Early Literacy Through Play 

 

At Kindergarten , we believe that learning happens best when children are engaged, curious and having fun - and early literacy is no exception! For young children early literacy development is all about building the foundations for reading and writing later on in playful and meaningful ways.  So what does this look like at Kindergarten?

Oral Literacy - Speaking and Listening  

This is the basis of early literacy and it is where children are developing their communication skills through having conversations, listening, talking and asking and answering questions.  In our classrooms we support the development of oral literacy through:-

•  Encouraging back and forth conversations between educators and peers
•  Asking open-ended questions
• Providing opportunities for children to tell stories, role play and express themselves
• Give instructions to follow and 
• Provide opportunities to play with rhyme, rhythm and sound through songs and movement.
• Supporting children to express themselves in their play.
• Reading books together

What this might look like in play

At kindergarten we observe the children engaging in early literacy learning in all aspects of the program. Below are some examples of this learning. 

• Dramatic Play Area - Children act out  different roles and negotiate different ideas with each other and make up their own play dialogue.  
• Block Area - Explaining ideas, designing their buildings, describing their creations and making comparisons. 
• Group time - Singing songs, retelling events and stories, using rhymes, listening stories. 
• Drawing/Art Areas - making marks and explaining their creations, expressing emotions
• Outdoors - naming and describing objects within the environment including using their senses,   engaging in conversations with peers and educators, cooperative play negotiating ideas, roles and problem solving. 

What families can do at home to support oral literacy 

There are many informal ways you can support children's oral literacy at home.  Here are a few suggestions:-

• Talk together often - in the car, at the shops, at the dinner table, at bedtime. It is important that during these conversations you are taking an interest in what is being said and encourage back and forth conversation. 
• Read aloud every day  - you can ask questions whilst reading like What can you see?, Tell me what is happening in the picture? Can you find an object? 
• Sing songs and rhymes or make up silly songs - this allows the children to hear rhymes and patterns of oral language.
• Pretend/Imaginative play - let your child come up with an idea and lead the story and join in their imaginative world. 

The Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework emphasises oral language as a crucial foundation for literacy development. Oral language encompasses the ability to understand and express spoken words, including vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, and narrative skills. It's closely linked to other key literacy components like phonological awareness and phonics.

By supporting a child's oral literacy development through play and conversation  we are helping them develop language, curiosity, and confidence that will support their learning for years to come.