Foundation Pathway activities concentrate on developing pupil’s awareness of sounds and the cause and effect of sound within different environments, with a strong focus on attention and listening skills. These activities are used as part of a broad and rich language curriculum that lay the foundations for speaking and listening in pupils preferred communication method at its centre, links language with physical and practical experiences, and provides an environment rich in print and abundant in opportunities to engage with books. The Foundation Pathway activities pave the way for children to make a solid start in reading and writing.

There are 7 key elements to the pre-reading programme: environmental sounds, instrumental sounds, body percussion, rhythm and rhyme, alliteration, voice sounds and oral blending and segmenting. Pupils develop this through the Little Wandle Foundation curriculum, alongside other exciting activities. As with everything that we do at Riverside, practitioners plan to integrate activities involving these elements into activities that are personalised, putting the pupils' interests at the centre of their learning. Pupils on the Foundation Pathway have access to short and snappy activities linked to the different foundation areas, fostering a love of reading in pupils.