By Sue Palmer and Ros Bayley (Network Educational Press, 17.95, 1 85539 093 0, 01785 225515)
Reviewed by Marian Whitehead, language and early years consultant
This is not just another book about language and literacy in the early years (a very big industry now!) but a foundation curriculum project 'aimed at providing the best possible basis for young children's language and literacy learning'. The authors point out the increasing formalisation of early years and the inappropriate practices brought about by over-emphasising the current literacy goals. Their own change of emphasis is presented here in a delightful rainbow spectrum of guidance about good language and literacy strategies.
It starts with some over-arching principles: learning to listen; time to talk; music, movement and memory; and storytime. Then the focus is on learning about print, tuning into sound and moving into writing. Each section of this literacy rainbow has a chapter devoted to it. The left-hand pages outline the research and reasoning and the right suggest activities to develop the relevant skills, concepts and knowledge. The authors would like to see such informal approaches retained in early years settings until children are at least six, and hint that their project has received helpful advice from people in 'high places'.
I was especially impressed by the 'five-a-day' rule for reading books to children and hope that colleagues will take up this challenge.
