Sir Jim Rose is currently reviewing two of the literacy goals centred on children's ability to write and use punctuation in simple sentences by the age of five - 'Use their phonic knowledge' and 'write their own names' (see box).
However, Nursery World has learned that it is likely he will recommend that these two goals should stay in the EYFS.
The report also disagrees with Sir Jim's recommendation for it to become 'the norm' for children to start reception class the September after their fourth birthday.
The Commons Children, Schools and Families Select Committee, which took evidence from early years experts, teaching unions and others, said last week that the goals for 'communication, language and literacy' have faced the strongest criticism.
'We draw the department's attention to the near-universal support for the reconsideration of the early learning goals directly concerned with reading, writing and punctuation,' said the committee's report. It recommends these goals be removed from the EYFS pending the review of the EYFS in 2010.
Many experts believe the goals for reading and writing are set too high for children to achieve by the end of reception.
President of early years organisation TACTYC, Wendy Scott, said, 'Leaving the goals until Year 1 would not prevent younger children from achieving them if they are able and interested to do so, but would avoid counter-productive pressures on the majority of children, and their parents and teachers too, which all too often result in a sense of failure and de-motivation. A reception teacher I met was near despair at the way the curriculum for her class of severely disadvantaged children centred on sterile practice of phonics and writing which they were not yet able to understand or succeed in.'
A DCSF spokesperson said, 'Jim Rose is reviewing two of the CLLD early learning goals as part of the primary curriculum review and we understand he will recommend retaining these goals. These early writing goals are currently achieved by around a third and just under one half of all children.
'Our view is the CLLD goals should be retained, and aspirations for what we expect children to achieve should not be lowered. Workforce issues should not mean that aspirations are capped.
'The Rose Review is concentrating on workable recommendations for change in the primary curriculum and to ensure the best possible educational outcomes for all children, including those who are summer-born.'
THE 'COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY' EARLY LEARNING GOALS
- Read a range of familiar and common words and simple sentences independently
- Use their phonic knowledge to write simple regular words and make phonetically plausible attempts at more complex words
- Attempt writing for different purposes, using features of different forms such as lists, stories and instructions
- Write their own names and other things such as labels and captions, and begin to form simple sentences, sometimes using punctuation
- Use a pencil and hold it effectively to form recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed
