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ICT and Literacy - Foundation
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Helen Smith, NGfL Adviser
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ICT and early Literacy development
- Speaking competently and listening with understanding are vital to early literacy development.
- Programmable toys give opportunities to use precise language and give instructions.
- Shared reading and word level work should begin at an early stage.
Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage
The teacher provides opportunities for children to develop interest in, and positive attitudes towards, ICT:
- Observe and talk about the use of ICT
- Operate simple equipment, with opportunities to show others how to use.
- Complete a simple program on the computer.
- Name parts of the computer: computer, mouse, monitor, keyboard, printer, speakers.
- Begin to use appropriate vocabulary: click, double click, cursor, point, screen, CD ROM.
- Find out about and identify the uses of everyday technology
- Take apart and reassemble!
- ICT in role play areas
Examples of ICT
- Talking word processor with word banks or grids
- Talking books (CD ROM or Internet)
- Paint program to develop early mark making
- Telephone, CD ROMs, TV, video and music tapes
First experiences
- Identify and use: Enter, space bar, letters of the child's name, numbers to 9, backspace.
- Use the mouse to point and left click on an object on screen (to navigate a talking book or CD ROM).
- Use the mouse to point, select and drag an object on screen (My World - Dress Teddy; click and drag in a paint program, tracing a shape or their name from an OHT placed on the screen).
- Use a talking word processor to type own name.
Appropriate vocabulary: point, select, drag, open, close, print, program
Leading to .
- Use icons to select functions: pen colour or brush size in paint program; font size in word processing program.
- Use the mouse to point, select (and drag) words from a topic bank (match simple words and pictures: sorting activity).
- Identify and use the shift key for capital letters when typing one's name.
- Identify and use the print icon to print independently.
Appropriate vocabulary: icon, font, shift
Literacy software for the foundation stage
Clicker
Clicker grids involve matching sounds, letters and pictures, and sentence building.
Free grids may be downloaded from Cricksoft. Ideally, you require Clicker4, but some grids can be used with Clicker3.
Letter Recognition 2 consists of 25 grids. These grids help early learners begin to recognize initial letters when given a picture and a word. There is a grid for each letter of the alphabet (excluding x) with seven pictures on each, four of which begin with that letter.
Talking stories / dictionaries on CD ROM
Oxford Reading Tree Talking Stories from Sherston
My First Dictionary (formerly My First Incredible Amazing Dictionary) from DK
Living Books are more sophisticated, but young children enjoy exploring the screens.
Advantages of CD ROM talking stories:
- Text, illustrations, page numbers are faithfully reproduced on screen.
- Left-to-right progression is reinforced.
- Individual words are spoken when clicked.
- Speaking characters give additional background.
- Animation encourages active exploration.
On line 'talking stories' cannot deliver sound and animation as quickly as CD ROM. Here are two quite good examples:
Sunshine Online Big Books
BBC Little Animals Activity Centre
Introducing the Pixie in Year R
The Pixie robot is too sophisticated to introduce 'cold'. Plan a progression, beginning with children moving on a large floor grid, before introducing the Pixie 'playground':
- Physically following directions, moving on a floor grid
- Moving large toys following directions on the floor grid
- Child in role as the 'Pixie', following instructions on the floor grid
- Move Pixie on 'playground', following verbal instructions
- Children assist each other, using instructions on cards
Introduction to the Pixie
Literacy activities for Reception
Web sites to support early Literacy development
Sebastian Swan Big Books
Sunshine Online Big Books
Clicker Grids for Learning
Early Birds: action songs for young children
Scroll down, click 'Guests'.
BBC Little Animals Activity Centre (4 - 8 years) Flash and Shockwave required
Under Fives
Nursery World: free resources for teachers
