7/9/2008 6:35:00 AM
The Times 9 July
The heavy emphasis on teaching children to read and write in nursery and reception classes is preventing teachers from focusing on more important aspects of early childhood development, such as speaking and listening skills, the author of a major government report has warned. John Bercow, a Conservative MP and author of a report on speech, language and communication (SLC) needs, said that many very young children needed help in speaking and listening to reduce the worrying number of pupils unable to string a coherent sentence together by the time they started school. “For too long communication skills have been the poor relation by comparison with literacy. This is a grave error because communication is the key life skill from which all others follow. To date, communication has been undervalued and down played and too little recognised, we need to raise awareness of its importance,” he said. Mr Bercow was speaking as the government announced a £40 million programme, called Every Child a Talker, which will provide training to help nursery staff identify and support children with speaking and language problems at an early age. A further £12 million is being set aside to help implement the recommendations of Mr Bercow’s report, which was commissioned amid concerns that too many children were starting school at the age of five unable to respond to instructions or express themselves. Times
Lead Story | General | Curriculum / Quality Assurance
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