Reviewed by Marian Whitehead, language and early years consultant
How refreshing to find a well-prioritised list of contents, starting with 'talk' and ending with 'play' in its unifying and sense-making role, and stopping to look at 'rhyme and rhythm' on the way.
It is hard to be original in the possibly over-published field of language and literacy. But the authors of this book have learned a lot from the many good contemporary writers on the topic and produced a clear, practical and helpful text.
The challenge for the authors has been to synthesise the demands of the National Literacy Strategy with the Foundation Stage focus on play and a developmentally appropriate curriculum in the early years. They give it their best shot and the resulting guidance is sound, although personally I believe that the synthesising task is impossible.
There is a clear and practical format for each chapter - defining terms; looking at what children do; looking at the research; helping practitioners to understand and integrate theory with practice. Throughout the book we are reminded of some very good things in the recent past, such as the valuable work that came out of the National Oracy Project; the Open University's 'assessment questions'; the National Writing Project of the 1980s; and the Primary Language Record (Barrs et al, 1998).
Only one omission concerns me, and that is the lack of emphasis on the outdoor curriculum as highlighted in the Curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage. Teachers of language and literacy, including parents and other practitioners, need to remind the world that language happens everywhere. You don't have to run under the nearest roof in order to communicate, or write and read.
