Progressing reading/writing

[SErunner]

Our daughter is 2 years 3 months and her speech is coming on really well. She is managing full sentences, can take turns in conversation and make most of her needs known. We've also just realised she is starting to recognise letters and I am now feeling out of my depth! Would appreciate ideas/thoughts to support her progression. I've started reading a bit online but would love signposting to any resources or your top tips.

At that age I really would t push it, just enjoy reading books with her and letting her draw in different ways, like edible finger paints

Just read to her loads and loads. Have a ton of books-charity shops are good. And lots of paper and pens-the best quality you can afford- for her to draw and scribble and mark make. Don't do anything else. Let her go at her own pace.

When I read to DC I would point at the words as I said them

Oh, and make sure the books she has to look at by herself are age appropriate. You can read her slightly older ones. But whatever you do don't push. It's so easy to overwhelm and turn them off at this age.

Just read stories and books at this age, that’s all. You could look up pre reading skills because there are many things a child needs to do before they are ready to become successful readers. Letter recognition and phonics is not top of your list yet.

For writing it’s all about motor skills, both fine and gross. Think about activities she does with her arms and shoulders, not just her hands and fingers. Children need to be physically well developed to have good writing so anything that will strengthen her upper body down to her fingertips will help.

I'm an EYFS teacher.

Read, read, read! Let her choose books she wants to read. Retell them together. Read the same stories again and again, put her in the story e.g. "little red SERunner"
Play, play, play! Listening games, games to tune into specific sounds or even just going outside and asking what can you hear, I can hear birds tweeting, I can hear an airplane flying, leaves rustling, car horn beeping etc etc.
Play with playdoh! Build hand strength to help when she mark makes, precursor to writing.
Go for a walk around your neighbourhood on a number hunt/signs hunt. She might not be ready for a letter hunt yet. A sign hunt, I mean look for things like a stop or no entry sign, or the giant golden arches - what's that a sign for? McDonalds - yes well done you read that sign!
Play at the park - climb the slide, throw and kick a ball, run around the sandpit - move in different ways to build arm and body strength ready for writing.

Essentially, read and play, read and play, read and play.

Thanks so much for your suggestions. Definitely not trying to push her, everything we do is fun/play orientated rather than trying to learn. Just looking for some direction re guiding the play/fun, and your points have been really helpful.

I think my slight worry comes from her being an august baby. She will have literally just turned 4 when she starts school, so I want to try and set her up as well as possible given she'll have had a year less playing and learning than some of her peers!

I think my slight worry comes from her being an august baby. She will have literally just turned 4 when she starts school, so I want to try and set her up as well as possible given she'll have had a year less playing and learning than some of her peers

Don't worry. She sounds bright and won't be behind at all. My DC2 is one of the youngest in her year, only one younger. Didn't seem to make much difference at all. DC1 never showed any interest in writing with anything at all before starting school, was writing short sentences by half term.

I could read by the time I went to school and quite well. You run the risk of her being extremely bored in the first year whilst the other DC catch up if she can read already.