Download Observation and Assessment of Learning for Literacy


Primary Literacy Resource
Observation and
Assessment of
Learning for Literacy
Foundation Stage
Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
Primary Literacy Resource
Ensuring a Firm Foundation
The Foundation Stage provides teachers and children with the opportunity to develop and build on
the skills necessary for communication in all its forms – Talking and Listening, Reading and
Writing and to lay a firm foundation for future learning.
Provided with the full range of literacy approaches and experiences most children will make the
progress outlined in the Progression Statements in Language and Literacy in the Foundation
Stage. However children learn at different rates and in different ways and these statements
should be regarded as a guide to expected achievement. Often children simply require more time
to consolidate learning and we need to be wary of labelling children as underachieving at this
stage. It is therefore essential to continually observe, assess and record children’s progress and
to use the information gained to plan and focus short-term learning.
A small percentage of children in the Foundation Stage may give cause for concern. They may
come to school with underdeveloped oracy, e.g. poor listening skills, limited vocabulary and
difficulty expressing themselves. It is imperative that time is taken to extend their experiences and
develop their understanding, giving them the vocabulary to talk about what they have seen and
done. This MUST become part of their literacy learning. It is essential to their development as
readers and writers. It is not time wasted. It is the foundation on which to build!
‘Language and Literacy in the Foundation Stage’ states that children should be working in guided
reading groups by the first term in Year 2. Most children will achieve this. However there may be
a group of children who are ‘almost there’. They have the pieces of the jigsaw but need further
tightly focused support to connect their learning.
Some children may be identified as low achieving with a variety of difficulties which may include
literacy and will need more focused additional in-school support.
Each step of the teaching, learning and assessment cycle depends on and builds on the other.
The teacher identifies and plans the approaches to use to develop knowledge, skills and
understanding, scaffolds and assesses the learning and teaching, thus enabling the children to
make connections and progress. Teachers should plan and record many assessment
opportunities which will build to give a detailed profile of the child, identifying current learning and
the next steps.
Our aim should be that all children enter KS1 as confident in their talking and listening, reading
and writing. In response to teacher questions about observation and assessment in the foundation
years the attached progression document provides a framework for all the information outlined in
the relevant booklets in ‘Language and Literacy in the Foundation Stage’. It may be used to
support literacy planning but does not necessarily cover the extent of the possible tasks and
assessment opportunities.
Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
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Inter-ELB Primary Literacy Resource
Observation and Assessment
of Learning for Literacy
TALKING AND LISTENING
Year 1-2
Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
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Primary Literacy Resource
By the end of Year 1
most children will:

be able to listen attentively to a
range of stimuli
Experiences throughout the Year
Children should have opportunities to:
listen to a range of interesting and varied
resources, e.g. music, poetry, stories, using
various media (radio/CD’s);
 listen for a variety of purposes.
[Language and Literacy in the Foundation Stage
Framework page 3]

Play a range of listening games, e.g.
 barrier games

Simon Says

listen and do

sequencing patterns

using Bee-bot

Interview/question a puppet/character from
a familiar story.

Ask questions about a photograph/ picture.

accurately follow an
instruction and give a simple
instruction

make relevant responses and
ask questions which will
provide them with the
information they want
use pictures to create stories
select and read/say rhymes or poems
use story boxes to create or re-create
stories and events
work with talking partners. Find simple
solutions to problems.
choose and use resources that stimulate
discussion about personal experiences

take an active part in story
telling/story reading
talk about and make
connections between their
own experiences and those of
others or of characters in
stories


be able to listen to and carry
out instructions
Participate in activities which require them to:
 listen carefully, give and use relevant
information;
 listen, recall and carry out simple
instructions.

be able to answer questions,
e.g.
- to give information and ask
questions
- to find information or seek
an explanation.





be able to talk about personal
experiences
be able to retell stories in
sequence
give an opinion on a story or
event
know a wide-range of rhymes,
poems and songs
Exemplar Follow-up Tasks
participate in modelled and shared activities
which focus on the different forms of
questioning to gain, clarify or confirm
information and explore ideas


listen to stories, e.g. as preparation for
drama
listen to music as a stimulus for imaginative
response.
listen to and identify:
- sounds in the environment;
- a short series of sounds.
Exemplar Spontaneous or
Planned Assessment
Opportunities
[demonstration and evaluation
of learning]
Children will
 make a personal response
through music/art/
movement/drama/story telling
[‘Right there’ and ‘Think about’ questions.]

participate in activities which enable them to
use oral language to observe, predict,
sequence, reason and verbalise their
thoughts.






Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
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Primary Literacy Resource
By the end of Year 1
most children will:

be able to express some
thoughts, ideas and feelings,
e.g. through drama

be able to listen to others and
respond, demonstrating some
social conventions, e.g. eye
contact, turn taking

recognise some words that
rhyme.
be able to generate rhyme, eg.
rhyming strings ‘hat’, ‘fat’, ‘sat’
show some awareness of the
structure of words by
recognising syllables and
sounds within words


Experiences throughout the Year



Exemplar Follow-up Tasks
engage in spontaneous and directed role
play independently and with teacher/adult
in role, developing creativity through
imaginative play and extending their
learning through dramatic play
listen to the views and ideas of others
participate in modelled and shared whole
class or small group discussions in a
variety of contexts which focus on the
appropriate social courtesies, e.g.
- greeting;
- apologising;
- thanking someone;
- accepting/giving invitations.
make and use puppets/props/ ’small world’
toys for story related drama activities
 act out scenarios [e.g. an imaginary
journey]
 use voice and mime to express character
feelings in response to problems
In small groups:
 Role play situations related to children’s
experiences, e.g.
- home/family
- school
- doctors
- garage
- baby clinic
 with talking partners talk about a range of
topics or problem solve to complete task
A range of activities requiring children to:
 listen
 clap
 sort
 select

participate in modelled and shared
activities which:
- reinforce the patterning in spoken
language and begin to make links
between speech sounds and written
letters;
explore the structure of words and how
to break words into manageable
chunks.
[Language and Literacy in the Foundation
Stage page 3]

Exemplar Spontaneous or
Planned Assessment
Opportunities
[demonstration and evaluation
of learning]
Children will
 demonstrate thoughts, ideas
and feelings through actions
and language
 know how to take turns in role

participate in pairs/groups
using appropriate verbal and
non-verbal means of
communication

respond accurately to games
and activities
(Ref: Phonological Awareness and Talking
and Listening booklets - Language and
Literacy in the Foundation Stage)
Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
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Primary Literacy Resource
By the end of Year 2
most children will:

listen with increasing
attentiveness and for longer
periods of time

listen to and carry out more
complex instructions

express themselves with
increasing clarity and
confidence, using a wider
vocabulary and more complex
sentence structure
Experiences throughout the Year
Exemplar Follow-up Tasks
Children should have opportunities to:
 watch, listen and respond to media
texts/talking books/tapes/television
programmes;
 talk in pairs/groups on a range of contexts.
 listen to others sharing experiences or
reporting back.
[Language and Literacy in the Foundation
Stage Page 3]
Engage in activities which require them to:
 listen and recall a series of instructions;
 ask questions for clarification;
 play oral memory games.


Listen with attention in order to:
 create a joint story map/mind map
 contribute to displays
 explore themes and ideas in stories
 plan classroom activities, e.g. linked to a
topic or area of play
Follow a sequence of instructions to complete
activities, e.g.
 sequence patterns
 play table top games.
Give instructions to complete activities, e.g.
 give directions (using Bee-bot)
 describe steps to complete a simple
construction
 discover and describe variations in pictures.
Compare and contrast.
 sort and classify pictures, photos, 3D
materials discussing and explaining their
attributes
 participate in a range of language activities
to develop comprehension skills, e.g.
through drama, role play, music, literature
to make a personal response or solve
problems
talk about their work, play and things they
have made
participate in a range of activities which
require them to explain what needs to be
done and give reasons for their choices,
actions or needs
Exemplar Spontaneous or
Planned Assessment
Opportunities
[demonstration and evaluation
of learning]
Children will
 Demonstrate active listening
through relevant questions
and comments.

successfully complete
independent tasks which
require active listening and a
definitive response

speak fluently in a range of
situations using relevant
vocabulary for the purpose
Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
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Primary Literacy Resource
By the end of Year 2
most children will:


Experiences throughout the Year
understand and use social
convention in conversations
and child initiated interactions

be able to retell stories, events
or personal experiences in
sequence with reasonable
detail




offer reasons to support
opinions given

Exemplar Follow-up Tasks
initiate and engage in conversations taking
turns with adults or other children
share materials and ideas




engage with a wide range of interesting and
stimulating books to familiarise themselves
with the structures and language features of
texts
retell familiar stories or personal events,
adding detail, e.g. using who, what, where,
when, why

have opportunities to listen, share, discuss
and exchange views in order to extend
ideas.


sharing ideas with a partner
paired/small group activities
sorting activities [open or closed].
problem solving activities [e.g. jigsaws/
construction/puzzles].
.
recall a story using pictures, props or
prompts
retell a story in drama, through music or
movement
Exemplar Spontaneous or
Planned Assessment
Opportunities
[demonstration and evaluation
of learning]
Children will:
 sustain a conversation –
spontaneous and planned

taking turns as speaker and
listener with peers and adults

show evidence of logical,
sequenced retells and
includes details of who, what,
where, when, why

participate in group
discussion using the
language of thinking , e.g. “I
think ____ because I saw/ I
did/it says, . . . etc.]
As a group
 create or retell a story or participate in a
scene with teacher narration
 make ‘sound story’ for stories/poems
 make ‘sound tracks’ for themes/topics in
activity based learning

work with talking partner or groups to
discuss situations or scenarios, real or
imagined, e.g. presents for Red Riding
Hood’s Grandma ; materials for 3 pigs to
protect their homes
make and use classification charts.
(Ref: Talking and Listening booklet
Language and Literacy in the Foundation
Stage)
Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
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Primary Literacy Resource
Observation and Assessment
of Learning for Literacy
READING
Year 1-2
Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
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Primary Literacy Resource
Key Elements of Emergent Literacy Leading to Guided Work
These elements of literacy run in parallel and should always be well planned, focused, observed, assessed and recorded.
Phonological
Awareness
Visual
Awareness
Environmental
Print
Developing
auditory
memory and
skills
Developing
visual memory
of pattern and
shape
Developing an
active, print
rich
environment
where children
see and make
meaning from
words,
phrases,
sentences in a
wide range of
contexts
Listening to
Stories
To motivate
and stimulate
imagination and
extend
vocabulary and
ideas through
talking and
listening
Modelled
Reading &
Writing
Shared
Reading &
Writing
Emerging
Independent
Reading &
Writing
Guided
Reading &
Writing
Focusing on all
strategies
necessary for
reading and
writing
Enabling the
children to
‘take-a-risk’
and become
comfortable
and confident
in using their
knowledge,
skills and
understanding
Children will
‘have-a-go’.
Teacher will
closely
observe,
assess and
record
Scaffolded
learning
working on
texts at
instructional
level for
reading [see
Language
and Literacy
in the
Foundation
Stage]
Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
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Primary Literacy Resource
By the end of Year 1
most children will:



understand that print has
meaning and that meaning
does not change and that the
printed word remains constant
can browse in order to choose
a book.
retell stories from memory or
by using pictures or props, oral
prompts, memory
Experiences throughout the Year



make predictions about what
will happen next
make links between own
experiences and the text
Exemplar Follow-up Tasks
Children should have opportunities to:
 enjoy a range of stories, poems and nonfiction texts read to them by adults/other
children
 share a wide range of books with
parents/carers
 recognise the purpose of printed and
handwritten words in a variety of settings
(e.g. stories, notes, labels, signs, notices,
letters, lists, directions, comics)
 distinguish between print and pictures
 see words can be written down to be read
again
 see the same words written in a range of
contexts
 use title, cover, blurb and illustrations to
predict type of text and content
 use books to find out about things that
interest them



Exemplar Spontaneous or
Planned Assessment
Opportunities
[demonstration and
evaluation of learning]






Read
- independent reading material (easy
reads)
- wall stories
- poems from poetry box
follow taped stories or use animated
software, for example, Living Books or
story websites
use story sacks.
‘Read around the room’- environmental
print.
Children will:
 assign a constant message to
familiar texts
browse in book corner, select from book
boxes/read stories to friends or toys
use a big book in pairs or small groups

talk about how story book language works
and use when retelling stories (e.g. “Once
upon a time……”, “She lived in a little ……”,
he replied)
participate during play and role play in a
variety of situations and scenarios both
familiar and imaginative
Retell stories using:
 puppet play
 story boxes
 sequence pictures, e.g.
- a series
- select pictures to complete a sequence
- draw to complete a sequence
use pictures and text, e.g. stories, lists,
information books, to make predictions
talk about personal experiences and
background knowledge to help make sense
of text




role play a scenario based on a known
book
create a story, e.g. using a story box
using a picture and/or simple text give
ideas and opinions on what might happen
next
make their own books


choose to read for a variety of
purposes
talk about the choices they
have made
give main ideas in order
Children
 say what might happen in a
story or situation with reference
to own experiences.
Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
10
Primary Literacy Resource
By the end of Year 1
most children will:

an copy, follow, initiate and
maintain a steady beat of
increasingly complex
movement
Experiences throughout the Year






show some awareness that
words are made up of sounds
and syllables
understand that sounds are
represented by letters
show an awareness of the
sounds at the beginning,
middle and end of a word












Exemplar Spontaneous or
Planned Assessment
Opportunities
[demonstration and
evaluation of learning]
Exemplar Follow-up Tasks
engage in activities which develop steady
beat, e.g.
children match steady beat to verbal
instruction
‘Watch and Copy’
[Language and Literacy in the Foundation
Stage Phonological Awareness pg 2/3].
engage in a programme of phonological
awareness
develop an understanding of the sound
structure of language :
 auditory discrimination and memory
 rhyme awareness
 syllable awareness
develop the concept of a word , both oral
and written
be able to segment, blend and manipulate
phonemes orally
develop the concepts of first, in the middle,
last, same, different
develop visual discrimination including the
concept of letter shapes
explore letter shapes –lower and upper
case
use terms ‘word’ and’ letter’ correctly
make connections between sounds and
letters
use knowledge of sound symbol
correspondence to help decode words
talk about ways that unknown words can be
read. e.g. using picture cues, contextual
cues, sound cues

encourage children to explore movements
to accompany steady beat
(See Language and Literacy in
Foundation Stage)
Engage children in a range of activities to
develop:
 auditory discrimination and
memory
 visual discrimination and memory
 rhyme awareness
 syllable awareness
See Phonological awareness - Language and
Literacy in Foundation Stage.
Ref: A Sound Start ( Linguistic Phonics)





blend and segment words
build ‘cvc’ words
match ‘cvc ‘words/phrases to pictures
sort letter shapes
identify position of sounds in words

demonstrate attention and
listening skills.
Demonstrate understanding of:
 auditory discrimination and
memory
 visual discrimination and
memory
 rhyme awareness
 syllable awareness
 sound symbol
correspondence
Apply sound symbol
correspondence when reading.
Children will:
Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
11
Primary Literacy Resource
By the end of Year 1
most children will:

develop concepts of print
Experiences throughout the Year







Use context and syntax to
make predictions about words.
Use prior knowledge and
pictures to make sense of text.

recognise some familiar words
in context





Exemplar Spontaneous or
Planned Assessment
Opportunities
[demonstration and
evaluation of learning]
Exemplar Follow-up Tasks
track the text in the right order:
- page by page
- left to right
- top to bottom and
- making one-to-one correspondence
between written and spoken words
use capital letters for:
- the start of their own names
- those of characters in books
- the start of sentences
develop the concept of a sentence – that it
is a group of words that make sense;
distinguish between the end of a sentence
and the end of a line.
encounter new words in modelled and
shared reading
listen to a wide range of genre being read
adult involvement in role play, drama and
discussion with children.


develop visual memory and discrimination
read texts at independent level (including
their own writing/ books)
engage with a print rich environment
Read
 picture captions
 refrains.
 character names
 bold print, italic print, speech bubbles
 familiar texts
 ‘read round the room’ – environmental
print







identify features in texts
highlight a specific feature, e.g. on
acetate sheet/interactive whiteboard
participate in relevant aspects during
shared reading and writing
sentence building, e.g. ‘washing line’
activity
sorting activities, e.g. words beginning
with a capital letter and those without;
words-letters
rearrange jumbled sentences

role play linked to stories and poems,
using appropriate props
engage with a selection of unfamiliar texts
suggest missing words in a simple oral
cloze

read from a familiar text,
tracking text accurately.
talk about stories, events and
situations using appropriate
vocabulary related to the
experience
 attempt to work out unfamiliar
words
Children will:
 be able to locate and read
some significant parts of the
text [books, environmental print
etc …].
Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
12
Primary Literacy Resource
By the end of Year 1
most children will:

understand and use some
language associated with
books

understand the purpose of
environmental print

be aware of the features in
written language

follow pictorial instructions

recognise different types of
text
Experiences throughout the Year



Exemplar Follow-up Tasks
[through modelled and shared reading] talk
about and use terms about books and print
correctly, (book, cover, beginning, end,
page, line, word, title, author, illustrator,
speech bubble
handle books correctly
engage within a print rich environment with
a wide range of written material which give
information or instructions.







[Through modelled and shared experiences]

explore features in written language, e.g.
directionality, spaces between words, bold
print, speech bubbles
 explore punctuation in written language,
e.g. exclamation marks, question marks,
capital letters and full stops
 talk about why a sentence ends with a full
stop
 talk about why we use a question mark
 follow and give simple instructions in a
range of everyday situations



Exemplar Spontaneous or
Planned Assessment
Opportunities
[demonstration and
evaluation of learning]


Read:
‘Easy reads’
books about same topic
books by same author
participate in setting up book displays
‘read the walls’
follow pictorial/written instructions
create labels/instructions for wall displays
and different areas, e.g. role play area,
writing table, construction area
read familiar texts
talk about features of text, with a partner,
e.g. exclamation marks, speech bubbles
Follow pictorial instructions to:
 play board games
 play simple singing, rhyming games
 make a model, mask, puppet, etc.
look and talk about a variety of texts,
differently e.g. stories, lists, information
books
hear how they are read differently
enjoy a range of computer-generated texts,
e.g. Clicker, interactive books on CD Rom


make and read e.g. own stories, lists,
notices, labels for something they have
made, drawn, painted.
talk about the differences between
poem/rhymes, cartoons/ photographs

demonstrate their knowledge
when talking about books in a
wide range of day to day
situations.

recognise and respond to print
or symbols in the environment

demonstrate knowledge of text
features when joining in or
reading from familiar texts (e.g.
speaking loudly for bold print)
Children will:
 follow a simple sequence of
pictures to complete a task

notice and identify different
types of texts in the classroom
Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
13
Primary Literacy Resource
By the end of Year 1
most children will:

talk about what has been read
and say what they have
enjoyed or found out using an
increased vocabulary
Experiences throughout the Year






Exemplar Spontaneous or
Planned Assessment
Opportunities
[demonstration and
evaluation of learning]
Exemplar Follow-up Tasks
join in rhymes and stories.
talk about stories, e.g. characters, favourite
part, beginning, middle, end
explore and use the language from various
texts
listen to the language the teacher uses
when discussing texts and begin to use to
use an enriched vocabulary in their own
responses
actively engage with texts in a variety of
ways, e.g. story boxes, role play,
dramatisation
participate in story innovations (changing
characters, setting, Goldilocks visiting the
classroom at break time)



sequence scenes, wall stories, story
maps,
match pictures or props to characters
illustrate, make models, dramatise


demonstrate their
understanding of stories,
events and characters
share preferences
Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
14
Primary Literacy Resource


By the end of Year 2
most children will:
Experiences throughout the Year
talk about own experiences
and feelings to help them
understand the text, e.g.
“Mummy bear will be cross
because my mummy was
cross when my chair was
broken”
Children should have opportunities to:
 tap into prior knowledge/experience, e.g.
through rich story introduction, using
pictures and props,
 make links to personal/previous
experience
 highlight cause and effect

give reasons for opinion

engage in modelled/shared experiences
listening to the opinions of others;
look for clues in illustrations and text
use the language of thinking “I think …
because …”.



Exemplar Follow-up Tasks





give reasons for their
predictions


use a variety of strategies to predict
stories or events, e.g.
- draw on background knowledge
- ask questions “Why do you think that
…?” “How do you know?”
give reasons for predictions made, using
pictures and text
Exemplar Spontaneous or
Planned Assessment
Opportunities
[demonstration and
evaluation of learning]



contribute to group or paired talk about
stories
use pictures/props to enhance their
understanding of the text, e.g. create a
scene from the story or illustrate what is
going to happen next
Children will:
 answer and give reasons to
‘thinking’ questions, .e.g.
‘How would you feel if …?’
‘Why do you think …?’
‘How did you feel when …?’
sort objects/pictures, etc. in a variety of
ways explaining and explaining choices
make close observations of pictures and
photographs, give interpretations of what
they notice
answer different types of questions (‘right
there’, ‘think and search’ and ‘on my own’
select true/false statements

give own ideas and reasons
Answer ‘think and search’ and ‘on my own’.
questions
Use different clues to support predictions,
e.g. pictures, text, own experiences
Cause and effect activities, e.g. matching
pictures, selecting the most likely option,
drawing or acting out what is going to
happen

contribute to discussion
generated by ‘prediction
questions’, e.g.
‘What do you think the problem
is?’
‘What do you think happens
next?’
find evidence by reading or
identifying appropriate clues

Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
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Primary Literacy Resource
By the end of Year 2
most children will:


Experiences throughout the Year
transfer understanding to new
situations by making
connections, e.g. talk about
how a character might react in
a different situation such as
Red Riding Hood in the
shopping centre

choose books for a specific
purpose









read and use environmental
print within the school

Exemplar Spontaneous or
Planned Assessment
Opportunities
[demonstration and
evaluation of learning]
Exemplar Follow-up Tasks
extend understanding by exploring
feelings and making connections
clarify meaning by commenting and
answering questions
build up a picture of a character
explore a simple theme/plot
participate in story innovations



engage in story innovation – changing one
aspect, e.g. character, setting, ending
create story map or simple timeline of own
story
dramatise /role play created stories
create a story box.
choose books for specific topics
use title, blurb cover and illustrations to
predict type of text and read to confirm
begin to locate information in a variety of
ways, e.g. using a contents page
engage in activities around a topic using
the planning board to state what they
already know and identify what they want
to find out



categorise books on different topics/themes
talk about the choices they make
find answers to simple questions

select appropriate material for
a specific purpose (i.e.
books/pictures) and give
reasons for choices
become familiar and engage with a wide
range of uses for environmental print

write and read labels and notices for every
day activities/routines [vary these frequently]
use flyers, posters, etc. in play situations

respond appropriately to
familiar and unfamiliar
environmental texts.




Children will:
generate new stories or
outcomes based on stories
read
engage in problem solving
activities around a familiar
theme or story, e.g. ‘Pretend
you are a Troll. What would
you like to do at Troll Town
Fun Park?’
Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
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Primary Literacy Resource
By the end of Year 2
most children will:


retell and sequence stories, in
reasonable detail, using
appropriate language, e.g.
“After a while …”, “Soon after
…”.
use extended vocabulary
when discussing text, retelling
stories or in their emergent
writing
Experiences throughout the Year









begin to identify different
genres, e.g. instructions, fairy
tales, recount, reports
begin to recognise specific
features of some genres, e.g.
characters and setting in a
story; the sequence of
instructions
read and follow simple
instructions




retell stories during shared sessions
identify and discuss key features of story
language
exposure to a rich vocabulary during
modelled and shared reading
explore and discuss the language used in
a range of texts
become familiar with the language used
in a range of genre
explore words with similar meanings
Exemplar Spontaneous or
Planned Assessment
Opportunities
[demonstration and
evaluation of learning]
Exemplar Follow-up Tasks








explore the features of different genre
have opportunities to compare stories in
order to recognise similarities/differences
in a range of story types [fairy tale, animal
stories]
identify key features of some forms of
genre [e.g. letter, list, instructions]

engage in activities which require
following instructions [oral/written] across
the curriculum






retell stories giving the main points in
sequence
practise reading and using the story
language from books, media texts, round
the walls
re-enact stories in various ways.
use story boxes, puppets, role plays
talk about the characters, setting, and
events in a story
identify speech in stories
engage in role play/hot seating
find words for an interesting words chart e.g.
“These words are made for talking”
Children will:
 retell a story in chronological
order
 using descriptive language
when retelling

use some alternative
interesting words in their
talking or writing about
personal events or stories e.g.
big
- enormous
said - whispered
shouted
read and engage with books and poetry
around a topic, theme, events, and authors
draw or role-play characters
create models/illustrations of settings
choose an appropriate form during play, or
linked to a topic, e.g. caption, label, list,
greeting card


talk about the purpose of texts
choose to write in a genre/form
appropriate and purpose
follow oral/written instructions in PE.
read instructions to play simple
word/number games.
read/write instructions to make something

follow simple instruction to
complete the task
Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
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Primary Literacy Resource
By the end of Year 2
most children will:






Experiences throughout the Year
Exemplar Follow-up Tasks
begin to read with expression
in response to print variations
and punctuation, e.g. sounding
surprised, sounding angry,
stopping at a full stop
(through modelled and shared reading and
writing)
 become familiar with how to use print
features and/or punctuation when reading
or dramatising.

use sound symbol
correspondence to read
use more than one cue to
cross check
use a range of reading cues
with increasing independence
and begin to self correct
read on sight, some words in a
range of meaningful contexts
recognise the difference
between a line and a sentence



talk about range of reading cues
respond to scaffolded prompts
talk about strategies that help in problemsolving words
talk about the difference between a line
and a sentence


Exemplar Spontaneous or
Planned Assessment
Opportunities
[demonstration and
evaluation of learning]



read aloud from a range of familiar texts with
fluency using punctuation to enhance the
reading [question marks, exclamation
marks, bold/italic print]
record reading
identify simple punctuation in texts
add simple punctuation to texts where it is
missing
Guided and independent reading
[see Language and Literacy in the
Foundation Stage pages 12-15].


Children will:
demonstrate understanding
that punctuation affects how a
passage is read
read an unfamiliar text at
independent level using
phonological, contextual,
grammatical and graphic
knowledge to work out, predict
and check meanings of
unfamiliar words
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Primary Literacy Resource
Observation and Assessment
of Learning for Literacy
WRITING
Year 1-2
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19
Primary Literacy Resource
By the end of Year 1
most children will:

understand that printed text is
recorded speech
Experiences throughout the Year





see themselves as writers,
displaying confidence and
valuing their own writing in a
range of play activities




understand that writing is
formed directionally one word
at a time

Spontaneous or Planned
Assessment Opportunities
[demonstration and
evaluation of learning]
Exemplar Follow-up Tasks
participate in group talk followed by
modelled and shared writing recounting and
describing events and personal or imagined
experiences
watch the teacher orally rehearse
sentences before writing
re-read text together
read/join in with familiar songs, rhymes,
poems on display

participate in daily writing opportunities in
all learning areas and through play and
topic work
listen to a variety of text types and forms
being read to them and talk about the
purpose and audience
talk about the way writing is presented

throughout the day participate in modelled
and shared with focus on, e.g. demarcating
sentences, leaving spaces, taking new lines









say what they are going to write, re-read
their mark making/emergent writing
re-read shared writing
read song, poem and rhyme cards
Children will:
 re-visit and read their own
texts without significantly
altering the meaning
 read shared/familiar texts
choose to write in meaningful contexts e.g.
menus for the café, labels for displays,
recording own news/stories
choose their own resources, e.g. from the
writing table/box
read what has been written to a partner or
small group

identify sentences in text
orally structure a sentence
match cut-up text to pictures
re-order cut up sentences
write their own sentences/ books


initiate their own writing
activities
write for a range of purposes,
e.g. card/label/list.
demonstrate awareness of
directionality in emergent
writing
Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
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Primary Literacy Resource
By the end of Year 1
most children will:

begin to form some letters
correctly using a comfortable
pencil grip
Experiences throughout the Year



Spontaneous or Planned
Assessment Opportunities
[demonstration and
evaluation of learning]
Exemplar Follow-up Tasks
develop gross/fine motor skills and visual
discrimination. [See Handwriting in the
Foundation Stage]
participate in a range of purposeful writing
contexts
develop physical skills to support coordination and spatial awareness
Activities will enable children to develop:
 gross motor skills involving whole arm and
shoulder actions developing anti-clockwise
and vertical movements e.g. water painting
walls with large paint brushes, hoop rolling
 hand eye coordination and fine motor skills,
e.g. cutting with scissors, making patterns
in wet sand
 visual discrimination, e.g. matching
pictures, shapes and letters
•
•

Children will:
demonstrate progress through
the developmental stages
experiment with mark making and emergent
writing
*refine letter formation in context with
guidance from an adult e.g. when
attempting to write own name
*N.B. Adult needs to assess child’s point of
readiness before intervening.

begin to problem solve how to
write words



teacher models segmenting words and
using known sound symbol correspondnce
to write or encode words
talk about familiar/similar words
talk about how to access words using
environmental print





attempt to write words using marks/letter
like shapes
segment words using picture and object
prompts
blend sounds to re-read written words
use knowledge of sound symbol
correspondence to write
find and read words in the environment and
in texts



incorporate spaces between
words or word-like clusters
segment words when
attempting to write
will attempt to use sound
symbol correspondence when
writing independently
Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
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Primary Literacy Resource
By the end of Year 2
most children will:

make decisions about what
and how they will write
Experiences throughout the Year





write in a range of genre with
teacher guidance following
shared preparation.





Spontaneous or Planned
Assessment Opportunities
[demonstration and
evaluation of learning]
Exemplar Follow-up Tasks
participate in modelled and shared sessions
which demonstrate how writers make
choices about what to write and how to
write and take into consideration purpose
and audience
engage in reading, writing and discussing a
range of texts.
think about and select appropriate
vocabulary in response to prompts
become involved in creating a print rich
classroom environment which reflects their
needs and interests
become familiar with and contribute to a
problem solving approach as part of the
writing process. (Ref: Language and
Literacy in the Foundation Stage)
engage with a range of imaginative,
functional and information texts which
support the writing focus and use these in
appropriate contexts
participate in modelled /shared writing
sessions in all areas of the curriculum
which focuses on how different texts are
planned and constructed [text organisation
and language features].
be aware of learning intentions and success
criteria.
participate in setting up and organising a
class library










write for a given purpose, choosing form,
e.g. record class events as a wall story
choose purpose for personal writing
story innovation
Children will:
 talk about the purpose of their
writing

write in a way that
communicates the intended
message.
jointly construct, display and use some
forms of functional print, e.g. calendar,
dinner list, visual timetable
write simple reports following a
visit/film/text investigation, organising the
information under headings
write and illustrate directions/ instructions.
create story maps


produce writing which fulfils
the agreed success criteria
talk about the intended
audience and purpose
sort books into categories
keep books organised in the class library
research to find information about their own
questions
Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
22
Primary Literacy Resource
By the end of Year 2
most children will:

use rhymes, poems and
patterned stories as models for
structuring their own writing
Experiences throughout the Year




use a wider range of
vocabulary in their writing



Spontaneous or Planned
Assessment Opportunities
[demonstration and
evaluation of learning]
Exemplar Follow-up Tasks
engage with a range of books which
demonstrate clear structures; problem solve
in order to identify patterns and
characteristics
plan their writing, e.g. using pictures,
prompts or simple frameworks
have opportunities to read their own and
others’ writing.


participate in modelled and shared reading
where new vocabulary is introduced,
clarified and discussed
participate in modelled and shared writing
sessions where there is discussion about
word selection
engage in independent writing activities
where new vocabulary is incorporated









listen to and follow recorded stories.
read texts with clear patterns or structures
independently
write text innovations, changing one or
more element of a known story or rhyme,
e.g.. Humpty Dumpty sat on a chair.
work collaboratively to create a story
discussing and selecting from ideas
cards/pictures. This may be recorded in
written and/or oral form.
Children will:
 use a pattern in their writing
 read from and comment on
their own and others writing
comparing it with the known
text.
collaborative writing, e.g. string and shape
poems, descriptive captions
classify and sort a range of objects
according to given and/or their own criteria
– describing the attributes of each group
make collections of words e.g. range of
words for ‘said’, ‘went’
in a group describe a character from picture
cards orally or in writing for others to guess
add detail when retelling stories orally and
in writing
use picture and/or picture/word cards to
create compound words . Illustrate.
create sentences using cubes, cards, split
sentence books

use an increasing amount of
relevant detail in any of these
activities
Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
23
Primary Literacy Resource
By the end of Year 2
most children will:

begin to show evidence of
sequence in recount and
instructions
Experiences throughout the Year






begin to demarcate sentences
begin to use capital letters for
the pronoun ‘I’ for names and
the start of a sentence



Spontaneous or Planned
Assessment Opportunities
[demonstration and
evaluation of learning]
Exemplar Follow-up Tasks
participate in and discuss activities across
the curriculum which emphasise the
importance of sequence

participate in ‘show and tell’ sessions to
demonstrate how they did or made
something
participate in problem solving in order to
identify sequence in texts
participate in modelled and shared writing
where sequencing is emphasised

engage in problem solving in order to
understand that punctuation helps clarify
meaning and helps the reader know how
the writing is meant to sound when reading
aloud
participate in modelled and shared reading
and writing in whole class or small group
sessions to focus on the use of punctuation
in context
read texts which demonstrate return sweep
and talk about the position of punctuation







re-order sentences or groups of sentences
from cut up fiction/non-fiction texts
write instructions or recount, using a
planning framework, if necessary
draw and label steps in a procedure/
instructions or events in a story
role play – interviewer/story teller/ maker
using framework to ask questions about the
sequence of a story or procedure
Children will:
 demonstrate sequence when
writing recounts and
instructions
build sentences incorporating basic
punctuation
write for a variety of purposes including
labels, single sentences and longer texts
e.g. recounts, reports
identify and highlight words in texts that
have capital letters and talk about the use
i.e. names, ‘I’ and starts of sentences
match upper and lower case letters
read aloud plays or stories in a group or
individually [this may be recorded] using the
punctuation to make reading interesting.

write a few simple sentences
including some demarcation
and appropriate use of capital
letters.
Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
24
Primary Literacy Resource
By the end of Year 2
most children will:

show increased independence
when writing words
Experiences throughout the Year


Exemplar Follow-up Tasks
participate in modelled and shared activities
which enable them to investigate and
engage in word building for the most
common sound-letter correspondence
recognising also some variation in the code
participate in a range of reading and writing
experiences at independent level

•


show increased control over
formation of lower and upper
case letters, size and spacing
Spontaneous or Planned
Assessment Opportunities
[demonstration and
evaluation of learning]
[See Handwriting in the Foundation Stage.]
 see letters formed correctly in modelled and
shared writing
 see demonstration of specific letter
formation and ‘have-a-go’ e.g. on
whiteboards
 be given guidance on letter formation in
small groups or as individuals, at the child’s
point of readiness

word building activities using
plastic/magnetic letters, paper squares,
whiteboards which enable them to:
- recognise the one to one sound –
symbol relationships;
- work left to right across a word;
- hear and see blocks of sounds in
words;
- segment and blend blocks of
sounds;
- recognise that sounds can be
represented by more than one letter;
sorting and matching activities to enable
them to:
- recognise that the same phoneme can
be spelt in more that one way;
- recognise that the same spelling may
represent more than one sound;
Children will:
 write words which can be
read by others
 write some ’CVC’ and familiar
words correctly
read and access words from the classroom
environment e.g. captions, instructions,
print relating to topics.
further activities to develop hand eye
coordination and fine motor skills, visual
discrimination and letter formation. (See
Year 1)
engage with a series of short activities
which enable them to ‘have-a-go’ in context
e.g. tongue-twisters or short poems for
collections, songs for assembly

show increasing control over
formation of lower and upper
case letters, size and spacing
in their independent writing
Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
25
Primary Literacy Resource
Self – Reflection
Ask!

Do I give sufficient time and focus to all the elements of literacy or do I rush too quickly to get the children reading/writing ‘words’?

Do I plan my literacy observations?

Do I use the information to provide relevant experiences to meet the needs of the children?

Do I plan opportunities for children to engage in appropriately differentiated tasks?

Do children have opportunities to work in different groupings, e.g. pairs, small groups, whole class?

Do I ensure that children are actively engaged in modelled and shared reading and writing?

Do I plan home learning tasks that motivate the children and inform the parents?
Northern Ireland Education & Library Boards
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