This second edition has been written to help assistants in nursery and Key Stage One classrooms to focus on how children learn language and literacy skills in different contexts. It covers the language and literacy curriculum from the Early Learning Goals to the Key Stage One statutory assessments, and includes reference to the Foundation Stage guidelines, the National Curriculum, the National Literacy Strategy (NLS) and the Additional Literacy Support (ALS). Photocopiable sheets provide opportunities for the reader to engage in reflective and interactive activities throughout the book and optional extension tasks are provided for group training. This is an ideal handbook for trainers and trainees on Teaching Assistant, BTEC and NNEB courses.