EYFS Reading at Home
Early years use the Tapestry online learning diary to communicate and evidence pupils learning.
Please go to https://tapestryjournal.com/ to access your child's page.
If you have lost or forgotten your login please contact one of the teachers who will help your log in.
Developing a love of reading
Below are some videos of our teachers reading your children's favourite story books.
We have a set of core books and rhymes in nursery, pre-school and reception to ensure children experience a breadth of high quality books and texts whilst in EYFS.
We also help to develop a love of poetry through 'The Poetry Basket' and develop children's oral storytelling through 'Helicopter Stories'.
We will share these core books and rhymes with you in our termly newsletters and on Tapestry throughout the year.
Throughout the year we have regular opportunities for you to come into our classes to share stories with your child.
In nursery, pre-school and reception we also visit our local library regularly and join up with 'Bookstart'.
If you are not a member of the local library we have membership forms available. Please ask a member of staff.
We also have a book share library within school for you to borrow books to share at home with your child!
Mrs Cherry reads the story "Stuck"
Oliver Jeffers is Mrs Cherry's favourite author!
Mrs Matthews reads the story "Vegetable Glue"
We love this story!
Mrs Davolls reads the story "The Lion Inside"
Mrs Wyatt reads the story "How to Catch a Star"
Mrs Bishop reads the story "The Tiger Who Came to Tea"
Core Rhymes
Did you know that experts in literacy and child development have discovered that if a child knows eight nursery rhymes by heart by the time they are four years old, they are usually among the best readers and spellers in their class by the time they are in year 3.
Here are a selection of some of our core rhymes.
See if you can join in!
Hickory Dickory Dock
Incy Wincy Spider
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Once I Caught a Fish Alive
Two Little Dickie Birds
Three Little Monkey's Swinging in a Tree
One Elephant Went Out To Play
Oral Stories
Here is a selection of some of the oral stories we learn in EYFS.
See if your child can join in with them!
The Story of The Little Boy Who Wanted a Friend
Goldilocks and The Three Bears Puppet Show
Supporting your child with reading and writing at home
Step 1 Phonics in Pre-School and Reception
In pre-school and at the beginning of reception the children are taught step 1 phonics.
This is a really important step before children learn to formally read and write.
In step 1 phonics activities and learning is very play-based and fun!
Children develop phonological and phonemic awareness to be able to develop phonic knowledge and skills.
Through stories, rhymes, language children learn the skills of...
Auditory discrimination
Visual memory, auditory memory and sequencing skills
Keeping a steady beat
Oral blending and segmenting
Letter names
Please see below for some ideas of how you can support children at home.
Alphabet Song
We use this rainbow alphabet arc to support children to learn the names of letters in both pre-school and reception.
We talk to the children about the lowercase and uppercase graphemes (letters).
Listen to the video and see if your child can join in with their own rainbow alphabet arc. (Please see a member of staff if they do not have one)
As they sing the song encourage your child to track with their finger each letter.
Can your child find different letters when you ask?
Can they find the letters in their name?
We always explain that we use capital or uppercase letters at the beginning of our names.
We do not sing the traditional tune of ABC as children sometimes do not say the middle letters m, n, o, p very clearly so this tune slows this part down.
We talk to the children about the lowercase and uppercase graphemes (letters).
Listen to the video and see if your child can join in with their own rainbow alphabet arc. (Please see a member of staff if they do not have one)
As they sing the song encourage your child to track with their finger each letter.
Can your child find different letters when you ask?
Can they find the letters in their name?
We always explain that we use capital or uppercase letters at the beginning of our names.
We do not sing the traditional tune of ABC as children sometimes do not say the middle letters m, n, o, p very clearly so this tune slows this part down.
Reception Phonics Resources
Use these videos to support teaching your child phonics at home.
The resources that are in your child's book bag will match the phonics step we are teaching in class.
We teach step 2 phonemes and sight words in terms 2 and 3.
Then we move onto teaching step 3 phonemes and sight words in term 4.
We have weeks where we recap and consolidate previous learning.
Practise helps your child to grow in confidence with their early reading and writing skills.
We also teach correct pencil grip and posture for writing.
Within guided writing sessions we also teach letter formation and eventually move onto writing words and captions/sentences.
We use a phonics programme called 'Phonics into Early Spelling'.
This powerpoint will demonstrate to you how to say all the step 2 phonemes (letter sounds) correctly.
Encourage your child to join in.
This is the format we use in our phonics lessons so your child should be familiar with the way the phonemes are presented.
Please practise the phonemes as much as possible with your child.
Step 2 phonemes are all the letter sounds in the alphabet.
The more secure they are with these the easier it is for them to acquire the skills of blending and segmenting which helps them to read and write.
These phonemes are also in your child's yellow book which is in their book bag.
This is the format we use in our phonics lessons so your child should be familiar with the way the phonemes are presented.
Please practise the phonemes as much as possible with your child.
Step 2 phonemes are all the letter sounds in the alphabet.
The more secure they are with these the easier it is for them to acquire the skills of blending and segmenting which helps them to read and write.
These phonemes are also in your child's yellow book which is in their book bag.
Step 2 sight words - set 1 (I, go, no, to, so, the)
This is the first set of sight words your child will learn in step 2.
Play sight word treasure hunt games around the house using pieces of paper or post it notes.
Let your child be the teacher and you be the child.
Play sight word bingo or snap.
Use magnetic letters to support your child to spell the sight words (use letter names when spelling sight words with your child).
Remember these words cannot be sounded out they must be learnt through sight. So practise is key!
Play sight word treasure hunt games around the house using pieces of paper or post it notes.
Let your child be the teacher and you be the child.
Play sight word bingo or snap.
Use magnetic letters to support your child to spell the sight words (use letter names when spelling sight words with your child).
Remember these words cannot be sounded out they must be learnt through sight. So practise is key!
All step 2 sight words - sets 1 and 2
These are all the sight words we teach in step 2.
I, go, no, to, the, so (set 1)
he, she, we, me, be, said, there (set 2)
I, go, no, to, the, so (set 1)
he, she, we, me, be, said, there (set 2)
Step 3 phonics resources coming soon!
Mind Up!
Here at Bournville Primary School we follow a programme called 'Mind Up'.
This programme helps children to understand how their brain helps them to learn.
In EYFS we use puppets and songs to help children understand the parts of the brain and how each part helps us think, feel and learn.
Throughout the day we take time to engage in mindfulness activities such as yoga, listening to calm music, positive touch and having a brain break.
All the videos below explain how we teach Mind Up in EYFS!
Meet the 'Mind Up' Puppets
Owl represents 'Pre-Frontal Cortex'
Hippo represents 'Hippocampus'
Dog represents 'Amygdala'
Hippo represents 'Hippocampus'
Dog represents 'Amygdala'
Here is the 'Pre-Frontal Cortex' song
(To the Tune of Three Blind Mice)
Pre-Frontal Cortex
Pre-Frontal Cortex
It helps us to learn
It helps us to learn
We can be like the owl and write and read
We can be like the owl it helps us succeed
To make good choices and concentrate
Pre-Frontal Cortex
Pre-Frontal Cortex
Pre-Frontal Cortex
It helps us to learn
It helps us to learn
We can be like the owl and write and read
We can be like the owl it helps us succeed
To make good choices and concentrate
Pre-Frontal Cortex
The 'Hippocampus' Song
(To the tune of 'Down in the Jungle')
In the middle of our brain is our hippocampus
It's job is to help us remember stuff
With a think think here and a think think there
We will remember things everywhere
In the middle of our brain is our hippocampus
It's job is to help us remember stuff
With a think think here and a think think there
We will remember things everywhere
The Amygdala song
(To the tune of Tommy Thumb)
Amygdala, Amygdala
Where are you?
Here I am, here I am
How do you do
I am scared, I am scared
What shall I do?
Calm me down, calm me down
Talk things through
Amygdala, Amygdala
Where are you?
Here I am, here I am
How do you do
I am scared, I am scared
What shall I do?
Calm me down, calm me down
Talk things through
Here is video of how we do a 'Brain Break' with the children.
At home you can learn the 'Mind up' songs as well as take part in your own mindfulness activities such as going out for a walk in nature, listening to calm music, yoga (we love cosmic yoga on YouTube) or just take a moment to take a brain break like this. Breathe in and out! Relax and be in the moment!
We find brain breaks help children to regulate their emotions and settle their glitter so that they are ready to learn!
We find brain breaks help children to regulate their emotions and settle their glitter so that they are ready to learn!
Characteristics of Effective Learning
We want our children to have learning opportunities which engage, enthuse and promote curiosity.
Effective learning needs to be meaningful to our children so that they can use what they learned and apply it to new situations.
These abilities and attitudes support them to make progress in all the areas of learning and development.
Click on the document below to see how we use our 'Achievosaurs' to help children learn about how to be an effective life long learner!
Fun Learning Activities for Home
Below are a several different learning activities you can try at home with your child.
The idea is to have fun and enjoy time together discovering new things!
We love getting messy in EYFS and believe hands on learning is how children learn best!
Enjoy!
Making Playdough
A great activity you can do with your child at home is to make some playdough.
Playdough has endless possibilities for children to use their imagination, to strengthen their fine motor skills and to develop their vocabulary as you play alongside your child. Talk to them about what they are doing e.g. "You are stretching the dough", "Can you poke the dough?", "You are rolling a long/short snake".
Why not give this a try?
Playdough has endless possibilities for children to use their imagination, to strengthen their fine motor skills and to develop their vocabulary as you play alongside your child. Talk to them about what they are doing e.g. "You are stretching the dough", "Can you poke the dough?", "You are rolling a long/short snake".
Why not give this a try?
Mrs Beechgood's Dough Gym Challenge
In nursery, pre-school and at the beginning of reception the children engage in an activity called 'dough gym'.
It is great fun and we often use music to make our fingers and hands dance with the dough.
There are lots of different dough gym moves to develop the muscles in our fingers, hands, as well as strengthening our wrist and elbow pivots.
Physical development is really important for early writing skills and 'dough gym' is a fun way to develop our co-ordination and muscles for writing.
It is great fun and we often use music to make our fingers and hands dance with the dough.
There are lots of different dough gym moves to develop the muscles in our fingers, hands, as well as strengthening our wrist and elbow pivots.
Physical development is really important for early writing skills and 'dough gym' is a fun way to develop our co-ordination and muscles for writing.
