Marks in the air
Children make big arm marks to music: zigzags, circles, long lines. Name each mark, then say what it could be: a snake, a wheel, a road.
Writing · Early years · Nursery and Reception · Unit 1 of 4 · Marks and a name
Mark-making to name writing
Children discover that marks carry meaning, then learn to write the first letter and then all of their own name.
5sessions
15 to 20minutes each
Receptionages 4 to 6
pre-CEFRCEFR
By the end
Children make purposeful marks, tell an adult what the marks mean and write their name, or the first letters of it, from a name card.
How the unit runs
5 sessions, 8 parts
Every writing unit follows the same eight parts: read, talk, learn the sentence skill, plan, write together, write alone, check, publish. This unit fits them into 5 sessions of about 15 to 20 minutes.
| Session | Parts | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | Part 1: Read and enjoy + Part 2: Talk it | Read and enjoy "Bramble writes his name". Find 3 features to notice. Oral rehearsal games: Marks in the air, Tell me about it, First sound name game. |
| Session 2 | Part 3: Sentence skill | Teach the sentence skill: Hear the sounds, write the sounds. |
| Session 3 | Part 4: Plan + Part 5: Shared write | Plan on the frame: my marks and my name. The teacher models the writing, thinking aloud. |
| Session 4 | Part 6: Independent write | Children write independently, with support and stretch. |
| Session 5 | Part 7: Check + Part 8: Publish | Check against the success criteria and the editing checklist. Publish for a real reader on the printable template. |
Curriculum link. EYFS Writing ELG: write recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed. Composition here is oral: the child says what a mark or picture means and an adult scribes one line. Sources: see the end of this page.
Part 1 of 8
Read and enjoy a model text
Read it aloud first, or press the button. Talk about what the writer has done before anyone writes. This text was written for Litlings and is free to copy for your class.
Hello! My name is Bramble. Bramble starts with b. I can write my name. B, r, a, m, b, l, e. Look! That is my name.
What to notice
- Bramble starts with bSay the first sound before you write the letter.
- B, r, a, m, b, l, eA name is written one letter at a time, left to right.
- Look! That is my nameWriting is for saying something. Point to it and read it.
Part 2 of 8
Talk it: oral rehearsal
Talk comes before writing. Children say the sentences, then the paragraph, before the pencil moves.
Tell me about it
A child shows a drawing or a painted mark. The adult asks, Tell me about your picture, then writes the child's words underneath and reads them back, pointing.
First sound name game
Pass a basket of name cards. Say each name, clap the beats, and say the first sound. Children stand up when they hear the first sound of their own name.
Part 3 of 8
Sentence skill: Hear the sounds, write the sounds
Say a word slowly, count the sounds, and write a letter or letters for each sound.
Teach it in four steps
- Show your own name card. Say the first sound, then the letter name.
- Trace the first letter in the air with a big arm, then on a hand, then in sand or paint.
- Write the first letter on the picture. Say: that says my name.
Examples
| Start | Becomes or shows |
|---|---|
| Mina | m for the first sound, m for the first letter |
| Leo | l, then e, then o |
| Ava | a at the start and a at the end |
Part 4 of 8
Plan: My marks and my name
Make marks in a box, then write your name. Children say each part aloud to a partner first, then jot notes. Type here, or print the frame to use on paper. It prints on one A4 page.
My marksDraw lines, circles and zigzags.
Draw this part on paper, or print the frame and draw in the box.
My marks and my name
NameDate
Make marks in a box, then write your name.
My marksDraw lines, circles and zigzags.
What my marks areAn adult writes what you say.
My nameCopy it from your name card.
Part 6 of 8
Independent write
The task
Make a picture with marks in lots of ways (paint, sand, chalk, pencil). Tell an adult about it. Then write your name on your picture.
Sentence starters
- This is my ___.
- I made a ___.
- My name is ___.
Word bank
- my
- name
- mark
- picture
Support
Use a name card with a coloured dot where the first letter starts. Trace the first letter on top of a highlighter dot.
Stretch
Write the first letter of a friend's name, or a word from the classroom such as mum.
English as an additional or foreign language. Children can say their name and the colours of their marks in their home language first, then in English.
Part 7 of 8
Check: success criteria and editing
Children read their writing aloud, tick what they have done and fix what they have not. Ticks are saved on this device only.
Success criteria
Editing checklist
Part 8 of 8
Publish for a real reader
Display each name poster at child height with a photograph. Send the poster home with a note: ask me to tell you about my marks.
Printable template: Picture and writing page
One A4 page, blank for handwriting. Print from the browser or download the PDF.
My page
NameDate
Draw your picture, then write underneath.
Title
Picture
My writing
Keep going
In this course
Elsewhere on the site
Sources
- Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage (DfE)
- Preparing for Literacy: early years (EEF)
Curriculum statements are paraphrased from the documents above. Model texts and activities are original to Litlings.