Developing Early Phonics & Purposeful Writing

Children begin to use their phonics knowledge in meaningful, playful ways.

Children will:

• Learn to form some lowercase letters correctly

• Use the first sound they hear to label drawings (for example, s for snow)

• Try to spell simple words by sounding them out

• Use writing during play, such as making tickets, labels, menus or badges

• Write initial sounds to represent ideas in role play

• Show improved control of pencils and crayons

• Begin to write from left to right and top to bottom

Writing Words & Early Sentences

Children develop confidence in writing words and simple phrases.

Children will:

• Write simple words independently by sounding them out

• Write labels and short captions for pictures and models

• Begin to write short phrases using familiar sounds

• Record the main sounds they hear in longer words

• Start to leave spaces between words

• Experiment with common words such as I, the, to and go

• Use words and phrases from stories in their writing

Early Reading: Sounds & Blending

Children continue building early reading skills through phonics and storytelling.

Children will:

• Recognise most early letter sounds and some digraphs (two-letter sounds)

• Blend sounds together to read simple words

• Break words into sounds when speaking

• Begin to read simple captions

• Retell familiar stories in the correct order

• Use story language to describe characters and settings

• Show understanding of new vocabulary from stories

Reading Simple Words & Sentences

Children grow in confidence and enjoyment as early readers.

Children will:

• Recognise a wider range of letter sounds

• Read simple words and short sentences more independently

• Recognise some common “tricky” words

• Begin to read short books matched to their phonics knowledge

• Re-read favourite books to build fluency

• Talk about what they have read and answer simple questions

• Use pictures and text to predict what might happen next

Personal, Social & Emotional Development

We help children understand themselves and others.

Children will:

• Learn to respect others and understand different roles in the community

• Build confidence through role play and group activities

• Learn about safety and who to ask for help

• Practise turn-taking and sharing, especially during food activities

• Develop independence with self-care tasks such as handwashing