door. Ten dirty dogs came knocking at my door Til I said dirty dogs don’t do it any more. Change the animal and think of something to go with the animal. After several goes your child will begin to get the idea. Crawling crocodiles Cheeky chimps Clever cats

Sharing and enjoying books together is the most important factor when learning to read and write. Children can learn all about rhyme through a good quality bedtime story. When you purchase books look for good quality rhyming texts.

Look for repetitive texts and rhyme. What’s in the fridge in the witch’s kitchen…….? What’s in the bowl in the witch’s kitchen ………? Goblin’s Wee Strawberry Tea Lizard’s fart Cherry Tart

How do children learn to read? They need to be immersed in a print rich environment where reading is valued. Let your child see you reading – (a magazine, the newspaper, your tablet, a book, a recipe, a set of instructions. Value books. Make sure that you set aside a time for a bedtime story, a family reading time.

When should we read Every Day if you can. Make it fun Reading is not just the school reading book. Don’t make it a chore or a test.

Where should we read? Cuddled up in bed Sitting together in a comfy chair On a walk togetherIn the bath In the carAt the Library Anywhere, Any place.

Story booksPicture Books Non Fiction BooksDictionaries AtlasesRecipe Books CataloguesMagazines ComicsNewspapers Letters/Cards/ Postcards Labels/Packaging Leaflets/FlyersInstructions/notices/ signs Street namesControls Keep books in a special place. What can we read together?

Variety is the Spice of Life Vary what you read to your child Traditional Tales Once upon a time They all lived happily ever after Retell together Nursery Rhymes Rhyme/alliteration Change the rhyme Make up silly jingles Everyday SituationsOutside the children’s experience Stories with a messageOther cultures Interactive books Read them again and again

Share your knowledge and enthusiasm What can your child learn …..Book Language, punctuation, Book features This is my favourite …can we read this one? I wonder………………………………………………………………….. authorillustrator PublisherBarcode Page numbersPictures PriceBlurb Ooh ….It says the author is………. Ooh … I think they use that in the shop when you buy the book.

Children also need:- Letter knowledge (the sound letters make to begin with) They need to be able to memorise some words which are very common – as it in on etc. They also need to be able to remember tricky words which do not sound like they look. Eg. said, where, they the.

How do we begin learning to read at school? We begin by playing with sounds. Your child needs to be able to hear the sounds in words. Put objects/pictures in a bag which start with the sound s Sausage Sock Shell Six Sun Also include sounds that start with a different letter Can they sort out the sounds into different groups according to which sound the item or picture begins with. Play I spy

Shopping Basket Game Children need to be able to blend sounds together and also chop up sounds. You will need a puppet/soft toy You will also need a basket and a collection of the following items…………. tin box pen sock shell bag sack egg ham mum dad cat dog fox pot rat hat map. You may think of more but you must be able to split them into short sounds. Eg t-i-n b-o-x b-oo-t Your puppet /soft toy likes shopping. Show your child all the things one by one and place them on the floor in front of you. The puppet can’t talk very well. Your child needs to listen carefully to see if they can understand what he is telling them to put in the shopping basket. “Puppet would like you to put this item in the basket – listen carefully - b – o - x After a few goes ask your child if they would like to talk for the puppet. – much more difficult.

We teach the letter sounds a few at a time. So for example we begin with letters:- s a t p We stress how we say the sound. Is it a stretchy sound or a bouncy sound? We use the picture on the flashcard to help us remember the sound. We practise writing the sound in the air and saying a little jingle to help us remember the shape it makes. Only when we are really secure with those letter sounds do we begin to look at small groups of words using the letters we have learnt. We say each letter in the word and then say it more quickly until we can blend it into the word. Sat pat as at a tap

We learn the letters in small groups over several weeks/months depending on your child’s readiness. s a t p i n m d g o c k ck e u r h b f ff l ll s ss j v w x y z zz qu

Games we play to reinforce letter knowledge and help your child to blend. Hide a spider under the word card. Turn over cards and read the word until they find the spider. Then it is their go to hide the spider and your turn to read. Bingo Musical Bumps - cards on mats. Music stops. They sit on a mat and read the card that is on that mat. Skittles. Words on the bottles. Knock over and read. Hop scotch - words in each square. They land on a word and read it out.

We will learn Tricky Words in this order a few at a time, as and when your child is ready. Your child needs to memorise these words – they cannot be sounded out. no go to the I he she me we be was my you they her all

High Frequency words we will be learning Your child needs to be able to recognise these words quickly and be able to read them quickly. a an as at it in is if of off on can dad had back and get big him his not got up mum but put will that this then them with see for now down look too

Hoping that you find the information helpful. Remember to ask if you are unsure about anything. We are here to help. Your support will make all the difference to your child, but only if your child is ready.