Unit 3.5: Develop emergent literacy skills of children

This unit is part of the Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Educator and has the following learning outcomes and assessment criteria:

1. Understand the language and communication needs of children
   1. Identify the stages of language and communication development from birth to 7 years
   2. Describe factors which affect language and communication needs
   3. Explain how working with others supports children’s emergent literacy from birth to 7 years
2. Understand the characteristics of a language rich environment
   1. Explain what is meant by ‘a language rich environment’
   2. Analyse a language rich environment in relation to current frameworks for children
3. Be able to support children’s language and communication needs
   1. Develop a language rich environment for children
   2. Interact with children to meet individual language and communication needs
4. Understand strategies which support emergent literacy
   1. Explain strategies to support the development of emergent literacy in relation to current frameworks
   2. Explain the use of systematic synthetic phonics in the teaching of reading
   3. Describe how the Early Years practitioner provides opportunities for sustained shared thinking to support children’s emergent literacy
5. Be able to plan activities to support emergent literacy
   1. Plan for children’s participation in activities which support and extend emergent literacy
   2. Use strategies to plan activities which encourage: speaking and listening, reading, sustained shared thinking, writing, digital literacy
6. Be able to lead activities which support emergent literacy
   1. Lead an activity to support and extend emergent literacy
   2. Identify benefits to children’s holistic learning and development when supporting emergent literacy
7. Be able to review how planned activities support emergent literacy
   1. Evaluate how planned activities support emergent literacy in relation to current frameworks
   2. Analyse own role in relation to planned activities
   3. Make recommendations for meeting children’s individual literacy needs
8. Be able to work with parents/carers in a way which encourages them to take an active role in their child’s play, learning and development
   1. Work with parents/carers in a way which encourages them to take an active role in their child’s play, learning and development