Reading Progression in Early Years autumn 2021

Early Learning Goal for Word reading

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Say a sound for each letter in the alphabet and at least 10 digraphs;
• Read words consistent with their phonic knowledge by sound blending
• Read aloud simple sentences and books that are consistent with their phonic knowledge, including some common exception words.

EYFS expectations towards

Early Learning Goal for Comprehension

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Demonstrate an understanding of what has been read to them by retelling stories and narratives using their own words and recently introduced vocabulary
• Anticipate – where appropriate – key events in stories
• Use and understand recently introduced vocabulary during discussions about stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems during role-play

Links to Key Stage One Curriculum

• Use phonic knowledge to read new words
• Read words with contractions
• Read words ending in -s, -es, -ing, -ed, -er and -est
• Link their reading to their own experiences.
• Predict what a character might do next
• Re-read books to build up fluency and confidence
• Re-read to check that what they are reading makes sense
• Recognise and join in with repeated words and phrases
• Can pick out the title from other text
• Make inferences about how a character feels based on what they say and do
• Can retell known stories, traditional tales and fairy stories
• Know the difference between fiction and nonfiction texts.

Concepts about print

All children learn:

1. Print has meaning
2. Print can have different purposes
3. We read English text from left to right and top to bottom
4. The names of the different parts of a book
5. Page sequencing

Phonological awareness

Nursery children:

• Take part in Letters and Sounds Phase One activities so they can:

• Recognise and respond to familiar environmental sounds
• Remember and repeat simple rhythms
• Join in with words and actions to familiar songs

• Spot and suggest rhymes
• Count or clap syllables in a word
• Recognise words with the same initial sound
• Orally segment and blend simple words

Reception children:

• Take part in daily, systematic phonics activities

• Read individual letters by saying the sounds for them
• Blend sounds into words, so that they can read short words made up of known letter-sound correspondences
• Read some letter groups that each represent one sound and say sounds for them
• Read a few common exception words matched to the school’s phonic programme – Letters and Sounds
• Read simple phrases and sentences made up of words with known letter-sound correspondences and, where necessary, a few exception words.

Year One children:

• Apply phonic knowledge and skills as the route to decode words
• Respond speedily with the correct sound to graphemes (letters or groups of letters) for all 40+ phonemes, including, where applicable, alternative sounds for graphemes
• Read aloud phonically decodable texts at age appropriate level (Phase 5 L&S)
• Read accurately by blending sounds in unfamiliar words containing GPCs that have been taught
• Read most common exception words at Phase 5
• L&S, noting unusual correspondences between spelling and sound and where these occur in the word
• Read all all common suffixes listed in Appendix 1: e.g. -s, -es, -ing, -ed, -er, -est.
• Read most multi-syllable words containing taught GPCs at Phase 5 L&S.
• Read words with contractions [for example, I’m, I’ll, we’ll], and understand that the apostrophe represents the omitted letter(s)
• Read aloud accurately books that are consistent with their developing phonic knowledge and that do not require them to use other strategies to work out words – phonically decodable texts at age appropriate level (Phase 5 L&S level or equivalent)
• Re-read these books to build up their fluency and confidence in word reading - phonically decodable texts at age appropriate level (Phase 5 L&S)

Range of

reading and familiarity with texts

Nursery children:

• Engage in storytimes using books that will develop their vocabulary
• Have access to a well-resourced book area and books within areas of provision
• Share home-school reading books which are of good quality for children to read and talk about with their families
• Engage with non-fiction books
• Enjoy listening to longer stories and can remember much of what happens
• Know many rhymes, are able to talk about familiar books and are able to tell a ‘long’ story
• Engage with the interdependent strands of language experiences – speaking, listening, reading and mark-making through carefully planned phases of child and adult-led experiences based on quality texts
• Know that their stories can be drawn or written to be retold or re-read.

Reception children:

• Engage in storytimes using books that will develop their vocabulary
• Have access to a well-resourced book area and books within areas of provision
• Share home-school reading books which are of good quality for children to read and talk about with their families
• Engage in non-fiction books
• Listen to and talk about stories to build familiarity and understanding
• Retell a story, once they have developed a deep familiarity with a text, some as exact repetition and some in their own words
• Listen to and talk about selected non-fiction to develop a deep familiarity with new knowledge and vocabulary
• Describe events in some detail
• Engage in Talk for Writing based on quality texts
• Use their developing understanding of stories (through Talk for writing and Tales Toolkit) to create their own stories to be read.

Year One children:

Develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by:

• Demonstrates much enthusiasm for listening and responding to rhymes and poems. Almost always join to appreciate rhymes and poems, and to recite some by heart.
• Identify the predictable phrases in a text and usually enjoys saying them aloud with the class.

• Listen attentively to a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently. Contributes relevant ideas and thoughts to discussions.
• Becoming very familiar with key stories, fairy stories and traditional tales, retelling them and considering their particular characteristics. Recall a few basic features of age-appropriate key stories, fairy stories and traditional tales, retelling them in order and identifying some characteristics.
• Listening to and discussing a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction.
• Being encouraged to link what they read or hear read to their own experiences. Identify basic similarities and differences between their own experience and that of story characters and demonstrates understanding through talk or role play.
• Discussing word meanings, linking new meanings to those already known. Usually draw on their existing vocabulary tospeculate on the meaning of new words they encounter and explain the link they have noticed.

Understanding

In Nursery:

• Understand ‘why’ questions, like, “Why do you think the caterpillar got fat?”
• Engage in extended conversations about stories, learning new vocabulary
• Develop an understanding of stories through Tales Toolkit

In Reception:

• Understand how to listen carefully and why listening is so important
• Learn new vocabulary
• Ask questions to find out more and to check they understand what has been said to them
• Re-read books to build up their confidence in word reading, their fluency and their understanding and enjoyment
• Develop an understanding of stories through Tales Toolkit

In Year One:

Understand both the books they can already read accurately and fluently and those they listen to by:

• Drawing on what they already know or on background information and vocabulary provided by the teacher.  Usually ask and answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about what they have read and know where to look for information.
• Checking that the text makes sense to them as they read and correcting inaccurate reading. Usually check that the text makes sense to them as they read and goes back to self-correct inaccurate reading.
• Discussing the significance of the title and events.
• Discuss the link between events and the text title.
• Making inferences on the basis of what is being said and done. Demonstrate simple Inference.
• Predicting what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far.  Usually predict what might happen with responses linked closely to the story characters, plot and language read so far.
• Participate in discussion about what is read to them, taking turns and listening to what others say. Contribute ideas and thoughts to discussion, remembers significant events/ key information and usually follows the agreed rules for effective discussion.
• Explain clearly their understanding of what is read to them.  Express views about events or characters in the story and explain clearly their understanding of what is read to them.