Blog: Early Literacy Matters: How to Help Children Thrive Before Reception

21 January 2026

Children Thrive Before Reception.

Early literacy sets the stage for lifelong learning. Explore strategies to build oral language, phonological awareness, and a love of reading.

Early Literacy Matters

As well as working as the EYFS/KS1 School Improvement Lead for The Sycamore Church of England Trust in Bury, Clare Shivnan-Taylor has worked within early years settings for over 20 years. Clare has an NPQ in Leading Teacher Development, is an EY advisory SLE for Bury LA and is passionate about early literacy. She is also the co- author of Junior Learning Letters and Sounds DfE validated Phonics Programme. This blog outlines key research and resources which can be used to support the teaching of early literacy within childminder, daycare and school settings.

Children are born ready to listen

From the time a baby is born they are already tuning into the sounds around them, they can recognise their mothers voice and take comfort in songs and rhymes shared in the womb. A baby’s hearing is now at a similar level to an adults and they are ready to process sound and continue to develop parts of their brain crucial for speech and language.

Early Literacy – What Should It Look Like?

Early literacy is the development of foundational skills for reading and writing beginning in early childhood. (DfE, 2021). It involves building a child’s oral language, print awareness, and understanding of how sounds and letters connect. Evidence consistently shows that educators can implement approaches that benefit young children’s literacy learning. The EEF’s Early Years Toolkit estimates that children who take part in early literacy approaches make, on average, four months’ additional progress. (EEF, 2023)

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework 2024, emphasizes developing a lifelong love of reading through two dimensions: language comprehension and word reading. Language comprehension begins with activities such as reading aloud, singing songs, and engaging in conversation crucial for building these skills and fostering a love of reading and learning. Word reading is developed through phonics and writing develops alongside literacy and other learning areas.

What Are the Key Components of Early Literacy?

Oral Language: Developing strong speaking, listening, and communication skills through activities like storytelling, singing, and conversation.

Phonological Awareness: Recognising and working with sounds in spoken language, such as rhyming, blending sounds to form words, and breaking words into individual sounds.

Print Awareness: Understanding that print has meaning and learning how to interact with books and print in the environment, such as holding a book correctly and following text from left to right.

Letter Knowledge: Recognising letter shapes and the sounds they represent.

How Can We Support Early Literacy?

What can nursery practitioners, childminders, and parents do to ensure children develop the skills needed for starting school?

Prioritise Talking: Engage children in frequent conversations about their day, their interests, food they had for lunch and the world around them.
Read Daily: Share exciting picture books that rhyme and ask questions to encourage comprehension and discussion. A 2023 study from the National Literacy Trust found that children who are read to daily in the early years are four times more likely to reach the expected level in reading and writing by age 5.
Sing, Sing, Sing: Incorporate songs into daily routines, especially during transitions. Making up songs to familiar tunes is fun and helps children hear rhythm and patterns in music.
Play Games: Bring back simple games, like those played on car journeys before phones and tablets! Who doesn’t love I spy? Don’t forget board games are great for groups, developing language and social skills such as turn-taking.
Explore Print in the Environment: Point out familiar signage in everyday places like grocery stores and fast food restaurants to build print awareness.
Build Physical Strength for Writing: Provide opportunities for mark-making, drawing, and “writing,” which are important precursors to formal writing.
Most of All, Have Fun: Early years practitioners enter the profession because they love young children and want to give each and every child the opportunity to thrive through play-based learning.