9:00am – Starting the day at Galleywall Primary School

The day starts with a peaceful moment amidst the pleasant aroma of coffee in the staff room at Galleywall Primary School in Southwark, London. As I listen to the footsteps of enthusiastic children and staff starting their day as they enter their classrooms, I settle in a quiet space with my laptop to organise my day.

Logging into the Early Literacy Intervention (ELI) platform, I prepare to guide the young learners' progress. The tracker becomes my compass, helping me pinpoint which sounds need extra attention today. Following the completion of my planning, I proceed to the two reception classes, participating in the phonics lesson to observe and engage in conversation with the class teachers. These conversations are vital as they align my sessions with the children’s current phonics focus, ensuring the learning flows seamlessly between class time and our one-to-one sessions.

9:30am – Phonics sessions begin

With my list of learners in hand, I dive into the first of many seven-minute sessions. Each child brings their own spark, making every moment unique. We begin with revisiting grapheme-phoneme correspondence (GPC) and decoding sounds that were previously taught in the classroom, we then move on to new GPCs and introduce decodable words corresponding to the matching sound, progressing to reading high frequency words and captions by putting blending skills into action.

A highlight is always the children's favourite game: identifying GPCs with movable tiles! The sessions end with letter formation practice, tailored to each child’s needs. Their determination to perfect their letters is inspiring, and the pride they feel when earning a sticker is heart-warming. These little victories are the building blocks of confidence and a love for learning.

The ELI platform proves its worth throughout these sessions, seamlessly allying with the school’s Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) programme. Each activity is designed to reinforce the phonics strategies taught in class, creating a cohesive learning experience without any deviation.

12:00pm – Wrapping up at Galleywall

After 20 sessions filled with smiles and breakthroughs, my morning comes to a close. As I pack up, I reflect on the growth I witnessed, grateful for the privilege of playing a part in these children’s literacy journeys. Now, it’s time to head to St John’s Angell Town Primary School in Lambeth for the next chapter of the day.

1:00pm – Arriving at St John’s Angell Town Primary School

The atmosphere at St John’s is buzzing as I step into the Year 1 classroom. The children’s cheerful greetings fill me with energy, it’s like a warm welcome home. With a new tracker in hand, I prepare for the afternoon sessions, focusing on helping 10 vibrant young learners who each bring their own unique challenges and strengths.

1:15pm – Afternoon phonics sessions

The ELI platform shines again as I guide the children through their seven-minute sessions. Each activity is meticulously integrated alongside the school's SSP framework, ensuring a consistent and effective approach to phonics learning. Together, we tackle the sounds, decodable words, blending exercises, and caption reading, all while reinforcing the phonics strategies taught in class.

The highlight of every session comes when we turn a sound tab green on the tracker, signifying mastery. This moment of achievement is met with visible pride from the children and a shared sense of triumph. One of their favourite activities is writing decodable words on the platform’s freehand board. Watching their faces light up as they connect letters into words is a reminder of why I do this work.

3:00pm – Wrapping up the day

As the day winds down, I meet with the teachers to exchange insights. These moments of collaboration are invaluable, helping me refine my approach and ensure the children are supported in every way possible. The children’s parting words—“Will you come back tomorrow?”—stay with me as I begin to tidy up at the end of the day. They’ve embraced phonics with excitement, and their eagerness to practice at home fills me with pride.

Reflection

Every day as an Early Literacy Interventionist is a journey filled with joy, challenges, and triumphs. Each child progresses at their own pace, but every session is a step forward. Watching their confidence grow, seeing their faces light up with each small success - these are the moments that make it all worthwhile. Today, I leave with a full heart, knowing I’ve helped these young learners take another step toward literacy one sound and one smile at a time.