EYFS Reception Report Comments: Literacy
Literacy covers comprehension, such as retelling stories and joining in with rhymes; word reading, such as saying letter sounds, blending and reading common exception words; and writing, from early mark making to forming letters and simple sentences.
Below are 13 sample sentences for Reception (FS2): two strengths and one next step for each of the 4 comment levels (Expected: secure and confident / Expected / Emerging: developing well / Emerging: beginning), plus a tip for families. They are a small selection from the 173 literacy sentences in the full pack. Copy one, then add a detail only you know about the student.
Jump to: Expected: secure and confident · Expected · Emerging: developing well · Emerging: beginning · Writing tips
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Expected: secure and confident S
Strengths
- Taking care over handwriting, [Name] forms lower-case letters correctly and uses capital letters for names and to start sentences.
- [Name] spots rhyme readily and thinks of words that rhyme with a given word, such as 'hat', 'cat' and 'mat', in songs and games.
Next step
- To extend [his/her/their] phonics, [Name] could use new digraphs such as 'ai', 'igh' and 'oa' when writing longer words in play.
Expected E
Strengths
- When spelling, [Name] can usually hear the main sounds in a word and write them in order, as in 'shop' or 'frog'.
- Most of the time, [Name] can tell whether two words rhyme and joins in when we make up silly rhyming strings.
Next step
- Using sound buttons under the words in [his/her/their] decodable books will help [Name] blend longer words more smoothly.
Emerging: developing well D
Strengths
- With an adult to help, [Name] writes a short caption or phrase by saying each word aloud and listening for its sounds.
- Listening for rhyme in familiar songs, [Name] sometimes spots words that sound the same and enjoys repeating them.
Next step
- A next step for [Name] is to write a simple caption, saying the words aloud first and then writing the sounds [he/she/they] can hear.
Emerging: beginning B
Strengths
- Writing alongside an adult, [Name] is beginning, in small steps, to write a simple word by saying the sounds aloud.
- In familiar songs, [Name] is beginning to hear words that rhyme when an adult says them with extra emphasis.
Next step
- Tracing over an adult's letters, and then copying them underneath, will help [Name] learn to form the letters in [his/her/their] name.
Support at home
- If your child brings home a reading book, you could listen to [him/her/them] read it more than once so that it feels easier each time.
How to write literacy comments for Reception (FS2)
- Be specific about phonics: which sounds the child knows, whether they blend to read simple words and how they manage their decodable book. Use the general word phonics rather than a scheme name.
- For writing, describe one piece, such as a label for a model or a sentence about the weekend, and whether the child sounds out words and leaves spaces. The next step can name one feature to add.
- Keep comprehension visible alongside phonics. Note whether the child retells a story in order, predicts what happens next or uses new words from a book, so families keep talking about stories.
Watch out: Avoid quoting reading book colours or levels, which invite comparison between children. Describe the reading behaviour instead, such as blending three sounds or rereading to check, and suggest sharing a bedtime story.
At the most secure level, words such as confidently, independently and in a range of situations fit, backed by one example from play. At the earliest level, name what the child can already do and the support that helps, such as modelling or a visual prompt. Let the observation show the level rather than restating it.
What Literacy covers
In these comments, literacy covers these behaviours:
- Comprehension: retells stories, uses new vocabulary, joins in with rhymes and poems
- Word Reading: says sounds for letters, blends sounds, reads common exception words
- Writing: writes recognisable letters, spells words by sounding out, writes simple phrases and sentences
More EYFS comments
- Communication and Language, Reception (FS2)
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Reception (FS2)
- Physical Development, Reception (FS2)
- Literacy, Nursery (FS1)
- Mathematics, Reception (FS2)
- Understanding the World, Reception (FS2)
- Expressive Arts and Design, Reception (FS2)
- Characteristics of Effective Learning, Reception (FS2)
- Opening and closing sentences
- All EYFS skills and grade bands
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How these sentences were made, and what has been checked: About these comments.