The Early Years Foundation Stage says:
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).
Literacy
RAFAKidz will provide an environment, which is rich in language and builds children’s early literacy skills. RAFAKidz use the Department for Education’s (DfE) Letters and Sounds Programme to help children develop their speaking and listening skills. The team will draw the youngest children’s attention to the different sounds they can hear in the environment, preparing the way towards differentiating between letter sounds.
The team will ensure there is a core set of accessible books, which can be enjoyed by all children so that they start to develop a real love for books and reading as they move on. RAFAKidz expects team members to use group time to introduce children to new stories.
Each room will have a well-equipped quiet space, which can be used to tell a wide variety of stories with puppets and props.
Throughout the day, there will be many opportunities for our youngest children to pick up crayons and pencils and many other media to make marks on paper. Team members will support children as they grow in learning the correct way to hold pens and pencils. RAFA Kidz will include examples of purposeful writing in the children’s activities such as making shopping lists or writing appointments in role-play. Team members will label children’s drawing and creations with what they have said so that they start to understand that print carries meaning.
There are many opportunities for children to learn their names and start to recognise the written form. The management team will liaise with local schools to find out their preferred methods for writing, so that they can prepare children well. By the time children leave the nursery to go to school, they will be able to recognise and find their own name. Many will be able to write or copy their name and other simple words.
