Nursery World - Early years experts fight phonics

A group of leading early years specialists has launched a campaign to urge practitioners and parents to fight Government plans to adopt synthetic phonics for teaching children to read in reception classes. The Early Years Curriculum Group is against recommendations made in the Rose Review that children should be taught to read using synthetic phonics by age five (News, 8 December 2005).

The Early Years Curriculum Group is against recommendations made in the Rose Review that children should be taught to read using synthetic phonics by age five (News, 8 December 2005).

The experts believe that synthetic phonics should only be one of a number of different approaches to teaching reading and should not be introduced until children are in Year 1.

They are also concerned that there could be downward pressure to use synthetic phonics to teach reading to under-fives.

Janet Moyles, a member of the EYCG, said there was 'huge strength of feeling' among early years practitioners to say 'no' to synthetic phonics before five.

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