When young children (Nursery, P1, 2, 3) write at home, it is best to follow their interests. Nursery children will likely make marks as part of their play. Give them access to pens, pencils and paper and encourage them to write in real contexts e.g. making a list. Don’t worry that it isn’t ‘real’ writing. They are learning about when we write and making marks and that is important for children of this age.
As the children get older their fine motor skills develop and their writing becomes more recognisable. P1, 2 and 3 children will still enjoy writing through their play and this is still valuable but as they get older they might enjoy writing about something they’ve done or writing a short story. Follow their interests and allow them to write for fun. Try not to worry or put pressure on yourself or them – if it starts to feel like a chore, it’s time to have a break.
Literacy Ideas for Nursery children
P1, 2 and 3 children will enjoy a lot of these activities too. Click here for a presentation to support your child’s early literacy skills.
Here are three leaflets which show how favourite family books can support lots of learning at home. The leaflet has a link to a video of the book so that you can use this even if you don’t own the book. These could be helpful if your child needs to miss Nursery for any reason. Click on the title to access the leaflet.
The Hungry Caterpillar Family Learning
Literacy Ideas for P1-3 children
There are lots of useful ideas to do from home in these links:
Children always benefit from having an adult read a book to them. Please enjoy lots of stories with your child and talk about the characters and events. You can use books you have at home or access these online stories:
Lakshmi and the Clever Washerwoman
Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock
Handa’s Surprise (this content is on YouTube and parents are advised to watch it first to check for ads and pop ups)
The Colour Monster (this content is on YouTube and parents are advised to watch it first to check for ads and pop ups)
The Day the Crayons Quit (this content is on YouTube and parents are advised to watch it first to check for ads and pop ups)
You can stop part way and ask them to predict what might happen next. Afterwards you can ask them to recall parts of the story and perhaps draw a picture. Once you have enjoyed the story you can use the text to looks for sounds or words which your child is familiar with. The BBC videos have an audio transcript under the play button so that your child can follow the text. You can encourage your child to identify any words and sounds they know. Nursery children might spot a sound from their name in the story and P1s and 2s will enjoy recognising sounds and common words that are familiar. Into P3, as your child’s reading begins to develop, they might be able to read a little bit to you or you can read together. Keep it fun and enjoy stories – this will be time well spent. You can also look for sounds and words in real life contexts e.g. on packets or in a newspaper or out and about on road signs and notices.
