ICT, Numeracy & Literature

It is in early learning settings that curiosity and enthusiasm for learning is first nurtured.

Our programme will support naming and sounding letters of the alphabet. All activities will be planned and taught to children’s developing abilities and interests. Children will explore numeracy through nursery rhymes, songs and solving daily problems. Children will spend part of their morning in small, intimate groups providing them with purposeful opportunities to aide their overall growth. It is equally important to uphold and draw upon meaningful, freely chosen activities that will be provided for children to create and support numeracy and literacy development. Such opportunities will be provided through music, drama, science, outdoor exploration, ICT and inquiry learning. Through the use of the Reading Eggs resource, as well as our own carefully planned programme we will give children the knowledge and confidence they need to make a smooth transition to school.

Phonetic awareness – Through various activities and games we will give children the skills and knowledge to be able to identify sounds of the alphabet as well as in their own name.

Naming letters – Being able to name the letters of the alphabet is as equally important as knowing their sounds. We will also use activities and games to grasp their interest.

Reading Eggs – Reading Eggs is a unique online world where children learn to read. It supports each child’s learning by offering individual, one-on-one lessons that allow children to progress at their own rate. The Reading Eggs program focuses on a core reading curriculum of phonics and sight words using skills and strategies essential for sustained reading success.

Home readers (optional) – The Reading Eggs programme is accompanied with little reading books. They are for each letter of the alphabet and contain one word per page. It is optional whether you would like your child to take them home. More than anything children feel special getting to take something home to share. We would make it applicable to children by giving them the books corresponding to the letters in their name.

CVC words (consonant vowel consonant) – Using the children’s expanding knowledge of phonetics. We will give children the skills to start blending sounds to recognise common sight words such as ‘cat’.

High frequency words – There are several reasons that children should start learning high frequency words. The most fundamental is that many words, such as the, is, to and are, do not follow commonly taught phonics rules and can not be sounded out. The only way a child can recognise these words is by sight.

Letter of the week – We will focus on one letter per week. This will support children in their growing knowledge of the alphabet.

Pattern – Children are always making and creating in their everyday activities. This provides the ideal opportunity to help children identify and expand patterns.

Number knowledge – Through such things as rhyme and song we will expand children’s knowledge of counting.

Daily problem solving – We will use everyday situations to help expand children’s problem solving skills, e.g. I have six pieces of equipment and only three children, let’s share them out to see how many we each get.

Write Dance – By using music and movement to introduce handwriting to children, this text improves children’s motor skills and provides a strong foundation for writing.

ICT – Children have access to computers and an interactive whiteboard which can be used at their leisure as well as part of our curriculum.