Developing Early Literacy Skills (2^nd Ed.)
Practical Ideas and Activities

A valuable resource for professionals working with pre-school children, or with older children lacking basic literacy skills, this book provides practical photocopiable activities to develop the early skills required for success with literacy. Includes: rhyming activities; alphabet activities; phonological awareness; writing and handwriting; and reading. Each section is structured so that children can build up their knowledge and skills. Developed within the classroom, these ideas and activities can be used with a range of children in whole class, group and individual situations both at home and in pre-school settings. Designed to help children showing early signs of dyslexia or a specific learning difficulty, these activities will also benefit older children who lack a foundation of early literacy skills. This updated edition reflects changes in legislation, and includes refreshed word lists and new subject areas, such as visual perception, fine and gross motor skills. It is invaluable for teachers, learning support assistants, nursery workers, parents and carers.

Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Key facts

How to use this manual

How to use the activities

Setting up teaching situations in school

Tips for working with children at home

Section 1: Basic skills

Section 2: Rhyming

Section 3: Learning the alphabet

Section 4: Phonological awareness

Section 5: Reading

Section 6: Writing and handwriting

Conclusion

Resources and suppliers

Useful organisations

Recommended Books for Young Children

References and Further Reading

Katharine Bodle is a freelance Dyslexia Consultant. She worked as a Beacon Teacher at a Dyslexia -friendly primary school where she helped to publish resource materials to aid mainstream teachers. She also featured in a Teachers TV documentary Teaching the Dyslexic Child. She has lectured on courses to train teachers to identify and teach Dyslexic learners and structured spelling courses as well as OCR Level 5 courses training Specialist Teachers in Specific Learning Difficulties. She delivers INSET training in schools on Dyslexia Friendly Classrooms and Continuous Cursive Handwriting and advises teachers on practical strategies to support children in a mainstream classroom. Currently she is the SENDCo at a primary school endeavouring to ensure that literacy and other learning difficulties are identified and remediated as early as possible.