1. Primary
Literacy

2. Emergent Literacy 
The skills children require before they are ready to read and write. This can include:
fine motor skills (holding a pencil)
interest in texts ('reading' - following picture clues)
mark making (beginning to 'write' and explain what they have written) 
phonological awareness (beginning to hear and recognise the different sounds letters make)
Margaret
Fine motor activities – tracing over shapes, lines, cutting activities, threading boards, using tweezers to move objects to develop pincer grip. Don’t worry if you child isn’t at the stage of forming the letters correctly.
At this moment we are using our common words in a piece of writing alongside a BLD

3. Ways to develop early Literacy skills
Shared reading – children able to see an adult modeling how a book works. Developing an understanding that the letters have a meaning. 
Finger Gym Areas – different tasks aimed at improving fine motor skills 
Mark making areas – children able to 'write' in their own time. Discussing what they have written. Developing an understanding that texts carry meaning. 
Writing in context – during role play (taking an order in a restaurant) children can see the purpose of writing, why do we write. 

4. Active Literacy Phonics
Phonics is taught in an interactive manner using a multi-sensory approach that provides:
*An order for the teaching of phonics
*Guidance on consolidation
*A wide range of activities
Phonics is taught daily and introduced through Jolly Phonics.  
Two new sounds a week with a consolidation week regularly to revise the previous sounds . All sounds have actions – ask your child or see sound booklet. (This will be sent home shortly)
Sounds not letters, eg. ssssss not ‘es’
 Examples of resources used -Magnetic boards and alphabet overlays
Jolly Phonics

5. s a t p i n Task Example Can you find these sounds:
Put them on your alphabet board
With your ‘Shoulder Partner’ say and check the sounds are correctly placed.
Margaret
In the letter box at your table we would like you to find the letters in bold. These are the letters your child has learned so far in Primary 1. With your shoulder partner – check you have found them and placed them correctly on the alphabet overlay.

6. Blending
Use knowledge of sounds to begin blending and reading simple words, eg. sat
Follows on from learning and securely identifying the initial sounds.
Blending is the process of saying the individual sounds in a word and then running them together to make the word e.g. c- a-t makes cat.
It is a technique that every child will learn and it improves with frequent practice.
Some children take longer than others to hear this. 
SAY MAKE/BREAK BLEND READ WRITE

7. Common Words
Along with the learning of sounds most children will be introduced to 3 new common words each week. These words may not necessarily follow the blending method and are sometimes called sight words. For example ‘the’, ‘I’, ‘me’
Runs hand in hand with spelling and writing.
Children learn these sight words by repetition 
Please practise these words your child takes home on a regular basis. Regular practice is key, but not a chore! 
Play games with them etc. If your child is struggling to learn them don’t worry – children all learn at different times. It will come!

8. Active Literacy Reading
Reading is taught throughout the week, this can be learning and revising common words, games to reinforce sounds and new words, a variety of books,  and reading tasks related to books already read.
Take time to share books, not just ‘hear’ reading
Clues – picture, shape of word, sounding out, context
It is important to read and understand the text and both are vital skills to progress in this area.
Books – variety of both fiction and non fiction.

9. Writing Writing takes place daily in the classroom. This can be:
Daily writing e.g. phonics, handwriting
Taught writing e.g. introducing new skills and writing for a purpose this will also include black line drawings
Learning Across the Curriculum e.g. opportunities to write in many curricular areas eg Writing Tables
Margaret
Daily – any phonics, handwriting, making common words, spelling
Taught – writing for purpose. In the canteen I…. At school I ….
WATC – RME, health, Topic

10. An example from the Writing Table
As you can see the common words are nearly spelt correctly. Child has sounded out the word and written what they can hear.

11. Teaching Literacy Summary
Ensuring children have Emergent Literacy Skills. 
Teaching specific letter understanding through daily phonics sessions. 
Ensuring children can blend letter sounds together which will lead into reading.
Explicitly teaching common words that do not follow usual spelling rules. 
 Children progressing from mark makers to independent writers by applying their skills learned within phonics lessons.