Intent

In EYFS, it is crucial for children to develop a life-long love of reading. Reading consists of two dimensions: language comprehension and word reading. Language comprehension (necessary for both reading and writing) starts from birth. It only develops when adults talk with children about the world around them and the books (stories and non-fiction) they read with them, and enjoy rhymes, poems and songs together. Skilled word reading, taught later, involves both the speedy working out of the pronunciation of unfamiliar printed words (decoding) and the speedy recognition of familiar printed words. Writing involves transcription (spelling and handwriting) and composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech, before writing).

The Early Learning Goal for Literacy aims to ensure that all pupils, by the end of Reception:

Develop their understanding of Comprehension so that they can:

- Demonstrate understanding of what has been read to them by retelling stories and narratives using their own words and recently introduced vocabulary.

- Anticipate – where appropriate – key events in stories.

- Use and understand recently introduced vocabulary during discussions about stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems and during role-play.

Develop their understanding of Word Reading so that they can:

- Say a sound for each letter in the alphabet and at least 10 digraphs.

- Read words consistent with their phonic knowledge by sound-blending.

- Read aloud simple sentences and books that are consistent with their phonic knowledge, including some common exception words.

Develop their understanding of Writing so that they can:

- Write recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed.

- Spell words by identifying sounds in them and representing the sounds with a letter or letters.

- Write simple phrases and sentences that can be read by others.

Through our EYFS curriculum at Saint Patrick’s, we aim to ensure that our children develop their knowledge and skills so that they have the secure foundations needed to achieve well in reading and writing throughout school.

Our curriculum aims to ensure that pupils: 

• Can understand what is read to them and show their understanding through retelling stories in their own words.
• Can anticipate key events in stories.
• Can use and understand a range of new vocabulary in their discussions about stories, non-fiction books, poems and rhymes and during role play.
• Can say a sound for each letter of the alphabet and recognise at least 10 digraphs.
• Can read words consistent with their phonic knowledge.
• Can read aloud simple sentences and books consistent with their phonic knowledge and including some common exception words.
• Can write recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed.
• Can spell words by identifying the sounds in them and representing the sounds with a letter or letters.
• Can write simple sentences that can be read by others.

Implementation

We recognise that we have children at differing stages of development in their Literacy and we seek to provide suitable learning opportunities throughout our EYFS by matching the challenge of the task to the child’s ability. We achieve this by:

• Setting open-ended tasks which can have a variety of responses.
• Providing a range of resources and learning experiences of different complexity depending on the stage of development of the child.
• Using different levels of questioning to develop understanding.
• Modelling and scaffolding learning in different ways.

Impact

At Saint Patrick’s, we believe that the welcoming, respectful environment, enriched in Catholic morals and teachings, continues to enhance the educational and pastoral experience of every individual passing through our doors, to ensure that they develop and become well-rounded individuals within the community, with the ambition to reach their potential and succeed.

We recognise the unique needs of each child and support them in developing the whole child. We have a supportive ethos and our approaches support the children in developing both their collaborative and independent skills. The impact of our teaching of Literacy is measured in the experiences, confidence and competence of our children within this area of learning. We ensure children receive the experiences they require, both within and beyond the curriculum, to develop their skills and knowledge and become confident in their understanding of phonics, reading and writing.