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“Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak and listen in a way that lets us communicate effectively and make sense of the world.”
– National Literacy Trust
Did you know that 16.4% of adults in England (that’s about 7.1 million people), can be described as having ‘very poor literacy skills? While 1 in 4 children left primary school in 2019 unable to read to the required standard [DfE].
Table of contents
Why is literacy important in education?
Literacy development is key to children’s ability to engage in education and communicate with others. It helps them to make effective decisions, think analytically, engage in critical thinking and be cognitively flexible.
It all starts from an early age. From nursery right through to school leaving age, children should have the necessary support and learning opportunities to help them build skills for life. Evidence has shown that poor speech and language development can have long term effects on learning. Therefore now, more than ever, we must focus on speech, language and literacy development in the earliest years.
The key to improving literacy starts with fostering an enjoyment of it. Whether writing letters, poetry or reading a book, there are many ways children can be engaged in literacy. Incorporating fun activities into everyday learning can help children’s love for reading and literacy blossom. We have compiled a list of literacy activities you can try, in or out of the classroom!
Literacy activities to engage children in literacy:
1. Talking and storytelling
Storytelling is a powerful strategy for improving children’s writing and creative thinking abilities as it does not offer any restraints.
- Try offering your child a few random objects and ask them to create a story from them. This activity will incite enthusiasm as children can get as wacky with their stories as they like. Our Really Random Story Bags are designed with this in mind. Made up of a “who”, “where” and “what” bag, children can select an object at random and start a story! Maybe this will consist of a mermaid with a pet zebra who lives in a castle. The stranger the objects selected, the better the story!
- Another fantastic way to engage children in talking and storytelling is to ask them to put on a show! Ask your little ones to first write or plan a story. Then act it out using props, puppets and a Puppet Theatre. This will boost language skills and build vocabulary in a way that is much more engaging than traditional storytelling. It also addresses various areas of the curriculum, including communication and language, imaginative play and understanding the world.
- Sometimes the simple things are the best. Activities like singing nursery rhymes or “I spy”, allow children to learn sounds, build their vocabulary and understanding of language. All whilst engaging in a “game”. Such games are a quick and easy way to engage children in literacy and language anywhere. Or get children to hear themselves talking using our Hear Myself Phone.
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2. Drawing and writing
Writing is a fundamental element of early education, but finding ways to make this exciting is often a tricky task. Read on for some fun activities to engage children in writing.
- One way is to use prompts and ask children to write down their stories rather than speak them aloud. A helpful resource is our Writing Prompt Cubes or our Actions Rory’s Story Cubes. It’s a great activity for children who perhaps find storytelling a bit daunting and need something to spark their imagination. These cubes give children a starting point for something to write about and include a variety of different topics.
- Share storytelling is another great activity to try. Using a sheet of paper (why not our Tuff Tray Paper Pad) ask one child to start writing a story. Allow different children to alternate writing a couple of sentences each until you have a completed story. This activity encourages children to think about what has already been written and decide how to continue the story. It will result in a weird and wonderful story that can be read back to the children and will provide endless amusement as they appreciate their teamwork.
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3. Literacy games
For the more active children who are reluctant to sit still, read or write, physical games are a fantastic way to engage them in literacy.
- There are a variety of resources that can be used to engage children in literacy whilst simply “playing”. One such example is our A-Z Alphabet Cones which can be used to encourage spelling or letter formation. Simply ask children to run to the correct cone that shows the letter which starts a particular word. Using such resources also allow children to interact with each other and effectively support their learning.
- Another resource to try during literacy games is the CVC Fishing Game. This encourages children to identify and spell out CVC words whilst practising motor skills.
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4. Reading and book-based activities
One of the best ways to improve literacy skills is by encouraging a love of books and maintaining that love. Interaction within reading is a great way to start little learners off. Start your little ones off with books made especially for babies and toddlers, e.g. board books, lift the flap books etc. Want to learn more about the benefits of reading in the early years? Read our blog which covers the importance of reading in the early years.
- Our Story Time Sets are a fantastic multi-sensory kit consisting of fiction and non-fiction books, a set of characters and a puzzle or game to extend reading. These story sets give children a fun interactive element alongside reading which makes their experience that little bit more enjoyable. Children can use puppets or characters to complement their reading. Why not encourage them to try different voices for different characters or ask them questions about each character. This way they can engage more in the story.
- Reading or listening to a story will help children to develop their vocabulary, ability to listen and concentrate and connect sounds and words. Introduce children to a diverse range of books, e.g. folktales, funny stories, traditional tales etc. This will improve their ability to understand concepts, tones and the world around them.
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5. Free literacy resources
Supporting your little one’s literacy development does not need to be tricky or complicated. Sometimes even the simplest of activities can be the most fun! We have lots of fun free literacy and storytelling downloads for you to use in the classroom or at home, including writing, alphabet, letter formation activities and much more.
- Try recreating stories and have your little ones put their own spin on traditional tales such as The Three Little Pigs, Red Riding Hood and The Gingerbread Man. We have a variety of colouring storyboard sheets based on popular tales children know and love. They include all of the main characters from the fairy tale, so as they colour in the sheets you could share the original story and talk to them about the structure of the fairy tale.
- Once they fully understand the plot and the chronology, you can switch things up a little! Try telling the story from the perspective of another character or change the story genre. You could even mix characters from different fairy stories.
Need some more literacy activity ideas? Read our blog which goes over 10 easy EYFS literacy activities.
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