Sophie Brookes
Head of Early Years and DSL
During our recent phonics training, thought-provoking questions were raised by parents. This has prompted contemplation on the intricacies of learning to read and write in English, particularly for those acquiring it as an additional language.
English, admittedly, is a language marked by its idiosyncrasies and unpredictability. Combining this inherent complexity with variations across global English dialects—such as British English, American English, Canadian English, Australian English, and New Zealand English—brings forth a myriad of challenges. Within this, variations in spellings, word meanings, and educational approaches emerge. For example, in British English, we use the spelling 'colour,' while in American English, 'color' is preferred.
At Huili Nursery Hangzhou, we anchor our language foundation in British English, employing programmes like Read, Write Inc, Talk for Writing etc., ensuring consistency with our counterparts in the UK.
However, this introduces additional challenges (I will exclusively refer to British English from now on). Primarily, the English used in the UK is influenced by various languages and dialects, including those present in the UK, such as Doric and Welsh. The British, due to travel, regular invasions, and waves of immigration over the centuries, enriched the language. All of this occurred on a small island covering approximately 94,000 square miles. In a single conversation, a mixture of words rooted in Latin, Greek, Germanic, Scandinavian, West Indian, Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi and more is employed. Furthermore, many spellings reflect the influence of these languages, and, in numerous cases, Old English spelling persists with modern pronunciations (in Old English, words often sounded more like German to our ears).
Consequently, English learners must grapple with various seemingly peculiar nuances, including silent letters (e.g., knight vs. night), split digraphs (the 'a' and 'e' combination in words like cake, where the first vowel uses a letter name), homophones with different spellings and meanings (e.g., to/two/too - hole/whole), and homographs with the same spelling but different pronunciations (e.g., live/live - lead/lead). The list of intricacies goes on and on, and these examples merely scratch the surface.
In the United Kingdom, the past two decades have witnessed the successful implementation of consistent phonics programmes. These programmes significantly impact early literacy by teaching children to understand the construction of words. Research supports the efficacy of phonics in fostering a child's ability to navigate the intricacies of language and literacy.
Emphasising phonics allows children to grasp a wide array of words, as letter sounds offer more possibilities than letter names. While letter names do have their place, introducing uppercase letters prematurely can hinder the word-building process. Correct usage of lowercase letters is more prevalent in standard English and serves as a foundation for later introduction of uppercase letters.
In the initial stages of English learning for young children, a focus on 'trying' is paramount. Mistakes are integral to the learning process, and perfection should not be the expectation. If it does look too perfect, then there would be a question over whether the child is actually learning to write or just copying without comprehension. Rather, consider it a layered cake, with each layer building upon the one below and the fancy decoration coming in last.
I am delighted to share wonderful examples of guided writing from our EY4s inspired by the book 'Walking through the Jungle.' Witness the commendable word building, including inventive spellings such as 'throo' for 'through,' showing the application of phonic knowledge. Notably, all of these pieces of writing are absolutely readable and also exciting is the correct spelling of tricky words like 'you' and 'the.' While occasional reversals or upside-down letters may appear, these nuances typically resolve themselves with continued practice.
Enjoy these exemplary pieces of writing:
'Walking through the jungle, what do you see? Can you hear the noise? What could (it) be?' Note the attempts at self-correction (a key skill) and the introduction of punctuation (question marks).
‘Walking through the jungle, what do you see? Can you hear a noise? What could it be? Ssssss it's a snake looking for his tea.' Observe the correct use of capitalisation, question marks, commas and accurate spelling of key words (for,be), phonic word building, clear meaning and structure.
'Snake crocodile lion tiger monkey five. Walking through the jungle, what do you see? Can you hear a noise?' Here, the child lists words, primarily animals, creating a readable mix of phonetically built and correctly spelled words. The use of a question mark separates the text into two distinct sentences.
These themes, derived from modelled texts, provide a framework for children to initiate their writing journey, distinct from mere text replication, which lacks educational value.
At Huili Nursery Hangzhou, our passion for language and literacy encompasses a holistic approach to education. With a focus on celebrating bilingual linguistic development and implementing innovative teaching methods, we create a pioneering educational environment where children can truly thrive.
