Marion explains how important it is to develop children's thinking and looks at the different aspects involved in good practice.
A lot of what she says is fundamental to motivating and challenging young children as learners both now and in the future. The success of this approach depends, however, on having well-trained and observant practitioners who really understand how children's thinking develops. Much of what is happening in terms of early years policy at the moment could have a significant effect.
We are awaiting the draft guidelines for the early years professional and the draft of the Early Years Foundation Stage, bringing together Birth to Three Matters and the Foundation Stage. And the decision to enshrine synthetic phonics in the national curriculum as the principal method of teaching reading is causing grave concern. Nursery World is gathering opinion in order to campaign to preserve the approaches that we know suit young children best (see News, page 4). So if you want to say 'No formal phonics before five', this is your chance to make your voice heard.
