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Preparing Children for School – Know the Alphabet

Honeybear Nursery & Pre-School provides a homely, safe and secure environment for children from 3 months to 5 years old.  We also develop the children to their full potential, ensuring they are school ready when they enter Reception Class, in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework.

When the child starts school the teacher will expect that the child understands the alphabet.  Between the ages of 3.5 and 5 years old, the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework expects the child to link sounds to letters, naming and sounding the letters of the alphabet.

Throughout their time at Honeybear Nursery & Pre-School we encourage the child to understand and recognise the alphabet.  We regularly sing the alphabet song in group time, and we provide visual letters around the room to encourage the children to become familiar with the written letters.

We offer a range of print around the Nursery in the form of books, posters and signage.  We encourage the child to look at these different media, helping them to understand what they mean, so they start to understand letters and the sounds they signify.

At an early age we encourage the child to make marks.  As the child develops their fine motor skills, enabling them to hold a pencil, we encourage them to write the alphabet, firstly using dotted guides, to encourage their understanding of and ability to form letters.  As the child makes the marks, we support their development by sounding out and naming the letters.

The child’s key-worker updates parents on a regular basis with how the child is developing, and informs them when they reach key milestones.  The team at Honeybear Nursery & Pre-School looks to develop a partnership with parents, helping parents to understand how they can encourage their child to develop, supporting the activities undertaken at Nursery. The support and encouragement that we provide to the children, encourages them to read and write their names, ensuring that they are school ready.