1. Writing Development in Reception March 2017

2. Early learning goal for end of reception and into Year 1
We are working towards…
Early learning goal for end of reception and into Year 1
“Children use their phonic knowledge to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds. They also write some irregular common words (tricky and high frequency words). They write simple sentences which can be read by themselves and others. Some words are spelt correctly and others are phonetically plausible”. 
To achieve this we scaffold writing in a variety of ways.
As adults we need to demonstrate how writing is a form of communication, compiling lists creating labels and writing letters and stories.

3. In class we differentiate between ‘Handwriting
times’ and ‘Having a go’.
‘Handwriting times’ are sessions where we practise and rehearse forming letters. It is essential these are formed correctly – always starting from the correct starting point and form in one continuous movement. It is helpful for children to start to trace over a letter first – preferably a letter drawn using a highlighter rather than dots. We encourage the children to talk about the direction of formation as this can help. We learn to spell our key/tricky words and write a punctuated sentence. Left handed children often find this tricky and take a bit longer to progress.

4. ‘Having a go writing’ is encouraged in all areas of learning in the classroom, during both adult directed and child initiated learning times.
Children are encouraged to see themselves as writers – they can write anything as long as they try their best and are resilient!
Children are given lots of praise to build up self confidence to attempt writing words and sentences. They are encouraged to talk about their ideas for writing before writing.
Sound mats can be independently accessed.
By the end of the year, it is expected that children are able to use the correct letters and sounds to write simple sentences that are phonetically plausible and can be read back by the child independently.

5. How do we support writing in school?
Children are encouraged to break the flow of speech into words
“Think our sentence – Say our sentence - Count the words in our sentence.”
Then we scaffold – support the writing. Encouraging children, prompting questions such as “What sounds can you hear in the word?” “Could it be a tricky word?”.
Children are encouraged to use sound/tricky word mats to support their writing and to encourage independence.
Initially the adult uses a highlighter pen to indicate the words in the sentence.
Using these strategies they can begin to write freely and confidently.
Children will write for a purpose – i.e. a sentence about an event they have experienced or to label a model they have made.

6. What the expected level of writing looks like – aimed to be achieved by the end of Reception

7. What the expected level of writing looks like – aimed to be achieved by the end of Reception.

8. What the expected level of writing looks like – aimed to be achieved by the end of Reception.

9. Home Support
Phase 2 and 3 sound mats can be found on the Acorn class page on the school website – Regular practise in sound recognition, sounding out and applying the sounds will really support your child’s ability to use these sounds when writing.
Story telling – Talking about and telling stories orally are key to being a good writer further up the school. Encourage your child to record an imaginative story as a part of their game – having a go at sounds as they write and using story language found within stories – such as ‘Once upon a time’, ‘next’, ‘then’, ‘after that’, ‘the end’.
Praise, praise, praise! – Development in writing is directly linked to a child’s confidence to‘have a go’, encourage and praise your child for their efforts, try not to use a rubber to erase mistakes – mistakes are important in building resilience and are key in learning how to write a word correctly.

10. The importance of home reading
Daily, regular reading at home is vital to your child’s writing development. The more they can read, the more they can write!
Encourage your child to sound out/blend the sounds independently when reading words.
Once they are able to recognise words without sounding out, encourage this to increase fluency.
Discussion about the book is a very important part of their development. Answering questions, making inferences and discussing what they have read will support them to reach the expected level for the end of Reception.
Children are moved to the next reading level after being assessed reading the Oxford Reading Tree books. Please make sure your child is regualrly reading these at home – not just the Rigby Star phonics books.

11. Thank you for coming. I hope this has been useful
Thank you for coming! I hope this has been useful. Please see me at the end if you have any questions 