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Page 28


Phonics


 


Five is too young to fail


This June saw the first national Year 1 Phonics Screening Check in England. Judy Ellerby explains the NUT’s opposition.




 


The Government says the teaching of synthetic phonics first and fast to young children is the best way for ‘most’ children to learn to read. This is wrong and misleading. All children are different and a one-size-fits-all approach will not best suit ‘most’ children.


The NUT is not opposed to synthetic phonics, but we are opposed to the Government’s focus on this over other methods of teaching reading. And we’re opposed to a system that tests five and six year olds and (if the pilot results are anything to go by) brands two-thirds of them failures at reading.


Among the many critics of the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check is former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen, who has presented the NUT with a comprehensive list of arguments to support our campaign. (Read his arguments in full at http://michaelrosenblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/my-thoughts-on-year-1-phonics-screening.html Highly recommended!)


“Whatever the role of synthetic phonics in learning to read for meaning in schools, it must never be the sole, or indeed the main, one,” says Michael. “By making the tests universal, compulsory and public, the Government is putting undue and unfair pressure on teachers, schools, children and families.”


Reading for pleasure


There is an alternative. The NUT’s Reading for Pleasure campaign promotes creative reading opportunities for all children, making learning to read fun. The materials can be found on the NUT website at www.teachers.org.uk/reading or to request a booklet call 020 7380 4934.


Rather than teaching to the test and being pressured to drill children in learning phonics, teachers should feel they can spend time creating a rich reading environment.


The Union recently heard of a school that decided it would no longer have ‘book corners’ as the children saw them as simply ‘where the books were stored’. Each class instead created an exciting reading area in their classroom – a garden area in one, an underwater scene in another, a relaxing space with soft music in a third. The results were amazing, with teachers reporting that pupil interest in using the areas increased enormously.


Visit our website for further ideas about making your school a ‘reading school’.


The NUT has set up a section of its website to oppose the screening www.teachers.org.uk/phonics 


We are also working with the NAHT and ATL unions to raise awareness of our concerns.


Like us, their members are worried about the effect the check will have on children’s interest in reading. They agree it is unnecessary and will tell teachers nothing they do not already know about children’s ability to read. They also agree that the check simply tests a child’s decoding skills, not true reading skills.


Read what you can do in the box above, and visit the websites mentioned on this page.






• Judy Ellerby is NUT Acting Principal Officer, primary education.


 


What can you do now?





• Implement at least one Reading for Pleasure activity in your school before the end of term.





• Deliver a rich literacy curriculum to all children in your school, especially emerging readers.



• Oppose any moves in your school to pressure staff in the early years to start phonics teaching sooner, or in a more formal way.


• Respond to the NUT and Nate/UK Literacy Association surveys on phonics and teaching reading (see page 6 for details).





 


 

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