Nursery World - Fine print

It's important that parents do not put pressure on their children to start reading before they are ready, says Penny Tassoni, and taking a relaxed approach will reap far more benefits The introduction of the Foundation Stage has brought with it a more relaxed approach to reading. Many practitioners, including Louise Burnham, a reception teacher in Hayes, Kent, have welcomed this. She says, 'Previously, some children were not ready, and many simply lost enthusiasm and confidence. Many children in my class are really benefiting from taking the time to enjoy books rather than being pushed simply to decode them.'

The introduction of the Foundation Stage has brought with it a more relaxed approach to reading. Many practitioners, including Louise Burnham, a reception teacher in Hayes, Kent, have welcomed this. She says, 'Previously, some children were not ready, and many simply lost enthusiasm and confidence. Many children in my class are really benefiting from taking the time to enjoy books rather than being pushed simply to decode them.'

While most practitioners are happy with the approach taken by the Foundation Stage, many parents are concerned about whether children are being 'stretched enough'. A stroll around any large bookshop will reveal a mass of books aimed at helping parents to teach their children to learn to read at home. The formal testing of reading at the end of the infant phase of education, with accompanying league tables, is thought to be in part responsible for raising parental anxiety.

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