Nursery World - Breaking point

Hundreds of reception teachers have signed a petition opposing the formal approach of the literacy hour. Ruth Thomson hears their worries about its impact on young children Since its inception, the place of the literacy hour in early years education has been open to question. How could a literacy strategy based on formal, whole-class teaching methods co-exist with a Foundation Stage based on child-centred, play-based principles? The simple answer is, it can't, say early years specialists, who are now campaigning for its removal from reception class teaching.

Since its inception, the place of the literacy hour in early years education has been open to question. How could a literacy strategy based on formal, whole-class teaching methods co-exist with a Foundation Stage based on child-centred, play-based principles? The simple answer is, it can't, say early years specialists, who are now campaigning for its removal from reception class teaching.

Leading the campaign is early years consultant Margaret Edgington, who is gearing up to gain more support now that the new school year is under way. 'I currently have 500 signatures and the number is rising daily,' she says.

She argues that the literacy hour is 'too passive, too adult-dominated and too structured' and so 'flies in the face of everything we know about how young children learn most effectively'.

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