This inspiring and practical full-day workshop supports EYFS practitioners to strengthen writing from the very beginning. In the morning session, we explore the essential foundational skills that sit beneath successful writing, including gross and fine motor development, core strength, posture, movement patterns, communication and language, and the everyday experiences children need before mark making can truly flourish. This session helps practitioners understand why some children struggle and offers playful, purposeful ways to build those skills through provision, interaction, and daily practice.
In the afternoon, the focus shifts to the writing journey across the Reception year. Together, we look at how writing develops over time, how to create meaningful reasons to write, and how high-quality texts, storytelling, provision, and adult modelling can inspire children to see themselves as writers. The session explores how to move from early mark making into purposeful composition, sentence building, confidence, and independence, while keeping writing engaging, developmentally appropriate, and rooted in real experiences.
Morning Session: On Our Way with Pre-Writing Skills
This practical and thought-provoking session explores the crucial foundational skills children need before writing can fully take off. Looking beyond pencil grip and letter formation, it focuses on the physical, sensory, and communication-based building blocks that support children to become confident writers. From gross motor movement and postural control to fine motor development, talk, listening, and early mark making, this session helps practitioners understand what sits underneath writing success and why these foundations matter more than ever.
Packed with realistic classroom ideas, playful approaches, and clear explanations, this session is ideal for EYFS teams who want to strengthen children’s readiness for writing in a meaningful and developmentally appropriate way.
Afternoon Session: On Our Way with Writing
This inspiring session explores the writing journey across the Reception year, helping practitioners build a classroom culture where writing is meaningful, motivating, and woven through children’s play and experiences. It looks at how writing can be inspired through high-quality books, storytelling, role play, provocations, real-life purposes, and skilful adult interaction. The session also explores progression across the year, supporting children as they move from mark making and oral composition towards sentence writing, confidence, and independence.
Audience: Reception teachers, teaching assistants, Literacy Leads, senior leaders.
Date/s and time, location:
| Date/Time |
Venue |
|
Thursday 24th September 2026
9.30-4.00pm
|
The Quadrant, S9 4WG |
Book Here |
Thursday 21st January 2027
9.30-4.00pm |
Book Here |
Thursday 17th June 2027
9.30-4.00pm |
Book Here |
Locations: The Quadrant, 99 Parkway Avenue, Sheffield, S9 4WG
Cost: 1 Token or Pay as you go price on request from EarlyYearsBusinessSupport@sheffield.gov.uk
Training delivered by: Dan McFarland, better known as Mr Mc, is an early years specialist, educator, consultant, speaker and content creator with a passion for helping teachers bring the joy, purpose and magic back into the classroom.