Nursery World - Blame the goal, not the interpreters

Further to the feature 'Sitting uncomfortably' (24 January), Jennie Lindon suggests that adults need to 'triple-underline the word "appropriate",' as in the early learning goal 'Maintain attention, concentrate and sit quietly as appropriate'. She then points out that this doesn't necessarily mean indoors or at table-top activities, as has been the 'unfortunate interpretation made by some teams'. Talk about a poor workman blaming his tools! If this early learning goal is unrealistic and inappropriate -as the rest of the article seems to suggest - then why not just admit it, rather than blame practitioners for not understanding the subtleties in the wording. We all know what 'appropriate' means. It's the words 'maintain attention, concentrate and sit quietly' that are inappropriate.

Talk about a poor workman blaming his tools! If this early learning goal is unrealistic and inappropriate - as the rest of the article seems to suggest -then why not just admit it, rather than blame practitioners for not understanding the subtleties in the wording. We all know what 'appropriate' means. It's the words 'maintain attention, concentrate and sit quietly' that are inappropriate.

Pat Field, Leeds

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