Literacy foundations (pre-reading & pre-writing)

2. Why this matters in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, families and schools rightly value literacy as a gateway to education and opportunity. Parents often ask, “When will my child start reading?” and “When will they learn to write properly?” Under pressure to show visible progress, early years classes sometimes focus heavily on letter names and copying, English alphabet drills before Bangla literacy is secure, long handwriting exercises for very young children, and worksheets or copying from the board.

These practices can create the appearance of literacy – full notebooks and neat lines of letters – without developing the underlying skills children need. Risks include children memorising letter shapes and words without understanding, weak Bangla oral language foundations that make both Bangla and English reading harder, hand and finger muscles not yet ready for sustained handwriting, and children associating reading and writing with tension, fatigue or fear of mistakes.

This is not about criticising teachers or families. It is about aligning ambition with evidence. Bangladesh needs strong literacy outcomes. The question is not “How early can we make children write?” but “How strong can we make their foundations so that literacy is secure, enjoyable and sustainable?”

The EBTD approach emphasises language before letters, meaning before mechanics, strong Bangla foundations before heavy English decoding, and fine motor readiness before handwriting drills.

3. Language before letters

Letters and phonics only make sense to children who already have something to say and understand. A child with rich oral vocabulary, experience of stories and questions, and exposure to varied sentence structures is much more ready to benefit from phonics and decoding than a child whose language experience is limited.

In early years Bangladeshi classrooms, this means:

• Prioritising spoken Bangla through conversation, story, play and classroom talk.
• Using songs, rhymes and chants to build awareness of sounds and patterns.
• Talking about pictures and experiences before asking children to “read”.
• Introducing a small number of meaningful written words connected to children’s lives (e.g. names, labels, familiar objects).

Letters are important, but they are not the starting point. Meaning and language come first. This links directly with the language and communication strand of the framework and with your existing early years guidance:

Early Years Teaching in Bangladesh – EBTD

4. Storytelling culture: oral and print together

Bangladesh has a rich tradition of oral storytelling: family stories, folk tales, religious stories and community memories. The EBTD framework encourages schools to build on this tradition, not replace it with only textbook extracts.

Strong emergent literacy uses both:

• Oral storytelling – spoken stories, retelling, role-play and discussion.
• Print-based storytelling – picture books, story cards and simple texts.

Key principles for early years include:

• Children hearing stories every day – in Bangla first, to ensure deep understanding.
• Teachers telling stories with expression, gesture and repetition.
• Inviting children to retell parts of the story in their own words.
• Linking spoken stories and print (e.g. “This is the page where…”, “Let’s find the word for…”).

Practical examples:

• Using local or familiar stories before more abstract texts.
• Asking: “তুমি হলে শেষে কী করত?” or “এই চরিত্রটা কেমন অনুভব করছে বলে তোমার মনে হয়?”
• Encouraging children to draw scenes from a story and then talk about them.
• Using simple, large-font print around the room linked to shared stories, such as key names or repeated phrases.

The goal is to create a story-rich literacy culture, not just a letter-rich environment.

5. Phonics in context, not as isolated drills

Phonics – teaching relationships between sounds and letters – is an important part of early reading instruction. However, research is clear that phonics is most effective when it is taught systematically and explicitly, embedded in meaningful reading and writing, and connected to spoken language and vocabulary.

Common risks in early years settings include:

• Treating phonics as a series of isolated drills or chants.
• Teaching letter-sound relationships without connecting them to real words children understand.
• Pushing English phonics strongly before Bangla language foundations are secure.

In Bangladeshi early years classrooms, the EBTD approach is to use phonics to unlock meaning, not just to “pass” phonics tasks. Teachers start from familiar spoken words and build towards how these are represented in print, ensure children can understand and use words orally before expecting them to decode or spell them, and use short, focused phonics moments within a wider session that also includes story, talk and language play.

Phonics is a powerful tool – but only when it is anchored in oral language and real reading.

6. Why fine motor comes before handwriting

Writing is not only a mental task; it is a physical one. Before children can write comfortably and legibly, they need shoulder and arm stability, hand and finger strength, coordination and control, and experience holding and manipulating objects.

If these foundations are weak, early intensive handwriting can lead to physical discomfort, poor pencil grip that becomes harder to correct later and negative attitudes towards writing. Emergent writing in early years should therefore include:

• Drawing, colouring and tracing patterns in a relaxed way.
• Manipulating clay, sand, beads, blocks and everyday objects.
• Pre-writing marks (lines, circles, swirls) before formal letters.
• Opportunities to “write” in play – lists, signs, tickets and labels, even if not conventionally spelled.

Formal handwriting should come after children show clear readiness: comfortable, controlled mark-making, ability to sit in a stable position for short periods, interest in copying shapes and letters, and adequate fine motor control.

In short: fine motor and mark-making first, sustained handwriting second.

7. Reducing harmful early writing drills

In some early years classrooms, young children are asked to copy long lines of letters or words, complete many pages of similar writing tasks or rewrite “mistakes” repeatedly. These practices are often driven by good intentions – teachers want to show progress, parents want full notebooks and schools want visible output.

For very young children, however, heavy writing drills can be physically tiring, emotionally discouraging and disconnected from meaning. The EBTD framework recommends:

• Short, purposeful writing experiences rather than long copying sessions.
• Opportunities to write for a reason (cards, labels, names, simple captions).
• Early feedback focused on effort, meaning and attempt – not only neatness.
• Using tracing and guided letter formation positively and sparingly, not as punishment.

Where writing drills are common, schools can gradually shift by reducing quantity but improving quality and purpose, introducing more drawing-and-talk as a precursor to writing, and explaining to parents why strong foundations matter more than many pages.

8. Practical tools and strategies for Bangladeshi classrooms

Schools do not need expensive resources to strengthen emergent literacy. Small shifts in routine can make a significant difference.

8.1 “Talk and picture” before text

Before reading or writing, show a picture from a book or local scene and ask:

• “এখানে কী হচ্ছে?”
• “তুমি কী দেখছো?”
• “এরপর কী হতে পারে?”

Then connect children’s spoken ideas to any written words you introduce, making reading and writing feel like a natural extension of talk.

8.2 Name and label print

Use meaningful labels around the classroom – children’s names, key areas (reading corner, play area) and frequent objects. Talk about them, point to them and occasionally trace or copy them with children at their own pace.

8.3 Story-retell corners

Create a small area where children can act out stories with props, retell parts of a story in their own words and draw scenes they then “write” or talk about with teacher support.

8.4 Fine-motor baskets

Prepare baskets or trays with beads and string, pegs or clips, small blocks or buttons and scrap paper for tearing and folding. These activities strengthen hands in playful, low-cost ways that prepare children for later writing.

9. Active ingredients and common pitfalls