Literacy is a vital part of early childhood development, laying the foundations for lifelong communication, learning, and imagination. At our nursery, we introduce Literacy in a gentle, engaging, and developmentally appropriate way, ensuring children build positive early experiences with books, stories, mark-making, and early phonological awareness. Our aim is not to rush children into reading or writing, but to nurture a genuine love of language, storytelling, and self-expression that will support them throughout their education.
We create a literacy-rich environment where children feel inspired to explore words, sounds, and written symbols in ways that are meaningful to them. Through daily experiences with books, conversations, singing, and purposeful mark-making, children gradually learn the skills needed for reading and writing while developing confidence, curiosity, and enjoyment.
Our setting is carefully designed to immerse children in language and print. Books are readily available in every room—displayed attractively, easy to reach, and linked to children’s interests. Alongside storybooks, reference books, picture dictionaries, and themed texts encourage children to explore information and ask questions about the world.
Around the room, children see meaningful print everywhere: labels on resources, signs created by children, name cards, visual timetables, and displays of their own drawings and early writing. This helps them understand that written words carry meaning, communicate messages, and help us organise our world.
We also offer an inviting book corner with soft furnishings, gentle lighting, and story props so children feel comfortable and excited to spend time exploring literature. Whether sitting alone with a favourite story or sharing a book with a friend or practitioner, this space helps foster a lifelong love of reading.
Storytime is a treasured part of each day. Practitioners read aloud using expressive voices, pauses, and gestures that capture children’s attention and model the joy of storytelling. We choose high-quality texts that reflect diverse experiences, spark imagination, and invite discussion. Repetition, rhyme, humour, and predictable patterns all help children develop listening, vocabulary, and comprehension skills.
We make storytime interactive, encouraging children to join in with repeated phrases, predict what might happen next, ask questions, and express their opinions. Children become active participants rather than passive listeners, engaging more deeply with stories and building essential comprehension skills.
Story sacks, puppets, small-world scenes, and role-play enhancements allow children to re-enact stories in their play. Retelling narratives helps children understand structure—beginning, middle, and end—while strengthening their memory, vocabulary, and confidence in speaking.
Rich oral language is at the heart of early literacy. Children learn new words best when adults use them naturally during play and conversation. Our practitioners take every opportunity to introduce descriptive vocabulary, explain new terms, and model full, meaningful sentences.
Activities that support vocabulary and understanding include:
Talking about pictures in books
Discussing experiences during small-group time
Naming objects and actions in the environment
Exploring themed vocabulary linked to children’s interests
Asking open-ended questions that encourage conversation
As children develop a wider vocabulary and greater understanding of language, they become more confident communicators who can contribute to group discussions and express themselves clearly.
Before formal phonics begins, children need to develop strong phonological awareness—the ability to hear sounds in language. We support this through playful, enjoyable activities such as:
Listening walks
Nursery rhymes and repetitive songs
Clapping syllables in names and words
Alliteration games
Identifying animal and environmental sounds
Rhyming stories and songs
These experiences help children tune into sounds, rhythms, and patterns. They learn to distinguish between different sounds and begin to recognise that words are made up of smaller sound units. This understanding lays the essential groundwork for later phonics and reading skills.
When children show readiness and interest, we gently introduce early letter-sound recognition through fun, interactive activities. We follow developmentally appropriate approaches from the EYFS and relevant phonics guidance, ensuring learning remains playful and meaningful. Children might explore letters in a sensory tray, form letter shapes in sand, or spot letters in their environment.
We avoid formal sitting-down phonics lessons at this stage. Instead, we emphasise exploration, curiosity, and enjoyment. If children are ready, practitioners support their interest with clear modelling, gentle encouragement, and engaging resources.
Mark-making is an essential part of literacy development. It helps children express their ideas, develop fine motor skills, and understand that marks can carry meaning. At our nursery, mark-making opportunities are everywhere—indoors, outdoors, on large and small scales, and across all areas of play.
Children may:
Draw with chalk on the playground
Paint at the easel
Make patterns in sand or mud
Use markers on whiteboards
Trace shapes in flour or shaving foam
Create lists, maps, menus, or labels in role-play
We encourage children to talk about their marks so they make the connection between spoken and written language. Practitioners model simple writing such as name labels, signs, or captions so children see how written language is used in everyday life.
As children gain hand strength and control, they begin forming recognisable shapes, patterns, and eventually letters. We celebrate all attempts at writing and ensure children feel positive and proud of their developing skills.
When children show readiness, we support them in developing early writing skills such as:
Holding mark-making tools with increasing control
Forming shapes and patterns
Using print in play
Attempting letter shapes
Writing their names or initial letters
Creating simple captions or drawings with meaning
Writing experiences are always purposeful, not forced. Children write to communicate—to send a card, label a model, record their ideas, or take on a role in imaginative play. These meaningful opportunities help children understand the value of writing and develop a sense of ownership over their learning.
Literacy can be found in every part of our day. Children develop language and storytelling through imaginative play, explore new vocabulary during science investigations, and “read” environmental print in outdoor activities. Cooking, art, music, and construction all provide opportunities for children to discuss, plan, and reflect—building essential communication skills linked to literacy.
We also make connections through cross-curricular themes, using books to explore emotions, diversity, real-world events, and more. This helps children understand that literacy is a tool for learning about the world, not just a school subject.
We know that children develop literacy skills at different paces and in different ways. Our practitioners observe each child closely to understand their interests, strengths, and areas where they may need support. For children who require additional help—perhaps due to speech delays, attention difficulties, or language barriers—we provide tailored interventions that are gentle, holistic, and embedded within daily routines.
We celebrate multilingualism and value languages spoken at home, encouraging families to read and share stories in their home language. This strengthens children’s identity and lays strong foundations for English literacy.
Families play a crucial role in supporting literacy. We work closely with parents by:
Sharing recommended books
Offering ideas for storytime at home
Providing guidance on early writing and mark-making
Inviting parents to reading mornings or workshops
Encouraging contributions to our home–nursery reading activities
This shared approach helps build consistency and reinforces children’s love of reading and writing.
Literacy at our nursery is joyful, meaningful, and woven into everything we do. Through stories, conversations, mark-making, and playful sound activities, we help children develop the essential early skills and confidence they need to become readers, writers, and lifelong learners. Our caring, language-rich environment ensures that every child feels supported, inspired, and excited about the power of words.