Letters

RADIO AND LANGUAGE

Susan Stranks is right to highlight the value of radio for young children (In My View, 21 August).

Unlike TV, which confuses and distracts very young children to the extent that programmes for under-threes have been banned in France, radio promotes concentration and broadens experience from a young age. It can provide the repetition and consolidation as well as the creative expression that foster communication skills and underpin literacy and numeracy development.

Dedicated programmes for children have the potential for flexible use at home as much as in group settings, and offer particular benefits to those with difficulties in expressive language, or families who are in the early stages of learning English.

Here's hoping that the value of a special channel for children will be recognised and implemented as part of the current investment in early language development.

Wendy Scott, Keswick, Cumbria

Letter of the Week wins £30 worth of books

EQUALITY IN THE EYFS

Congratulations to Jane Lane for her article 'Time to reflect' and to Nursery World for publishing it (14 August). As far as I'm aware, no other early years magazine has drawn attention to the fact that equality and inclusion are key concepts threaded right through the EYFS. Although many articles have appeared in all the early years magazines on various aspects of the framework and their implementation, none have focused on or even acknowledged its anti-discriminatory theme.

When commenting at the consultation stage, the Commission for Racial Equality had this to say: '[We] welcome the focus throughout the document on the key role of the EYFS in improving the life chances of all children. We strongly support the consistent underlying themes of ensuring that the individual needs of all children are met and that no child is excluded or disadvantaged because of ethnicity, culture or religion, home language or family background. We are also encouraged by the requirement that providers promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice. Although not all early years settings are covered by the statutory requirement of the Race Relations Act ... the CRE would expect all settings to comply with the principles of the Act by putting race equality at the centre of their work.'

Babette Brown, co-ordinator, Persona Doll Training

COST NOT QUALITY

With reference to the letter from Lee Partner (14 August), Daycare Trust would like to clarify that our Holiday Childcare Costs Survey 2008 does not claim that the quality of holiday provision is inadequate. The survey found above-average cost increases and a dearth of available provision for parents to access in some areas, as reported to us by Family Information Services across the country.

We appreciate the effort made by holiday childcare providers to keep prices as low as possible. Nevertheless, the reality for many parents on low incomes is that £90 per week (the cost of a place to cover full-time work) represents a huge proportion of their incomes, especially those with more than child. Our survey calls on the Government to help support more parents with the cost of holiday childcare, and to support the expansion and development of more places in holiday clubs to meet demand.

Maxine Hill, head of policy, Daycare Trust

PAPER BURDEN

I have been working in childcare for eight years and spend most of my time interacting with the children and observing them. Now with the EYFS, I find myself doing more paperwork than ever before.

Our planning has increased to eight activities a day, indoors and outdoors, and the planning takes two-and-a-half-hours to do. We also have to observe each child on every area of development and write down on a weekly basis how we are going to help each child on to the next stage of development in every area.

I was told that the EYFS would involve less paperwork. What's more important, looking after the children in our care, or doing the department's paperwork?

Nicola Williams, Thatcham, Berkshire.

- Send your letters to ... The Editor, Nursery World, 174 Hammersmith Road, London W6 7JP letter.nw@haymarket.com 020 8267 8402.