Literacy is woven throughout all areas of learning within EYFS at Dorridge Primary School. Through stories, songs, conversations, phonics and meaningful experiences, children develop the foundations needed to become confident readers, writers and communicators.

We provide a language-rich environment where children are encouraged to develop a love of books, storytelling, mark making and early writing through both adult-led teaching and play-based learning opportunities.

As children move through Nursery and Reception, they develop the skills needed to communicate ideas, recognise sounds, read words and begin writing for a purpose with growing confidence and independence.

At Dorridge Primary School, we believe strong phonics teaching provides the foundations for successful reading and writing. Within EYFS, children take part in daily phonics sessions which develop listening, speaking, reading and early writing skills through a structured and progressive approach.

We follow the Essential Letters and Sounds (ELS) phonics programme, where children learn to recognise letter sounds, blend sounds together to read words and segment words for spelling and writing. Through engaging and interactive teaching, children develop increasing confidence and fluency as they begin applying their phonics knowledge across the curriculum.

In Nursery, children begin developing their listening and attention skills through songs, rhymes, rhythm, oral blending and sound discrimination activities. As children move into Reception, they build upon these foundations by learning grapheme–phoneme correspondences, reading simple words and beginning to write using their phonics knowledge. 

At Dorridge Primary School, we place a strong emphasis on developing a love of reading from the very beginning of a child’s learning journey. We believe reading opens the door to imagination, language, creativity and lifelong learning, and we work hard to create a rich reading culture throughout EYFS.

Children are exposed to a wide range of high-quality texts, stories, rhymes, poems and non-fiction books through daily story sessions, shared reading and carefully planned learning experiences. These opportunities help children develop vocabulary, comprehension, communication skills and an understanding of the world around them.

In Nursery, children begin developing early reading behaviours such as listening to stories, joining in with repeated phrases, talking about pictures and exploring books independently. As children move into Reception, they build upon these foundations through daily phonics teaching, guided reading and regular opportunities to apply their developing decoding skills with fully decodable texts.

We encourage children to see themselves as readers and aim to foster enjoyment, curiosity and confidence through meaningful reading experiences both in school and at home. Through strong partnerships with families, children are supported to develop the skills and confidence needed to become enthusiastic and independent readers.

Early writing begins long before children are able to write words independently. Within EYFS at Dorridge Primary School, we provide a language-rich environment where children develop the foundations needed to become confident and successful writers through play, talk, mark making and meaningful experiences.

Children are encouraged to develop their fine motor skills, pencil control and confidence in making marks through a wide range of practical activities both indoors and outdoors. Opportunities for drawing, painting, dough disco, finger strengthening and large-scale mark making are carefully planned to support children’s physical development and readiness for writing.

As children move through Nursery and Reception, they begin developing an understanding of sounds, letters, words and sentences through daily phonics teaching, storytelling, shared writing and purposeful opportunities to communicate ideas. Adults model writing throughout the environment and support children to give meaning to their marks, build sentences and develop confidence when writing independently.

    

 

 

We believe writing should be purposeful, engaging and meaningful. Through high-quality texts, imaginative play and carefully planned experiences, children are inspired to become enthusiastic writers who are proud to share their ideas, stories and achievements.

 

Within EYFS at Dorridge Primary School, we develop the foundations for handwriting through a carefully planned approach which focuses on fine motor development, pencil control and correct letter formation. We believe children need strong physical foundations before becoming confident and fluent writers.

Children take part in a wide range of activities designed to strengthen core muscles, hand strength and coordination, including dough disco, finger gym activities, painting, threading, construction, mark making and outdoor physical play. These experiences help children develop the control and stability needed for writing.

As children move through Nursery and Reception, they begin learning how to form letters correctly through daily phonics and handwriting opportunities. Adults model correct letter formation and support children to develop good habits from the beginning, including pencil grip, posture and letter orientation.

We encourage children to take pride in their mark making and writing while developing confidence, independence and enjoyment in the writing process. Handwriting opportunities are woven throughout the environment and linked to meaningful experiences to ensure learning remains engaging and purposeful.