At Excel Primary School, we believe that learning to read and write is a journey. It begins long before a child writes their first word. Through carefully planned stages, we help our learners develop the confidence, coordination and early literacy skills they need to become strong readers and writers.
It starts in Nursery
Before children can write, they need to develop the physical skills needed to hold and control a pencil.
In our Nursery class, children take part in activities that strengthen their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Through drawing, colouring, tracing, play activities and other practical exercises, children gradually learn how to control their hands and fingers.
These early skills prepare them to hold a pencil correctly and begin making purposeful marks on paper.
Introducing letters in Reception
As children move into Reception, we begin to build on the skills they developed in Nursery.
One of the early steps in our literacy programme is introducing children to the alphabet and helping them become familiar with letters and their shapes. We use alphabet tracing books and other activities to help children practise forming letters while developing their confidence in writing.
At this stage, children are not simply memorising letters. They are learning to recognise them, say their sounds and understand how letters are used to form words.
From sounds to reading
As children progress through Reception, we gradually introduce phonics to help them understand the relationship between letters and sounds.
With regular practice, children begin to blend sounds together to read simple words. This is an important step in developing independent reading because children learn to work out words rather than simply memorising them.
We make literacy learning practical, engaging and age-appropriate so that children can develop their skills while enjoying the process.
Ready for Primary School
By the time our Reception learners are ready to enter primary school, we want them to have a strong foundation in literacy.
Our goal is for children to be able to recognise letters and their sounds, use phonics to read simple words and sentences and enjoy reading short, age-appropriate storybooks.
Seeing a child who once struggled to hold a pencil confidently pick up a storybook and read a short sentence is one of the most rewarding parts of our work.
At Excel, we do not rush the process. We build literacy step by step — from developing the motor skills needed to write, to recognising letters, understanding sounds, reading words and eventually reading short sentences independently.
We believe that when children are given the right foundation, patience and encouragement, they can begin their primary school journey as confident and excited young readers.
