Learning Literacy Through Play: Building Readers and Communicators from Day One

When you think of literacy, you might picture children reading books or writing letters. But did you know that long before they can do either, children are already developing the building blocks of reading and writing — through play?

At House on the Dials Day Nursery and Preschool, we believe that literacy begins long before school — and that play is the most powerful tool we have to support language, communication, and early reading skills.

Here’s how we bring literacy to life in our nursery — in joyful, hands-on, and imaginative ways.

Language-Rich Play

From chatting in the home corner to narrating a teddy bear's adventure, play gives children endless opportunities to practice language in a natural way. When children pretend, they:

• Use storytelling language (“Once upon a time…”)

• Expand their vocabulary (“I’m making spaghetti bolognese!”)

• Take turns in conversations

• Learn how to express ideas and emotions

Our role as practitioners is to model rich language, introduce new words, and listen closely — because every conversation is a learning opportunity.

Books, Rhymes, and Stories Everywhere

We don’t just read stories — we immerse children in them.

Storytime is woven into every day, and we often act out books with puppets, props, or even the children themselves. This helps to:

• Build listening and attention skills

• Support memory and sequencing

• Develop a love for books and reading

We also sing rhymes and songs throughout the day. These support phonological awareness (the ability to hear and play with sounds), which is a key early reading skill.

Mark-Making and Scribbles Matter!

Before children write letters or words, they need to explore making marks. Whether it's painting, chalking on the pavement, or "writing" a pretend recipe in the mud kitchen, these early efforts are big steps toward literacy.

Through mark-making, children begin to:

• Understand that writing carries meaning

• Develop fine motor control

• Build confidence to express their ideas on paper

We celebrate all attempts — scribbles, symbols, shapes — because they’re all part of the journey toward writing.

Sounds, Symbols, and Storytelling

We gently introduce early phonics awareness through play-based activities like:

• Listening games (“Can you hear the ‘s’ sound?”)

• Matching letters to sounds in names and signs

• Spotting environmental print (like logos or labels)

Children also love to tell their own stories — we scribe them, act them out, or turn them into little books. This gives them a sense of ownership and the message that their voice matters.

Final Thoughts

Literacy isn’t just something that happens with a pencil in hand — it begins with talking, listening, playing, pretending, and exploring.

At House on the Dials, we nurture early literacy in joyful, meaningful ways that feel like fun — because for children, that’s where the deepest learning happens.

So when your child comes home chatting about a dragon they made up, a scribbled "map" to a treasure, or a new rhyme they’ve learned — know that they’re not just playing. They’re learning to communicate, imagine, and connect with the world around them.