28/7/14

LITERACY LEARNING AT

BRIDGEWATER KINDERGARTEN

Literacy: in the early years literacy includes a

range of modes of communication including music,

movement, dance, story telling, visual arts, media and

drama, as well as talking, reading and writing.

Early Years Learning Framework Pg 47

Alec has drawn pictures

and an adult has scribed

his story exactly as Alec

told it. He glues them to

card to make a folding

story.

These boys are drawing

with fine black textas.

They are leaning on large

drawing boards. Shifting

the focus away from the

usual writing table has

enticed more boys to

draw!

Sammy wanted to paint a Triceratops.

Firstly he decided what colour paint he

needed. Deb helped him to make it. He

didn’t think that he could paint one. Deb

helped him to sequence the steps and look at

a picture of a Triceratops and break down

which shapes he needed to paint until he

had the representation he wanted.The skill

of looking at something and copying it onto

paper is quite challenging

As children consider where to

draw their shapes and lines

they make pictures in their

mind. When we read and write

the pictures that we make in

our mind set patterns and

shapes enabling us to predict

words.

Astrid, Maya and Hannah are creating a mural using paint in spray bottles.

Literacy outcomes include, hand eye coordination, patterning, manipulating the

squeeze mechanism -fine motor control, looking where the spray will go.

• Developing hand eye coordination and fine motor control prepares the girls for gripping a pencil and controlling it to write.

• Making the designs teaches their brains to look for patterns , vital in finding patterns in words and texts.

Role Play Writing

“Children experiment with marks on paper with the intention of communicating a message or

emulating adult writing.” First Steps writing Pg 1

This can be seen at kindy when children make tickets, role play writing in diaries, make signs such as

“Do not step here” , illustrate and record their Learning Committee minutes, make treasure maps.

We give the children opportunities to ‘write’ everyday. They learn to write by writing. We give them

opportunities to talk about their writing. We model writing lists, stories, questions, captions. We value

their writing efforts, rather than always correcting them. Role play writing may be squiggles that

don’t look like conventional writing, these are the child experimenting with writing.

Clay & Dough •Sensory experience- develops tactile sense. •Develops fine motor skills- moulding, rolling, manipulating, and cutting. •Develops eye-hand co-ordination.

•Problem solving. •Co-operative and or solitary play. •Helps develop concentration, learning to complete a task, gives a sense of achievement. •Opportunities to use a wide range of tools- care and responsibility. •Develops language skills and conversation.

Cut & Paste •Develops eye/hand co-ordination. •Provides creative experiences. • Develops manipulative skills such as

tearing,pasting,cutting, stapling, fringing etc..

•Language development.

•Opportunities to feel achievement and success. •Encourages the development of imagination. •Solitary and group play opportunities. •Develops the concept of sequencing-logical

steps in planning and designing.

Harry’s learning idea was to learn about

predators. We looked on the internet and

looked in books. Glenda and Harry

recorded his learning on a poster.

Playing board games extends many literacy

skills. Communication between the players,

matching shapes, identifying differences

being a few. When we read we identify

shapes of words and letters and differentiate

between similar shapes.

Speaking in front of group,

moderating your tone and

volume, using eye contact etc

is an important literacy skill.

Creating a story using props.

Sharing knowledge.

Communicating, debating,

listening.

Imaginative play/ oral

communication.

Making a story.

Sharing ideas.

Adapting the story as they go

along. Communicating with

each other.

Sometimes we the educators

will join this play.

Sometimes we will scribe the

story, which the children can

then illustrate, but often we

just enjoy watching the

children’s excitement and

marvel at their skills.

Once a term we send home a

Literacy newsletter, informing

families of some of the literacy

events that have been happening

at kindy. These also include

literacy ideas for families to do

with their children.

Literacy Kits are available for

families to borrow and share with

their children. These are regularly

updated.

Deb is teaching the children

how to manipulate the IPad.

They are learning to

manipulate the mouse. When

the children use the IPad and

computer they are learning to

use them as tools for writing

and drawing. They discriminate

shapes, colours, styles of text.

They create stories. We use

computers and the IPad at

kindy as an adjunct to our

learning programme.

We often access Children’s

Encarta, the Internet, books

and parents and teachers to

research children’s inquiry

questions.

Role Play Reading Readers display reading like behaviour as

they reconstruct stories for themselves.

They show a natural interest in books and

the language of print.

At kindy we provide books with rhyming

text or minimal text that the children can

‘read’ to themselves. We re-read favourite

stories and read big books modelling

reading behaviours. We look at the

beginning of a and end word. We listen for

and look for words that start with the

same sound or rhyme.

Lucy told us her recipe

for fairy drink. We

wrote it down and

followed it to make

juice.

Sharing a story. Interacting with a puppet

involves creating a

storyline with a beginning,

middle and an end.

As the children role play reading and create stories with puppets they rehearse the conventions of

reading. They practise the story having a beginning, a middle and an end. They begin to

understand the need for a connected plot.

As well as using books Literacy is developed through being a part of and

watching live theatre and videos. Here the child uses listening and

observational skills. They learn the literacy of being an audience member.

Puppet plays and drama activities at kindy give the children the opportunity

to practise these skills as a performer and as audience.

‘literacy includes a

range of modes of communication

including music’

Music includes, rhythm, beat,

patterns. Singing requires us to

remember words and listen to

rhyme.

Literacy activities can happen

anywhere. Here the children are

drawing what they see and what they

feel when they are in our bushland.

One of our foci this year has been to

take literacy outside The cubby house s

used as a drawing space and is

regularly used everyday by all children.

Children who will not write and draw

inside visit it regularly.

The verandah has a specially created

calm space. This space includes books,

activities for dramatic play, items for

sorting and designing and items to

make music with.

Making corner

Scissors Textas

Planning and creating

Reading corner

Variety of books including fiction and reference. Some titles based on children’s learning ideas.

A number of parents read stories to their children first thing in the morning. Sharing books is beginning reading.

Pretend reading is beginning reading. Pointing out detail in a picture.

Exploring skulls

Using magnifying glasses (training and focussing eyes.) Matching photos

Describing and grouping- classifying. Looking for similarities, important in looking for patterns in words.

Considering possibilities for the “What is it box”

Jigsaws

Matching. Location and arrangement. Focussing eyes.

Literacy

Engagement Week 1

Term 3 2014 Music time

Remembering lyrics. Rhyme- helping children practise sounds.

Story enjoyment. Experiment with rhythm, words, tempo, and melody (which are important

skills in reading aloud)

Writing area

Writing , drawing and scribbling . Personal drawing books.

Paper available. Matching letters, seeking letters on chart. We can tell, write stories in many ways.

Scribing stories. Begining to use letter shapes in drawing and writing.

Light box

Creating patterns and designs. Making shapes that resemble an object.

Painting

Paintbrush grip. Fine motor control

Choice Referring to memory to paint an object.

Conversation.

Sharing

Oral language. Speaking in front of a group.

Audience skills. Remember content.

. Group time

· Oral language. Speaking in front of a group.

Audience skills. Remember content.

Inquiry Fostering an interest in our world

Listening

Blocks

Discrimination of shape. Drawing boards.