Early Literacy

All Parents want to help their child to read but sometimes it’s hard to know how to give the best support.

Pre-reading skills are very important and give a child a head start.Re telling a story,recognising rhyme and alliteration all help a child to tackle reading successfully.

Play games with alliteration (things which start with the same sound)

Sam likes sausagesLucy loves lolliesDan loves dinosaurs

Sing raps togetherand clap the beat as you sing

Ten dirty dogs came knocking at my doorKnocking at my doorKnocking at my door.Ten dirty dogs came knocking at my doorTil I said dirty dogs don’t do it any more.

Change the animal and think of something to go with the animal. After several goes your child will begin to get the idea.

Crawling crocodilesCheeky chimpsClever cats

Sharing and enjoying books together is the most important factor when learning to read and write. Children can learn all about rhyme through a good quality bedtime story.When you purchase books look for good quality rhyming texts.

Look for repetitive texts and rhyme.What’s in the fridge in the witch’s kitchen…….?What’s in the bowl in the witch’s kitchen ………?

Goblin’s WeeStrawberry Tea

Lizard’s fartCherry Tart

How do children learn to read?

They need to be immersed in a print rich environment where reading is valued.Let your child see you reading – (a magazine, the newspaper, your tablet, a book, a recipe, a set of instructions. Value books. Make sure that you set aside a time for a bedtime story, a family reading time.

When should we read

Every Day if you can.

Make it funReading is not just the school reading book.

Don’t make it a chore or a test.

Where should we read?

Cuddled up in bed

Sitting together in a comfy chair

On a walk together

In the bath

In the car At the Library

Anywhere, Any place.

Story books Picture Books

Non Fiction Books Dictionaries

Atlases Recipe Books

Catalogues Magazines

Comics Newspapers

Letters/Cards/Postcards

Labels/Packaging

Leaflets/Flyers Instructions/notices/signs

Street names Controls

Keep books in a special place.

What can we read together?

Variety is the Spice of LifeVary what you read to your child

Traditional TalesOnce upon a time They all lived happily ever afterRetell together

Nursery RhymesRhyme/alliterationChange the rhymeMake up silly jingles

Everyday Situations Outside the children’s experience

Stories with a message Other cultures

Interactive books

Read them again and again

Share your knowledge and enthusiasm

What can your child learn …..Book Language, punctuation, Book features

This is my favourite …can we read this one?I wonder…………………………………………………………………..

author illustrator

Publisher Barcode

Page numbers Pictures

Price Blurb

Ooh ….It says the author is……….Ooh … I think they use that in the shop when you buy the book.

Children also need:-Letter knowledge (the sound letters make to begin with)They need to be able to memorise some words which are very common – as it in on etc. They also need to be able to remember tricky words which do not sound like they look. Eg. said, where, they the.

How do we begin learning to read at school?We begin by playing with sounds.Your child needs to be able to hear the sounds in words.

Put objects/pictures in a bag which start with the sound sSausageSockShellSixSunAlso include sounds that start with a different letterCan they sort out the sounds into different groups according to which sound the item or picture begins with.

Play I spy

Shopping Basket GameChildren need to be able to blend sounds together and also chop up

sounds.

You will need a puppet/soft toyYou will also need a basket and a collection of the following items………….tin box pen sock shell bag sack egg ham mum dad cat dog fox pot rat hat map.You may think of more but you must be able to split them into short sounds.Eg t-i-n b-o-x b-oo-t

Your puppet /soft toy likes shopping. Show your child all the things one by one and place them on the floor in front of you.

The puppet can’t talk very well. Your child needs to listen carefully to see if they can understand what he is telling them to put in the shopping basket.

“Puppet would like you to put this item in the basket – listen carefully - b – o - xAfter a few goes ask your child if they would like to talk for the puppet. – much more difficult.

We teach the letter sounds a few at a time.So for example we begin with letters:- s atpWe stress how we say the sound.Is it a stretchy sound or a bouncy sound?We use the picture on the flashcard to help us remember the sound.We practise writing the sound in the air and saying a little jingle to help us remember the shape it makes.Only when we are really secure with those letter sounds do we begin to look at small groups of words using the letters we have learnt.

We say each letter in the word and then say it more quickly until we can blend it into the word.

Sat pat as at a tap

We learn the letters in small groups over several weeks/months depending on your child’s readiness.

s a t p

i n m d

g o c k

ck e u r

h b f ff l ll s ss

j v w x

y z zz qu

Games we play to reinforce letter knowledge and help your child to blend.

Hide a spider under the word card. Turn over cards and read the word until they find the spider. Then it is their go to hide the spider and your turn to read.

Bingo

Musical Bumps - cards on mats. Music stops. They sit on a mat and read the card that is on that mat.

Skittles. Words on the bottles. Knock over and read.

Hop scotch - words in each square. They land on a word and read it out.

We will learn Tricky Words in this order a few at a time, as and when your child is ready.

Your child needs to memorise these words – they cannot be sounded out.

no go totheIhesheme

webewasmyyoutheyherall

High Frequency words we will be learning

Your child needs to be able to recognise these words quickly and be able to read them quickly.

aanasatitinisifofoffoncandad

hadbackandgetbighimhisnotgotupmumbutput

willthatthisthenthemwithseefornowdownlooktoo

Hoping that you find the information helpful.

Remember to ask if you are unsure about anything.

We are here to help. Your support will make all the difference to your child, but only if your child is ready.