Observation and Assessment of Learning for Literacy

 

 

Primary Literacy Resource

 

Observation and

Assessment of

Learning for Literacy

Foundation Stage

Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards

 

 


Ensuring a Firm Foundation

The Foundation Stage provides teachers and children with the opportunity to develop and build on the skills necessary for communication in all its forms – Talking and Listening, Reading and

Writing and to lay a firm foundation for future learning.

Provided with the full range of literacy approaches and experiences most children will make the progress outlined in the Progression Statements in Language and Literacy in the Foundation

Stage. However children learn at different rates and in different ways and these statements should be regarded as a guide to expected achievement. Often children simply require more time to consolidate learning and we need to be wary of labelling children as underachieving at this stage. It is therefore essential to continually observe, assess and record children’s progress and to use the information gained to plan and focus short-term learning.

A small percentage of children in the Foundation Stage may give cause for concern. They may come to school with underdeveloped oracy, e.g. poor listening skills, limited vocabulary and difficulty expressing themselves. It is imperative that time is taken to extend their experiences and develop their understanding, giving them the vocabulary to talk about what they have seen and done. This MUST become part of their literacy learning. It is essential to their development as readers and writers.

It is not time wasted . It is the foundation on which to build!

‘Language and Literacy in the Foundation Stage’ states that children should be working in guided reading groups by the first term in Year 2. Most children will achieve this. However there may be a group of children who are ‘almost there’. They have the pieces of the jigsaw but need further tightly focused support to connect their learning.

Some children may be identified as low achieving with a variety of difficulties which may include literacy and will need more focused additional in-school support.

Each step of the teaching, learning and assessment cycle depends on and builds on the other.

The teacher identifies and plans the approaches to use to develop knowledge, skills and understanding, scaffolds and assesses the learning and teaching, thus enabling the children to make connections and progress. Teachers should plan and record many assessment opportunities which will build to give a detailed profile of the child, identifying current learning and the next steps.

Our aim should be that all children enter KS1 as confident in their talking and listening, reading and writing. In response to teacher questions about observation and assessment in the foundation years the attached progression document provides a framework for all the information outlined in the relevant booklets in ‘Language and Literacy in the Foundation Stage’. It may be used to support literacy planning but does not necessarily cover the extent of the possible tasks and assessment opportunities.


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Inter-ELB Primary Literacy Resource

Observation and Assessment of Learning for Literacy

TALKING AND LISTENING

Year 1-2

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 be able to listen attentively to a range of stimuli



By the end of Year 1 most children will:

be able to listen to and carry out instructions

 be able to answer questions, e.g.

to give information and ask questions

to find information or seek an explanation.

 be able to talk about personal experiences

 be able to retell stories in sequence

 give an opinion on a story or event

 know a wide-range of rhymes, poems and songs

Children should have opportunities to:

 listen to a range of interesting and varied resources, e.g. music, poetry, stories, using various media (radio/CD’s);

 listen for a variety of purposes.

[Language and Literacy in the Foundation Stage

Framework page 3]

Participate in activities which require them to:

 listen carefully, give and use relevant information;

 listen, recall and carry out simple instructions.

 participate in modelled and shared activities

Experiences throughout the Year which focus on the different forms of questioning to gain, clarify or confirm information and explore ideas

[‘Right there’ and ‘Think about’ questions.]

 participate in activities which enable them to use oral language to observe, predict, sequence, reason and verbalise their thoughts.

Exemplar Follow-up Tasks

 listen to stories, e.g. as preparation for drama

 listen to music as a stimulus for imaginative response.

 listen to and identify:

sounds in the environment;

a short series of sounds.

Play a range of listening games, e.g.

 barrier games

 Simon Says

 listen and do

 sequencing patterns

 using Bee-bot

 Interview/question a puppet/character from a familiar story.

 Ask questions about a photograph/ picture.

Exemplar Spontaneous or

Planned Assessment

Opportunities

[demonstration and evaluation of learning]

Children will

 make a personal response through music/art/ movement/drama/story telling

 accurately follow an instruction and give a simple instruction

 make relevant responses and ask questions which will provide them with the information they want







use pictures to create stories

select and read/say rhymes or poems

use story boxes to create or re-create stories and events

 work with talking partners. Find simple solutions to problems.

 choose and use resources that stimulate discussion about personal experiences





take an active part in story telling/story reading

talk about and make connections between their own experiences and those of others or of characters in stories


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Experiences throughout the Year Exemplar Follow-up Tasks

 be able to express some thoughts, ideas and feelings, e.g. through drama

 be able to listen to others and respond, demonstrating some social conventions, e.g. eye contact, turn taking

 engage in spontaneous and directed role play independently and with teacher/adult in role, developing creativity through imaginative play and extending their learning through dramatic play

 listen to the views and ideas of others

 participate in modelled and shared whole class or small group discussions in a variety of contexts which focus on the appropriate social courtesies, e.g.

greeting;

apologising;

thanking someone;

accepting/giving invitations.

 recognise some words that rhyme.

 be able to generate rhyme, eg. rhyming strings ‘hat’, ‘fat’, ‘sat’

 show some awareness of the structure of words by recognising syllables and sounds within words

 participate in modelled and shared activities which:

reinforce the patterning in spoken language and begin to make links between speech sounds and written letters;

explore the structure of words and how to break words into manageable chunks.

[Language and Literacy in the Foundation

Stage page 3]

 make and use puppets/props/ ’small world’ toys for story related drama activities

 act out scenarios [e.g. an imaginary journey]

 use voice and mime to express character feelings in response to problems

In small groups:

 Role play situations related to children’s experiences, e.g.

home/family

school

doctors

garage

baby clinic

 with talking partners talk about a range of topics or problem solve to complete task

A range of activities requiring children to:

 listen

 clap

 sort

 select

(Ref: Phonological Awareness and Talking and Listening booklets - Language and

Literacy in the Foundation Stage)



Opportunities


Children will

 demonstrate thoughts, ideas and feelings through actions and language

 know how to take turns in role

 participate in pairs/groups using appropriate verbal and non-verbal means of communication

 respond accurately to games and activities


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




listen with increasing attentiveness and for longer periods of time

listen to and carry out more complex instructions

 express themselves with increasing clarity and confidence, using a wider vocabulary and more complex sentence structure


 watch, listen and respond to media texts/talking books/tapes/television programmes;

 talk in pairs/groups on a range of contexts.

 listen to others sharing experiences or reporting back.


Stage Page 3]

Engage in activities which require them to:

 listen and recall a series of instructions;

 ask questions for clarification;

 play oral memory games.



Experiences throughout the Year

talk about their work, play and things they have made

 participate in a range of activities which require them to explain what needs to be done and give reasons for their choices, actions or needs


Listen with attention in order to:

 create a joint story map/mind map

 contribute to displays

 explore themes and ideas in stories

 plan classroom activities, e.g. linked to a topic or area of play

Follow a sequence of instructions to complete activities, e.g.

 sequence patterns

 play table top games.

Give instructions to complete activities, e.g.

 give directions (using Bee-bot)

 describe steps to complete a simple construction

 discover and describe variations in pictures.

Compare and contrast.

 sort and classify pictures, photos, 3D materials discussing and explaining their attributes

 participate in a range of language activities to develop comprehension skills, e.g. through drama, role play, music, literature to make a personal response or solve problems

Children will





Opportunities


Demonstrate active listening through relevant questions and comments.

 successfully complete independent tasks which require active listening and a definitive response

 speak fluently in a range of situations using relevant vocabulary for the purpose


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 understand and use social convention in conversations and child initiated interactions

 be able to retell stories, events or personal experiences in sequence with reasonable detail

 offer reasons to support opinions given





 engage with a wide range of interesting and stimulating books to familiarise themselves with the structures and language features of texts

 retell familiar stories or personal events, adding detail, e.g. using who, what, where, when, why



initiate and engage in conversations taking turns with adults or other children

share materials and ideas

have opportunities to listen, share, discuss and exchange views in order to extend ideas.

 sharing ideas with a partner

 paired/small group activities

 sorting activities [open or closed].

 problem solving activities [e.g. jigsaws/ construction/puzzles].

.

 recall a story using pictures, props or prompts

 retell a story in drama, through music or movement

As a group

 create or retell a story or participate in a scene with teacher narration

 make ‘sound story’ for stories/poems

 make ‘sound tracks’ for themes/topics in activity based learning

 work with talking partner or groups to discuss situations or scenarios, real or imagined, e.g. presents for Red Riding

Hood’s Grandma ; materials for 3 pigs to protect their homes

 make and use classification charts.

(Ref: Talking and Listening booklet

Language and Literacy in the Foundation

Stage)



Opportunities


Children will:

 sustain a conversation – spontaneous and planned

 taking turns as speaker and listener with peers and adults

 show evidence of logical, sequenced retells and includes details of who, what, where, when, why

 participate in group discussion using the language of thinking , e.g. “I think ____ because I saw/ I did/it says, . . . etc.]


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READING

Year 1-2

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Key Elements of Emergent Literacy Leading to Guided Work

These elements of literacy run in parallel and should always be well planned, focused, observed, assessed and recorded.

Phonological

Awareness

Visual

Awareness

Environmental

Print

Listening to

Stories

Modelled

Reading &

Writing

Shared

Reading &

Writing

Emerging

Independent

Reading &

Writing

Guided

Reading &

Writing

Developing auditory memory and skills

Developing visual memory of pattern and shape

Developing an active, print rich environment where children see and make meaning from words, phrases, sentences in a wide range of contexts

To motivate and stimulate imagination and extend vocabulary and ideas through talking and listening

Focusing on all strategies necessary for reading and writing

Enabling the children to

‘take-a-risk’ and become comfortable and confident in using their knowledge, skills and understanding

Children will

‘have-a-go’.

Teacher will closely observe, assess and record

Scaffolded learning working on texts at instructional level for reading [see

Language and Literacy in the

Foundation

Stage]

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 understand that print has meaning and that meaning does not change and that the printed word remains constant

 can browse in order to choose a book.

 retell stories from memory or by using pictures or props, oral prompts, memory

 make predictions about what will happen next

 make links between own experiences and the text



 enjoy a range of stories, poems and nonfiction texts read to them by adults/other children

 share a wide range of books with parents/carers

 recognise the purpose of printed and handwritten words in a variety of settings

(e.g. stories, notes, labels, signs, notices, letters, lists, directions, comics)

 distinguish between print and pictures

 see words can be written down to be read again

 see the same words written in a range of contexts

 use title, cover, blurb and illustrations to predict type of text and content

 use books to find out about things that interest them




Read

independent reading material (easy reads)

wall stories

poems from poetry box

 follow taped stories or use animated software, for example, Living Books or story websites

 use story sacks.

 ‘Read around the room’- environmental print.



Opportunities


Children will:

 assign a constant message to familiar texts

 talk about how story book language works and use when retelling stories (e.g. “Once upon a time……”, “She lived in a little ……”, he replied)

 participate during play and role play in a variety of situations and scenarios both familiar and imaginative

 use pictures and text, e.g. stories, lists, information books, to make predictions

 talk about personal experiences and background knowledge to help make sense of text

 browse in book corner, select from book boxes/read stories to friends or toys

 use a big book in pairs or small groups

Retell stories using:

 puppet play

 story boxes

 sequence pictures, e.g.

- a series

select pictures to complete a sequence

draw to complete a sequence

 role play a scenario based on a known book

 create a story, e.g. using a story box

 using a picture and/or simple text give ideas and opinions on what might happen next

 make their own books

 choose to read for a variety of purposes

 talk about the choices they have made

 give main ideas in order

Children

 say what might happen in a story or situation with reference to own experiences.


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 an copy, follow, initiate and maintain a steady beat of increasingly complex movement

 show some awareness that words are made up of sounds and syllables

 understand that sounds are represented by letters

 show an awareness of the sounds at the beginning, middle and end of a word




Opportunities


 demonstrate attention and listening skills.

 engage in activities which develop steady beat, e.g.

 children match steady beat to verbal instruction

 ‘Watch and Copy’


Stage Phonological Awareness pg 2/3].

 engage in a programme of phonological awareness

 develop an understanding of the sound structure of language :

 auditory discrimination and memory

 rhyme awareness

 syllable awareness

 develop the concept of a word , both oral and written

 be able to segment, blend and manipulate phonemes orally

 develop the concepts of first, in the middle, last, same, different

 develop visual discrimination including the concept of letter shapes



 explore letter shapes –lower and upper case

 use terms ‘word’ and’ letter’ correctly

 make connections between sounds and letters

 use knowledge of sound symbol correspondence to help decode words

 talk about ways that unknown words can be read. e.g. using picture cues, contextual cues, sound cues

 encourage children to explore movements to accompany steady beat

(See Language and Literacy in

Foundation Stage)

Engage children in a range of activities to develop:


 visual discrimination and memory

 rhyme awareness


See Phonological awareness - Language and

Literacy in Foundation Stage.

Ref: A Sound Start ( Linguistic Phonics)

 blend and segment words

 build ‘cvc’ words

 match ‘cvc ‘words/phrases to pictures

 sort letter shapes

 identify position of sounds in words

Demonstrate understanding of:


 visual discrimination and memory

 rhyme awareness


 sound symbol correspondence

Apply sound symbol correspondence when reading.

Children will:


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Opportunities


 read from a familiar text, tracking text accurately.



 Use context and syntax to make predictions about words.

 Use prior knowledge and pictures to make sense of text.



develop concepts of print

recognise some familiar words in context

 track the text in the right order:

page by page

left to right

top to bottom and

making one-to-one correspondence between written and spoken words

 use capital letters for:

the start of their own names

those of characters in books

the start of sentences

 develop the concept of a sentence – that it is a group of words that make sense;

 distinguish between the end of a sentence and the end of a line.

 encounter new words in modelled and shared reading

 listen to a wide range of genre being read

 adult involvement in role play, drama and discussion with children.

 develop visual memory and discrimination

 read texts at independent level (including their own writing/ books)

 engage with a print rich environment

 identify features in texts

 highlight a specific feature, e.g. on acetate sheet/interactive whiteboard

 participate in relevant aspects during shared reading and writing

 sentence building, e.g. ‘washing line’ activity

 sorting activities, e.g. words beginning with a capital letter and those without; words-letters

 rearrange jumbled sentences

 role play linked to stories and poems, using appropriate props

 engage with a selection of unfamiliar texts

 suggest missing words in a simple oral cloze

Read







picture captions

refrains.

character names

 bold print, italic print, speech bubbles

 familiar texts

 ‘read round the room’ – environmental print

 talk about stories, events and situations using appropriate vocabulary related to the experience

 attempt to work out unfamiliar words

Children will:

 be able to locate and read some significant parts of the text [books, environmental print etc …].


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 understand and use some language associated with books

 understand the purpose of environmental print

 be aware of the features in written language

 follow pictorial instructions

 recognise different types of text


 [through modelled and shared reading] talk about and use terms about books and print correctly, (book, cover, beginning, end, page, line, word, title, author, illustrator, speech bubble

 handle books correctly

 engage within a print rich environment with a wide range of written material which give information or instructions.

Read:

 ‘Easy reads’

 books about same topic

 books by same author

 participate in setting up book displays

 ‘read the walls’

 follow pictorial/written instructions

 create labels/instructions for wall displays and different areas, e.g. role play area, writing table, construction area

 read familiar texts

 talk about features of text, with a partner, e.g. exclamation marks, speech bubbles

[Through modelled and shared experiences]

 explore features in written language, e.g. directionality, spaces between words, bold print, speech bubbles

 explore punctuation in written language, e.g. exclamation marks, question marks, capital letters and full stops

 talk about why a sentence ends with a full stop

 talk about why we use a question mark

 follow and give simple instructions in a range of everyday situations

 look and talk about a variety of texts, differently e.g. stories, lists, information books

 hear how they are read differently

 enjoy a range of computer-generated texts, e.g. Clicker, interactive books on CD Rom

Follow pictorial instructions to:

 play board games

 play simple singing, rhyming games

 make a model, mask, puppet, etc.

 make and read e.g. own stories, lists, notices, labels for something they have made, drawn, painted.

 talk about the differences between poem/rhymes, cartoons/ photographs



Opportunities


 demonstrate their knowledge when talking about books in a wide range of day to day situations.

 recognise and respond to print or symbols in the environment

 demonstrate knowledge of text features when joining in or reading from familiar texts (e.g. speaking loudly for bold print)

Children will:

 follow a simple sequence of pictures to complete a task

 notice and identify different types of texts in the classroom


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 talk about what has been read and say what they have enjoyed or found out using an increased vocabulary

 join in rhymes and stories.

 talk about stories, e.g. characters, favourite part, beginning, middle, end

 explore and use the language from various texts

 listen to the language the teacher uses when discussing texts and begin to use to use an enriched vocabulary in their own responses

 actively engage with texts in a variety of ways, e.g. story boxes, role play, dramatisation

 participate in story innovations (changing characters, setting, Goldilocks visiting the classroom at break time)

 sequence scenes, wall stories, story maps,

 match pictures or props to characters

 illustrate, make models, dramatise



Opportunities


 demonstrate their understanding of stories, events and characters

 share preferences

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 talk about own experiences and feelings to help them understand the text, e.g.

“Mummy bear will be cross because my mummy was cross when my chair was broken”

 give reasons for opinion

 give reasons for their predictions



 tap into prior knowledge/experience, e.g. through rich story introduction, using pictures and props,

 make links to personal/previous experience

 highlight cause and effect

 engage in modelled/shared experiences listening to the opinions of others;

 look for clues in illustrations and text

 use the language of thinking “I think … because …”.

 use a variety of strategies to predict stories or events, e.g.

draw on background knowledge

ask questions “Why do you think that

…?” “How do you know?”

 give reasons for predictions made, using pictures and text

 contribute to group or paired talk about stories

 use pictures/props to enhance their understanding of the text, e.g. create a scene from the story or illustrate what is going to happen next

 sort objects/pictures, etc. in a variety of ways explaining and explaining choices

 make close observations of pictures and photographs, give interpretations of what they notice

 answer different types of questions (‘right there’, ‘think and search’ and ‘on my own’

 select true/false statements

 Answer ‘think and search’ and ‘on my own’. questions

 Use different clues to support predictions, e.g. pictures, text, own experiences

 Cause and effect activities, e.g. matching pictures, selecting the most likely option, drawing or acting out what is going to happen



Opportunities


Children will:

 answer and give reasons to

‘thinking’ questions, .e.g.

‘How would you feel if …?’

‘Why do you think …?’

‘How did you feel when …?’

 give own ideas and reasons

 contribute to discussion generated by ‘prediction questions’, e.g.

‘What do you think the problem is?’

‘What do you think happens next?’

 find evidence by reading or identifying appropriate clues


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 choose books for a specific purpose

 read and use environmental print within the school


 transfer understanding to new situations by making connections, e.g. talk about how a character might react in a different situation such as

Red Riding Hood in the shopping centre

 extend understanding by exploring feelings and making connections

 clarify meaning by commenting and answering questions

 build up a picture of a character

 explore a simple theme/plot

 participate in story innovations


 engage in story innovation – changing one aspect, e.g. character, setting, ending

 create story map or simple timeline of own story

 dramatise /role play created stories

 create a story box.



Opportunities


Children will:

 generate new stories or outcomes based on stories read

 engage in problem solving activities around a familiar theme or story, e.g. ‘Pretend you are a Troll. What would you like to do at Troll Town

Fun Park?’

 select appropriate material for a specific purpose (i.e. books/pictures) and give reasons for choices

 choose books for specific topics

 use title, blurb cover and illustrations to predict type of text and read to confirm

 begin to locate information in a variety of ways, e.g. using a contents page

 engage in activities around a topic using the planning board to state what they already know and identify what they want to find out

 become familiar and engage with a wide range of uses for environmental print

 categorise books on different topics/themes

 talk about the choices they make

 find answers to simple questions

 write and read labels and notices for every day activities/routines [vary these frequently]

 use flyers, posters, etc. in play situations

 respond appropriately to familiar and unfamiliar environmental texts.


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 retell and sequence stories, in reasonable detail, using appropriate language, e.g.

“After a while …”, “Soon after

…”.

 use extended vocabulary when discussing text, retelling stories or in their emergent writing

 begin to identify different genres, e.g. instructions, fairy tales, recount, reports

 begin to recognise specific features of some genres, e.g. characters and setting in a story; the sequence of instructions

 read and follow simple instructions


 retell stories during shared sessions

 identify and discuss key features of story language

 exposure to a rich vocabulary during modelled and shared reading

 explore and discuss the language used in a range of texts

 become familiar with the language used in a range of genre

 explore words with similar meanings

 explore the features of different genre

 have opportunities to compare stories in order to recognise similarities/differences in a range of story types [fairy tale, animal stories]

 identify key features of some forms of genre [e.g. letter, list, instructions]

 engage in activities which require following instructions [oral/written] across the curriculum


 retell stories giving the main points in sequence

 practise reading and using the story language from books, media texts, round the walls

 re-enact stories in various ways.

 use story boxes, puppets, role plays

 talk about the characters, setting, and events in a story

 identify speech in stories

 engage in role play/hot seating

 find words for an interesting words chart e.g.

“These words are made for talking”

 read and engage with books and poetry around a topic, theme, events, and authors

 draw or role-play characters

 create models/illustrations of settings

 choose an appropriate form during play, or linked to a topic, e.g. caption, label, list, greeting card

 follow oral/written instructions in PE.

 read instructions to play simple word/number games.

 read/write instructions to make something



Opportunities


Children will:

 retell a story in chronological order

 using descriptive language when retelling

 use some alternative interesting words in their talking or writing about personal events or stories e.g. big - enormous said - whispered shouted

 talk about the purpose of texts

 choose to write in a genre/form appropriate and purpose

 follow simple instruction to complete the task


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 use sound symbol correspondence to read

 use more than one cue to cross check

 use a range of reading cues with increasing independence and begin to self correct

 read on sight, some words in a range of meaningful contexts

 recognise the difference between a line and a sentence


 begin to read with expression in response to print variations and punctuation, e.g. sounding surprised, sounding angry, stopping at a full stop

(through modelled and shared reading and writing)

 become familiar with how to use print features and/or punctuation when reading or dramatising.

 talk about range of reading cues

 respond to scaffolded prompts

 talk about strategies that help in problem- solving words

 talk about the difference between a line and a sentence


 read aloud from a range of familiar texts with fluency using punctuation to enhance the reading [question marks, exclamation marks, bold/italic print]

 record reading

 identify simple punctuation in texts

 add simple punctuation to texts where it is missing

 Guided and independent reading

[see Language and Literacy in the

Foundation Stage pages 12-15].



Opportunities


Children will:

 demonstrate understanding that punctuation affects how a passage is read

 read an unfamiliar text at independent level using phonological, contextual, grammatical and graphic knowledge to work out, predict and check meanings of unfamiliar words

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WRITING

Year 1-2

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 understand that printed text is recorded speech

 see themselves as writers, displaying confidence and valuing their own writing in a range of play activities

 understand that writing is formed directionally one word at a time


 participate in group talk followed by modelled and shared writing recounting and describing events and personal or imagined experiences

 watch the teacher orally rehearse sentences before writing

 re-read text together

 read/join in with familiar songs, rhymes, poems on display

 participate in daily writing opportunities in all learning areas and through play and topic work

 listen to a variety of text types and forms being read to them and talk about the purpose and audience

 talk about the way writing is presented

 throughout the day participate in modelled and shared with focus on, e.g. demarcating sentences, leaving spaces, taking new lines

 say what they are going to write, re-read their mark making/emergent writing

 re-read shared writing

 read song, poem and rhyme cards

 choose to write in meaningful contexts e.g. menus for the café, labels for displays, recording own news/stories

 choose their own resources, e.g. from the

 read what has been written to a partner or writing table/box small group

 identify sentences in text

 orally structure a sentence

 match cut-up text to pictures

 re-order cut up sentences

 write their own sentences/ books

Spontaneous or Planned

Assessment Opportunities


Children will:

 re-visit and read their own texts without significantly altering the meaning

 read shared/familiar texts

 initiate their own writing activities

 write for a range of purposes, e.g. card/label/list.

 demonstrate awareness of directionality in emergent writing


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 begin to form some letters correctly using a comfortable pencil grip

 begin to problem solve how to write words


 develop gross/fine motor skills and visual discrimination. [See Handwriting in the

Foundation Stage]

 participate in a range of purposeful writing contexts

 develop physical skills to support coordination and spatial awareness

 teacher models segmenting words and using known sound symbol correspondnce to write or encode words

 talk about familiar/similar words

 talk about how to access words using environmental print


Activities will enable children to develop:

 gross motor skills involving whole arm and shoulder actions developing anti-clockwise and vertical movements e.g. water painting walls with large paint brushes, hoop rolling

 hand eye coordination and fine motor skills, e.g. cutting with scissors, making patterns in wet sand

 visual discrimination, e.g. matching pictures, shapes and letters

• experiment with mark making and emergent writing

• *refine letter formation in context with guidance from an adult e.g. when attempting to write own name

*N.B. Adult needs to assess child’s point of readiness before intervening.

 attempt to write words using marks/letter like shapes

 segment words using picture and object prompts

 blend sounds to re-read written words

 use knowledge of sound symbol correspondence to write

 find and read words in the environment and in texts




Children will:

 demonstrate progress through the developmental stages

 incorporate spaces between words or word-like clusters

 segment words when attempting to write

 will attempt to use sound symbol correspondence when writing independently


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 make decisions about what and how they will write

 write in a range of genre with teacher guidance following shared preparation.


 participate in modelled and shared sessions which demonstrate how writers make choices about what to write and how to write and take into consideration purpose and audience

 engage in reading, writing and discussing a range of texts.

 think about and select appropriate vocabulary in response to prompts

 become involved in creating a print rich classroom environment which reflects their needs and interests

 become familiar with and contribute to a problem solving approach as part of the writing process. (Ref: Language and

Literacy in the Foundation Stage)

 engage with a range of imaginative, functional and information texts which support the writing focus and use these in appropriate contexts

 participate in modelled /shared writing sessions in all areas of the curriculum which focuses on how different texts are planned and constructed [text organisation and language features].

 be aware of learning intentions and success criteria.

 participate in setting up and organising a class library

 write for a given purpose, choosing form, e.g. record class events as a wall story

 choose purpose for personal writing

 story innovation

 jointly construct, display and use some forms of functional print, e.g. calendar, dinner list, visual timetable

 write simple reports following a visit/film/text investigation, organising the information under headings

 write and illustrate directions/ instructions.

 create story maps

 sort books into categories

 keep books organised in the class library

 research to find information about their own questions




Children will:

 talk about the purpose of their writing

 write in a way that communicates the intended message.

 produce writing which fulfils the agreed success criteria

 talk about the intended audience and purpose


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 use rhymes, poems and patterned stories as models for structuring their own writing

 engage with a range of books which demonstrate clear structures; problem solve in order to identify patterns and characteristics

 plan their writing, e.g. using pictures, prompts or simple frameworks

 have opportunities to read their own and others’ writing.

 use a wider range of vocabulary in their writing

 participate in modelled and shared reading where new vocabulary is introduced, clarified and discussed

 participate in modelled and shared writing sessions where there is discussion about word selection

 engage in independent writing activities where new vocabulary is incorporated

 listen to and follow recorded stories.

 read texts with clear patterns or structures independently

 write text innovations, changing one or more element of a known story or rhyme, e.g.. Humpty Dumpty sat on a chair.

 work collaboratively to create a story discussing and selecting from ideas cards/pictures. This may be recorded in written and/or oral form.

 collaborative writing, e.g. string and shape poems, descriptive captions

 classify and sort a range of objects according to given and/or their own criteria

– describing the attributes of each group

 make collections of words e.g. range of words for ‘said’, ‘went’

 in a group describe a character from picture cards orally or in writing for others to guess

 add detail when retelling stories orally and in writing

 use picture and/or picture/word cards to create compound words . Illustrate.

 create sentences using cubes, cards, split sentence books




Children will:

 use a pattern in their writing

 read from and comment on their own and others writing comparing it with the known text.

 use an increasing amount of relevant detail in any of these activities


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 begin to show evidence of sequence in recount and instructions

 begin to demarcate sentences

 begin to use capital letters for the pronoun ‘I’ for names and the start of a sentence


 participate in and discuss activities across the curriculum which emphasise the importance of sequence

 participate in ‘show and tell’ sessions to demonstrate how they did or made something

 participate in problem solving in order to identify sequence in texts

 participate in modelled and shared writing where sequencing is emphasised

 engage in problem solving in order to understand that punctuation helps clarify meaning and helps the reader know how the writing is meant to sound when reading aloud

 participate in modelled and shared reading and writing in whole class or small group sessions to focus on the use of punctuation in context

 read texts which demonstrate return sweep and talk about the position of punctuation


 re-order sentences or groups of sentences from cut up fiction/non-fiction texts

 write instructions or recount, using a planning framework, if necessary

 draw and label steps in a procedure/ instructions or events in a story

 role play – interviewer/story teller/ maker using framework to ask questions about the sequence of a story or procedure




Children will:

 demonstrate sequence when writing recounts and instructions

 build sentences incorporating basic punctuation

 write for a variety of purposes including labels, single sentences and longer texts e.g. recounts, reports

 identify and highlight words in texts that have capital letters and talk about the use i.e. names, ‘I’ and starts of sentences

 match upper and lower case letters

 read aloud plays or stories in a group or individually [this may be recorded] using the punctuation to make reading interesting.

 write a few simple sentences including some demarcation and appropriate use of capital letters.


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 show increased independence when writing words

 show increased control over formation of lower and upper case letters, size and spacing


 participate in modelled and shared activities which enable them to investigate and engage in word building for the most common sound-letter correspondence recognising also some variation in the code

 participate in a range of reading and writing experiences at independent level

[See Handwriting in the Foundation Stage.]

 see letters formed correctly in modelled and shared writing

 see demonstration of specific letter formation and ‘have-a-go’ e.g. on whiteboards

 be given guidance on letter formation in small groups or as individuals, at the child’s point of readiness

 word building activities using plastic/magnetic letters, paper squares, whiteboards which enable them to:

recognise the one to one sound – symbol relationships;

work left to right across a word;

hear and see blocks of sounds in words;

segment and blend blocks of sounds;

recognise that sounds can be represented by more than one letter;

• sorting and matching activities to enable them to:

recognise that the same phoneme can be spelt in more that one way;

recognise that the same spelling may represent more than one sound;

 read and access words from the classroom environment e.g. captions, instructions, print relating to topics. further activities to develop hand eye coordination and fine motor skills, visual discrimination and letter formation. (See

Year 1)

 engage with a series of short activities which enable them to ‘have-a-go’ in context e.g. tongue-twisters or short poems for collections, songs for assembly




Children will:

 write words which can be read by others

 write some ’CVC’ and familiar words correctly

 show increasing control over formation of lower and upper case letters, size and spacing in their independent writing


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Self – Reflection

Ask!

 Do I give sufficient time and focus to all the elements of literacy or do I rush too quickly to get the children reading/writing ‘words’?

 Do I plan my literacy observations?

 Do I use the information to provide relevant experiences to meet the needs of the children?

 Do I plan opportunities for children to engage in appropriately differentiated tasks?

 Do children have opportunities to work in different groupings, e.g. pairs, small groups, whole class?

 Do I ensure that children are actively engaged in modelled and shared reading and writing?

 Do I plan home learning tasks that motivate the children and inform the parents?

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Observation and Assessment of Learning for Literacy

Primary Literacy Resource

Observation and

Assessment of

Learning for Literacy

Foundation Stage

Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards

Ensuring a Firm Foundation