Early Literacy Support (ELS): Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Early Literacy Support (ELS)

What is Early Literacy Support (ELS)?

The Primary National Strategy (PNS) aims to raise standards for all children and advocates a systematic approach to teaching based on three waves of tailored support.

Wave 1 – The effective inclusion of all children in daily Quality First teaching
Wave 2 – Wave 1 plus additional time limited, tailored intervention support
Wave 3 – Wave 1 plus increasingly individualised programmes, based on independent evidence of what works.

ELS is a wave 2 intervention

In Year 1, all children will receive high quality teaching in literacy. It is expected that Quality First teaching and assessment will identify and address any difficulties or gaps in learning for the majority of children. Towards the end of Foundation Stage, the teachers in FS and Year 1 will discuss those children who need a more intensive programme of support; research indicates this may be about 20 per cent of an average class (that is, a group of about six children).
This identified group will receive a daily planned programme of support from the teaching assistant (TA).This may begin during the autumn or spring terms, when the children have been identified.
By term 3 it is expected that most children will no longer need daily additional support although some may need continuing group support whilst others may be identified, through assessment, as needing individual support.

The aim of the programme is to reduce the percentage of children needing individual support from approximately 20 per cent of the class to no more than five per cent.

Which group of children is it for?

The ELS intervention programme is aimed at children in Year 1 who have already had access to high quality, systematic teaching of phonics during the Early Years Foundation Stage. They will be secure at phase 2 of progression and pace, but have been identified through Foundation Stage Profile data and ongoing Assessment for Learning as needing the additional support of a small group setting to address the learning involved in phases 3 and 4 confidently, and to benefit from additional opportunities to practise and apply the skills they have already been taught.

What about children learning English as an Additional Language (EAL)?

ELS is likely to be beneficial for children who are learning EAL. It is important to distinguish between literacy difficulties and proficiency in English. You should consult with your ethnic minority achievement grant service for further advice and support.

When does the programme start?

ELS is an intervention programme for Year 1 planned in five modules for a teacher and trained teaching assistant to work in partnership to raise attainment. The programme runs for 16 weeks, starting during the first term of the year.

How will the teaching assistants be able to carry out this work?

The successful implementation fo the ELS programme requires a working partnership between the class teacher and the teaching assistant.

The class teacher delivers the guided reading sessions for the children in the group. A teaching assistant who has been trained in the key principles of Letters and Sounds delivers the intervention session.

The class teacher uses the observation and assessment materials to monitor progress overall.

Where and when will the ELS sessions take place?

The 20-minute sessions can take place at any time during the day. If this involves time being taken from other areas of the curriculum, a careful balance should be sought so that one area is not more affected than another.

An area should be identified that can be used for all the sessions. If possible, opportunities should be provided for the teaching assistant to personalise and signal the space as the ELS area.

How many classes can be involved?

The programme is for identified children in Year 1. The number of groups that can be delivered depends on the number of children who have been identified and the number of teaching assistants available to deliver the sessions. It is advised that groups should be no larger than six children.

What if some children do not make progress?

The programme aims to significantly reduce the number of children who fail to make good progress in Key Stage 1. At the present time, too many children leave this stage with poor literacy skills. However, it is recognised that a small minority of children will continue to need support even after high quality teaching and ELS additional support in a group. Further (Wave 3) support could include one-to-one programmes like Reading Recovery.

How does this ELS fit with other Wave 2 interventions?

The aim of ELS is to locate and support those children who are most at risk, thus preventing long-term failure and reducing the tail of underachievement.

These intervention programme are designed to support targeted children in specific age groups. Children fall behind at different ages and for different reasons. It is not expected that children will receive all Wave 2 interventions.

The National Strategy Wave 2 literacy interventions are:

Year 1 – Early Literacy Support (ELS)
Year 3 – Year 3 Literacy Support (Quest)
Year 5 – Further Literacy Support (FLS)

Does the ELS programme encourage parental and carers' support?

Yes. The contribution of parents and carers is built into the planning, and home activities are included each week. Parents and carers who actively participate in the intervention will accelerate their children's progress. However, the programme is designed to be self-standing and is not reliant on children completing activities at home.

Who will deliver the training and support to schools?

Experienced teaching assistants will be able to use these materials especially if they are familiar with delivering intervention programmes.

LAs will be delivering training within their regions.

What about ongoing support and training?

It is important to monitor the ELS programme and provide feedback to the teaching assistant and class teacher. This will include monitoring from class or key stage leaders as well as evaluation from the senior leadership team.