Qualification: NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Educator
Unit: Unit 3.5: Develop emergent literacy skills of children
Learning outcome: Be able to plan activities to support emergent literacy
Assessment criteria: Plan for children’s participation in activities which support and extend emergent literacy
Early Years practitioners are responsible for planning activities to help children develop their emergent literacy skills.
This could include creating a supportive learning environment with high-quality resources, encouraging children to explore and experiment, and suggesting games and activities that link language, knowledge and understanding. Practitioners should also provide opportunities for listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Activities such as story time or role-playing can promote cognitive development as well as help children learn about language structure and communication. By offering meaningful tasks that challenge the child’s abilities, opportunities for sustained shared thinking are created.
When planning activities, it is important for practitioners to consider the age and stage of development of the children, as well as their particular interests and preferences. Practitioners should also be flexible in their approach and be prepared for the children to take the activity in an unforeseen direction.
Planned activities that might be considered include:
- Mark-making
- Reading (one-on-one or as a group)
- Song and rhyme
- Word and sound games (e.g. matching a word with a picture or I-spy).
- Educational computer games