'writing In Nursery'

[Guest]

Hello

I need a bit of clarification on a dispute that we are having in my early years setting. How frequently should chdn in nursery have access to mark making/writing?And how regularly should they take part in shared writing situations? I personally feel there should be specified area for mark making available all the time, along with weekly adult supported activities. Also do people start teaching phonics in the chdns first term or leave it later? Please help I would love to know what you do?

Thanks Jacqui

PS does anyone know how to get rid of my stupid 'Fernando71' name?

[AnonyMouse_2732]

I most certainly agree that mark making should be available at all times. I also have the facility available all around our pre-school unit as well as outside, with a big whiteboard and markers as well as chalks and an 'outdoor box' with notebooks and pencils, pens and crayons for the children to note things they see that interest them. Often role play areas are particularly successful in encouraging children to experiment with mark making, and to practise their emergent and early writing. That way, the opportunities are available in all aspects of their experience so become far more meaningful for them than artificial 'formal' exercises - not that we don't have them, we just feel it's more important for these experiences to be available all the time. We also have sand/salt trays, etc.

 

Sue

[AnonyMouse_3139]

Ditto what Sue says.

As to the name change, Steve is an ace at computer thingys

[AnonyMouse_1027]

We have an area for mark making activities out at all times and also anywhere else we can eg home corner if appriopriate...

[Guest]

Ditto for writing

 

We do phonics in the second and third term of the year, working through from A - Z in order using the Jolly Phonics actions to reinforce each sound. For some children this is their first term, but for most it is not. The ones who are a bit young enjoy doing the actions even if they don't understand the concept yet.

 

Carolyn

[Guest]

Hi Jacqui

 

I second everything said about having opportunities for writing. We have notepads, pencils, diaries, clipboards, and pens, pencils etc whatever the role play area or theme is.

 

We also do Jolly Phonics - everyday. We don't do them a-z though, we do it in the order Jolly Phonics suggest - satipn etc etc. As Carolyn says, even the young ones enjoy doing the actions and making the sounds. Indeed, the challenge is getting them to stop at the appropriate time!

 

Can I ask (in a non-challenging, non-threatening kind of way!) what is the thinking behind doing Phonics for only two terms? Is it because of the type of setting you're in, do you have one intake and only have four year olds?

 

I can't remember who is in which type of setting - I could do with a little reminder next to the information about how many posts a person has done - so and so is a Reception teacher, or in a pre-school etc. Maybe then I could keep track.

 

Isn't it sad when the brain power starts to go?

 

Maz

[AnonyMouse_2732]

Hi Maz -

 

Actually, I think that's a good idea. Like you I get confused! I can remember some, but since we've been getting zillions of new members, I lose track!!

 

Maybe Steve can include this in his upcoming revamp???

 

Steve - is this possible?

 

Sue

[AnonyMouse_1027]

Does sound like a good idea....

[Guest]

To reply to Maz's non-threatening, non-challenging question -

 

We are a sessional preschool taking children 2yrs 9 month to 5.

I think we originally decided to do phonics in the second and third terms because we are taking in new children during the year as they turn 2 years 9 months and felt that it was better to start in January once most the the new intake were "in", settled and a bit older.

 

Carolyn

[Guest]

Thanks everyone for so many replies.

Does anyone actually do any teacher led, 'formal' (not sure formal is the word I mean - like teaching the chdn to sound out kind of thing) type of writing activities and if so how often?

 

Cheers Jacqui

[AnonyMouse_73]

we dont formally teach phonics in nursery at all. We will make references to if we see that chidlren are showing an interest but our chidlren are almost all EAL with little or no knowledge of English script when they come to us. So we see that getting our childlren talking is more important in our school.

[AnonyMouse_2776]

Hi Jacqui,

 

Provide your pupils with opportunities for mark making and writing, but more than giving them formal handwriting lessons give them lots of activities that can refine their fine motor skills... not only through paper. A child can not run before s/he learns to walk (well , normally not).

[Guest]

We do an 'Alphabet' carpet time once every couple of weeks, where we sing songs about the alphabet, look at one particular letter, read a book about it, and do a 'Magic bag' about some of the things that begin with that letter.

 

The children love it. They like the alphabet songs beacuse they hear then on 'Barney', and they love the magic bag because they can have a guess as to what is in the bag.

 

We also send a quick worksheet home with the children, with the incentive of a stamp and sticker if they colour it in, partly to reinforce the learning, and partly so parents can see what we have done in Nursery.

[AnonyMouse_1195]

I think phonics activities in the nursery are activities which fit Progression in Phonics step one and possibly two with the older and more able. that means lots of rhymes, clapping games, listening and sound games so that they can hear individual sounds ready forletter/phoneme indentification and blending. Phonics would include recognising the sound at the beginning of their name.

I think it does depend on which age groups you have. Some members have children in nursery until they are five, so those children would need to move on in thier phonics work. Those of us who have children who begin reception in the year in which they are five would work from Pip's step two onwards, although some still need lots of Step One activites when they arrive.

Playing with sounds is very good for ideas. We do these sort of activites each day for a short time.

[AnonyMouse_3307]

PLaying with sounds kind of takes over from PIPS because it demonstrates the progression from FS better. There is no requirement to teach blending and segmenting for reading and writing any earlier than reception,(so say the DFES) and I think Nursery phonics should link to the stepping stones: rythmn rhyming, alliteration, linking sounds to letters but it's not about sounding out words or spellings. More about "playing" with sounds, both phonemic and environmental.

[Steve]

Apologies for catching up with this a bit late Jacqui -

 

I've changed your name to jacqui. Let me know if you'd prefer something a bit different, but it certainly seemed closer than fernando71!

 

With reference to the discussion about putting a member's setting type next to their other post details, I'll be working on that over the next few days. Thanks for the suggestion - any others can be added to the new topic title in the lounge, called Forum Upgrade!

[Guest]

We have 'Write-away three' where children have access daily. we have different color papers, different types of pencils, crayons, etc.

 

Pre printed paper where children can put their ideas : shopping list, postcard, invitation,note pad for telephone numbers...

 

Also we have in other areas set up writing accessories like in the roll play in the telephone box, in the kitchen for shopping list or recipe book, etc.

 

Hope it will help!