EYFS Literacy
The Foundation Stage is where children's journey into literacy truly begins.
Read on to discover the importance of literacy, information on the Writing Framework, Lesson Plans and more.
Before diving in, here's a brief overview on why these skills are key for setting children up for a bright future...
Early Childhood Literacy Skills
It is important to begin early with sound, letters, and word recognition to build a lifelong love of reading.
Using fun activities, such as interactive reading and storytelling, can boost children's understanding and spark their creativity.
Learning to write early can help to boost young children's fine motor skills, and makes learning letters easier.
Creating a rich language environment helps to make children more confident while improving their communication skills.
Early literacy is important to suppot smart thinking and problem solving - key for success in their school years.
When children enjoy reading and writing from the very start, their future looks bright!
EYFS and Oracy
Why Focus on Oracy in EYFS?
Oracy is foundational for:
- Language development
- Social interaction
- Cognitive growth
- Future literacy and academic success
In the Early Years, talk really is the starting point for everything. Before children can become confident readers and writers, they need the chance to say what they think, share ideas, ask questions and listen to others. Oracy is at the heart of this – it gives children the confidence and language skills that underpin every part of learning.
That’s where Mighty Writer makes such a difference. Its colourful, hands-on approach helps children tell stories, build sentences and play with new vocabulary out loud before they even pick up a pencil. It allows all children to have a voice – and they want to use it!
By talking through ideas with Mighty Writer, children learn to explain, sequence and justify their thinking. This builds their confidence, stretches their vocabulary and prepares them beautifully for writing.
When we put talk first, we give children the strongest possible foundations for reading and writing. And with Mighty Writer, developing oracy doesn’t just feel powerful – it feels fun, easy and achievable every day.
Mighty Writer for EYFS
The Mighty Writer resource supports literacy in EYFS by providing a highly visual and interactive way for young children to build sentences, develop stories, and explore langiage.
Using symbols, pictures, and tactile tools, it helps children organise their ideas, extend vocabulary and understand sentence structure in a hands-on, engaging way.
This makes abstract literacy skills concrete and accessible, boosting confidence while supporting early phonics and writing, and fostering a love of storytelling from the get-go!
The Importance of The Foundation Stage in Developing Literacy Skills
The Foundation Stage is where children’s journey into literacy truly begins. Far more than just learning to hold a pencil or recognise letters, these early years lay the foundations for everything that follows. The experiences children have here shape their confidence, motivation and ability to see themselves as readers and writers.
At the heart of literacy in the EYFS is language development. When children are immersed in rich talk, storytelling, songs and rhymes, they begin to build the vocabulary and structures they will later draw upon in reading and writing. Conversation, role play and oral storytelling help them understand how language works and how ideas can be shared.
Alongside this, children start to explore the relationship between spoken and written language. Through mark-making, drawing, experimenting with symbols and early attempts at writing, they begin to understand that their words and ideas can be captured and shared. These early opportunities are crucial: research shows that children who leave the Foundation Stage with strong oral and early literacy skills are far more likely to thrive throughout their school years.
This is also a time for instilling a love of stories and books. A positive emotional connection with literacy – seeing it as joyful, meaningful and empowering – is just as important as technical skills.
With resources like Mighty Writer, children don’t just practise early literacy skills – they build strong, positive connections with storytelling, confidence in language, and develop the oral foundations that allow them to flourish as readers and writers for life.
In short, the Foundation Stage provides the bedrock of literacy. When children experience rich talk, purposeful play and meaningful opportunities to express themselves, they develop the skills and confidence to flourish as readers and writers for life.
EYFS Must-Have's
Here are our list of must-have's for teaching EYFS literacy
1. Story Sacks & Puppets
- A mix of traditional tales (e.g. The Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks, Jack & the Beanstalk
- Props, puppets, and objects bring stories alive and support retelling.
2. Mighty Writer
- Interactive tool for the whole class, no matter their ability level
- Image tiles and sentence mats for building stories, sequencing events, and scaffolding narrative skills.
3. Nursery Rhyme & Song Basket
- Objects linked to rhymes (star, sheep, spider toy, etc.)
- Boosts rhyme awareness, memory, and phonological skills.
4. Big Books & Dual-Language Books
- Oversized books for sharing reading on the carpet
- Dual-langage texts to support EAL and home languages.
5. Alphabet & Phonics Resources
- Magnetic letters
- Sound/letter cards
- Phonics games.
6. Mark Making Tools & Writing Corner
- Clipboards, chalkboards, whiteboards
- A range of pencils, crayons, felt tips
- Stencils and tracing cards
- Paper in different sizes/textures.
7. Environmental Print & Labels
- Classroom Signs, Labels with pictures, word walls
- Familiar logos/prints (cereal boxes, shop signs) for play areas.
8. Story Stones/Dice
- Simple pictures (characters, settings, objects) to spark oral storytelling and imagination.
9. Listening Station/Audio Story Resources
- Headphones and audio players with stories and rhymes
- Recordable talking buttons for children to narrate or retell stories.
10. Role Play Area with Print Opportunities
- Rotating themes (shop, post office, doctor's, cafe)
- Menus, shopping lists, order pads, envelopes
- Embeds writing in play.
Promoting Literacy in Early Years
Promoting literacy in EYFS is essential for children's growth and future achievement. It helps them communicate, imagine, and learn about the world.
The following can help to promote literacy in Early Years:
- Reading aloud
- Creating a printrich environment
- Storytelling and imaginative play
- Multisensory activities
- Writing practice
- Involving parents
- Celebrating achievements.
If you're looking to learn more about promoting literacy in EYFS, read our top tips for teachers and parents below.
10 Top Tips for Using Mighty Writer in EYFS
1. Start with Talk First
Use the story mats and picture cues as prompts for oral storytelling before introducing writing.
2. Model, Model, Model
Demonstrate how to build a story together - children learn so much from watching you think aloud.
3. Keep it Playful
Treat story-making like a game. Let children move tiles, swap pictures, and change endings to keep it fun.
4. Build Vocabulary
Introduce new words as you work with the mat. Encourage children to repeat and use them in their own sentences.
5. Differentiate with Ease
Use simple picture sequencing with some children, and more complex sentence-building or connectives with others.
6. Make it Multi-Sensory
Invite children to physically move pieces - the tactile element is especially powerful for kinasthetic learners.
7. Encourage Ownership
Let children take the lead in building and telling stories. Celebrate their choices, however quirky!
8. Link to Books and Topics
Use Mighty Writer to retell favourite class stories or build narratives around current themes.
9. Celebrate Every Mark
After oral storytelling, invite children to make marks, draw, or write about their story - however early their writing is.
10. Use it Early
Consistency is key. A short Mighty Writer session every day makes story-building, talk, and writing feel natural and exciting.
Lesson Plan: Storytelling with Mighty Writer Image Tiles
Learning Objectives:
- To listen attentively and recall familiar stories.
- To use full sentences and descriptive vocabulary when retelling events.
- To sequence ideas logically using visual prompts.
- To take turns and listen to others' contributions.
Resources needed:
- Story book such as Three Little Pigs, or Jack and the Beanstalk
- Mighty Writer image tiles
- Large story mat or board to arrange image tiles
- Talking object (e.g. a puppet or a magic wand prop) to support turn-taking.
Read the Full Lesson Plan
Adaptive Teaching In Early Years
What is Adaptive Teaching in EYFS?
Adaptive teaching involves responsive teaching to meet the diverse needs of young learners. In EYFS, this means being proactive to children's developmental stages, interests, and communication styles, and adjusting teaching strategies accordingly.
Discover Mighty Writer for EYFS
Mighty Writer is the perfect introduction to the world of literacy in the Early Years Foundation Stage - from learning sentence structure to grammar, Mighty Writer is suitable for all ability levels.