EYFS workshop

1. EYFS workshop Communication, reading, writing, phonics

2. Writing makes many demands: the complexity of writing The complexity of writing can seem overwhelming because it draws upon a mix of knowledge, skills and attitudes all at once: knowledge of the purpose of writing and the different ways writing can be represented, a range of skills, and a willingness and interest in ‘having a go’ at writing. A writer needs to: • Understand what the writing is for, its purpose, which could be to make someone feel happy, to give information, to explain something, to be able to make something have some sense of who the writing is for, the audience, which could be the teachers, a friend, Mum, Dad, brother, sister, a character in a book • Gather ideas, thinking about what they want to write draw upon a store of words and ideas • Have sufficiently well developed motor control of their arm, wrist, hand and fingers to hold a pencil effectively, controlling its movement and forming letters,. • Know about the purpose and organisation of print, the alphabetic code and words as units of meaning • Know about and use letter-sound relationships for writing • Write a few, then an increasing number of those tricky words which are essential for fluent writing, e.g. is, was, the • Be able to place an idea, action, or statement within a sentence • Use the conventional features of different genres: list, label, letter, caption.

3. Getting children speaking listening and understanding. CL ( communication and language) Children at the end of the foundation stage are expected to: Listening and attention • Early Learning Goal Children listen attentively in a range of situations. Theylisten to stories, accurately anticipating key events andrespond to what they hear with relevant comments,questions or actions. They give their attention to whatothers say and respond appropriately, while engaged in another activity. Understanding • Early Learning Goal Children follow instructions involving several ideas oractions. They answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions abouttheir experiences and in response to stories or events. Speaking • Early Learning Goal Children express themselves effectively, showing awareness of listeners’ needs. They use past, present and future forms accurately when talking about events that have happened or are to happen in the future. They develop their own narratives and explanations by connecting ideas or events.

4. Activity • Syllable clapping names • Chinese whispers.

5. What can you do at home to support this? • Say your child's name when giving them an instruction. • When giving them an instruction ensure they have understood. Repeat back what you have asked. • Read stories and support children to think about what might happen. Read repetitive books. • Say a list of four words (e.g. cat, shoe, dog, rabbit) for the children to listen to and say which is the odd one out. • Ask your children to listen and either draw or colour specific things e.g. draw a line under the house. Draw big ears on a head. Colour the balloon pink. • For a quieter game play Chinese Whispers. This will increase their listening skills. • Sound lotto games. • Sequencing stories • http://www.ican-dev.org.uk/games/WTD.html

6. Reading At the end of reception children are expected to: • Early Learning Goal Children read and understand simple sentences. They use phonic knowledge to decode regular words and read them aloud accurately. They also read some common irregular words. They demonstrate understanding • Children develop at different rates. They may appear to make slow progress but suddenly things will begin to click into place. • 4 main skills and attitudes we want children to develop. • Love of books Try and read a bed time story every evening and make story time a special calm cosy time. Seeing you reading will also show them how enjoyable reading is. • Knowing how a book works. (BIG BOOK) • 3 letter recognition (Phonics) • Blending and segmenting

7. Development of reading • Child can hear the word when sounded out. • Children can hear the word if an adult sounds it out. (If they do it often they say it to slow and cant put the sounds together. • Child can sound out the word independently. • Blending becomes so fast and automatic that they look at the word and are able to know what it says

8. Writing • Early Learning Goal Children use their phonic knowledge to write wordsin ways which match their spoken sounds. They alsowrite some irregular common words. They write simplesentences which can be read by themselves andothers. Some words are spelt correctly and others arephonetically plausible.

11. Time for a brew!!!

12. How are we going to achieve this? Phonics Writing sessions Modelling Writing opportunities in the continuous provision. Make labels for models they have built. Write a shopping list in the home corner. Story times Individual reading Guided reading

13. Phonics We learn 42 letter sounds in a specific order. S,a,t,p,i,n,m,d,g,o,c,k,ck,e,u,r,h,b,f,ff,l,ll,ss J,v,w,x,y,z,zz,qu,ch,sh,th,ng,ai,ee,igh,oa,oi,oo,oo,ow,ar,air,ear,er,ur,or,ure. We follow a government led scheme called letters and sounds, although we also use Jolly Phonics to support children to learn in a multi sensory way. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djz82FBYiug Children learn the letter sounds then use these letter sounds and their corresponding graphemes to blend and segment words.

14. Tricky words/high frequency words There are however some words which we cant sound out! These words are not decodable. Flash cards Writing them Making them on the fridge (Sheet in pack)

15. Blending and segmenting When beginning readers sound out words, they slowly say each sound in a word (c-a-t), and then say the sounds quickly together to "read" the word (cat). In reading, teachers call this blending because sounds are being blended together. Blending (combining sounds) and segmenting (separating sounds) are skills that are necessary for learning to read and write.

17. Activity • Objective: to be able to blend and identify a word that is stretched out into its component sounds. • Materials needed: Picture cards of objects : sun, bell, fan, flag, snake, tree, book, cup, clock, plane • Activity: Place a small number of picture cards in front of children. Tell them you are going to say a word using "Snail Talk" a slow way of saying words (e.g., /fffffllllaaaag/). They have to look at the pictures and guess the word you are saying. It is important to have the children guess the answer in their head so that everyone gets an opportunity to try it. Alternate between having one child identify the word and having all children say the word aloud in chorus to keep children engaged.

18. Robot arms • Show the children the picture and they chop it up. • Cat, pin, fan, pan, dog,

19. Access to a magnetic letters on the fridge • Put a word or phrase on the fridge using magnetic letters, it’s surprising how this attracts children to respond, and compose some words of their own. • Write lists at home, label cupboards and things in the house. • Use post it notes.

20. Activities • Magnetic letters and a board ( write 3 cvc words) • Sand (write 3 cvc words) • Wipe boards/phoneme frames. (write 3 cvc words) • Make the words with post its.

21. Writing a caption There are many skills involved in writing which we take for granted because we have been doing it for so long. But for the children there is a lot to learn. • Deciding what to write before they begin • Where to start • Remember what the first word was • Leave a space between the words • Where to go when you reach the end of the line • Read back the sentence did it make sense? Did I miss any words out. • Caption cards. Model how to write a caption.

22. PD • Children show good control and co-ordination in large and small movements. They move confidently in a range of ways, safely negotiating space. They handle equipment and tools effectively, including pencils for writing.

23. Fine motor activities Go through activity sheet. Do handwriting exercises Use dough to show that they can make letters Use the rainbow box/sand to practice letters. Holding the pencil correctly. (sheet)

24. Physical Development 8-20 months • Holds pen or crayon using a whole hand (palmar) grasp and makes random marks with different strokes. Physical Development 22-36 months • beginning to use three fingers (tripod grip) to hold writing tools. Physical Development 30-50 months • Holds pencil between thumb and two fingers, no longer using whole hand grasp. Physical Development 30-50 months • Holds pencil near point between first two fingers and thumb and uses it with good control. Physical Development 40-60+ months • Uses a pencil and holds it effectively to form recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed

25. Letter formation • Long ladder letters i, l,t,j,u,y • Curly caterpillar letters c,o,a,d,g,q,e,f,s, • One armed robot letters h,n,m,r,b,p,k, • Zigzag monsters v,w,x,z, • Sky writing • Using a toy car in flour • Water and brushes outside • Paint • Chalks