Your Opinion: Letters

DISORDERS DO EXIST

Mr Stringer is right (News, 22 January) - no-one should 'invent brain disorders' in pupils to mask poor teaching. Moreover, some approaches to early reading are, plainly, more effective than others. But children are not identical machines. However well-oiled by the appropriate methods, they do not necessarily automatically kick into learning gear.

Consider the following scenario, an actual example from my own tutoring experience. An otherwise intelligent, co-operative seven-and-a-half-year-old boy was brought to me because his sole attainment towards literacy was the ability to set out his first name in mirror writing. He could not read at all. Most of his fellow pupils were well on the way to reading or completely literate. All had the same teacher and the same 'methods'. It would not have been helpful to say that his difficulty was 'invented' in order to protect an incompetent teacher.

The fact that, given specialist help over several years, this child went on to become highly literate - obtaining ten O-levels (with eight As including English Literature, English Language and French) - does not imply that his disorder was invented, any more than the language difficulties of a stroke victim are invented.

It is a pity that, sometimes, teachers and parents do jump on the bandwagon of dyslexia just to excuse poor teaching or lack of motivation. But a child, otherwise bright and 'normal', who nevertheless requires sustained, specific and concentrated help far beyond what can reasonably be provided in the classroom, is not a victim of 'wickedness', but a child who has a neurological disorder.

To deny this seems to me to be Mr Stringer's 'cruel myth'.

Jean Bantock, retired remedial tutor, Rearsby, near Leicester

- Letter of the Week wins £30 worth of books

ROUTE TO INSPECTION

I want to compliment Laura Henry and Beth Harris (Work Matters, 22 January) on their first in a series of articles on inspection. Giving the clear message that all settings need to start on the journey to successful inspection by reflecting on their principles and how these are experienced by the children and families they work with, is spot-on.

An 'ethos' can sound difficult to grab hold of and examine, but the authors offer some focused questions to help all the staff to tackle this together. The following guidance on investigation and shared understanding of the components of 'quality', and good reference documents to support this process, make this an excellent article to cut out and build on to support high achievement for the children, which is acknowledged through good ratings from Ofsted.

Jane Cole, early childhood consultant, London

MEN IN EARLY YEARS

CWDC is in agreement with the important points made by Julian Grenier (To the Point, 5 February). The press coverage generated by CWDC's campaign did not always cover all these important points, but we are committed to improving status and opportunities for women and men, and agree that both genders should play a variety of roles in early years settings. In general, the coverage in both the national and local media underlined this.

The arguments put by Claire Cameron, Peter Moss and Charlie Owen in their book Men in the Nursery are very well understood and influence our work.

We have had a very positive response to the coverage generated nationally and locally, from men and women alike, from within and outside the early years sector.

Thom Crabbe, national development manager, early years, Children's Workforce Development Council

MORE TAX ADVICE

Further to the article about the tax advice line at HMRC (Work Matters, 22 January), nurseries should also remember that they may have access to an independent tax helpline service under their insurance policy. The helplines are usually part of the Legal Expenses section of the policy and they give independent tax advice to policy holders. Nurseries should contact their insurance advisers for details.

Jerry Beere, partner, Morton Michel - Send your letters to ... The Editor, Nursery World, 174 Hammersmith Road, London W6 7JP; letter.nw@haymarket.com; 020 8267 8401