Foundations of Literacy

Sue Palmer, a former primary headteacher, has written more than 200 books and educational television programmes on aspects of literacy.  She writes regularly for the Times Education Supplement and Child Education, provides in-service courses in schools, universities and LEAs throughout the UK and acts as a literacy consultant to the DfES, many educational publishers and the BBC.  She has contributed to several National Literacy Strategy training packages and advised on the CBeebies Razzledazzle programmes and BBC Schools Listen and Play radio series.  Her most recent books, Toxic Childhood: how modern life is damaging our children and what we can do about it and Detoxing Childhood (both Orion Publishing) are aimed at parents as well as teachers.

• 1. Learning to Listen-Discrimination of sounds-Social Listening-Developing aural attention span-Developing auditory memory-Supporting children's listening2. Time to talk-Compensating for language delay-Talk during child-initiated activities-Vocabulary development-Repetition and innovation-Developing expressive language-Social language skills-Supporting talk during imaginative play3. Music, movement and memory-Development of steady beat, rhythm and rhyme-Articulation and song-Music and auditory memory-Left-right brain interaction-A musical setting4. Storytime!-Story-telling: developing listening skills-Story-telling: developing speaking skills-Reading aloud - five a day!-Developing imaginative engagement-Nurturing children's imaginations5. Learning about print-Awareness of print-Alphabet knowledge-Concepts about literacy-Sight words-Supporting children's involvement with print6. Tuning into sound-Phonological awareness-Phonemic awareness-Phonics: sound-symbol associations-Supporting the development of phonic knowledge7. Moving into writing-Handwriting movements-Letter formation-Pencil control-Shared writing-Supporting emergent writing8. Switching on the searchlights-The Foundations of Literacy curriculum-Fitting it in-Creating the Culture-Smooth transitionsAppendices-Language development-PREPARE chart-The phonemes of English-Handwriting groups and jingles for large-scale practice-Stages in emergent writing-Left-handed children-FoL audit sheet for practitioners working with 3-4 year olds-FoL audit sheet for practitioners working with 4-5 year olds-FoL audit sheet for practitioners working with 5-6 year olds-Phonics revisitedPractice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stages and FoLFurther readingRecommended resources