Diane Hofkins’ article (“And then there was phonics”, TES, February 21) acknowledges that it is only teachers who will make yet another change in the approach to reading work.
Why then is the planned Department for Education and Skills summit to be part of a process in which researchers and academics will talk to “policy-makers”, so that what they then produce will be guidance for teachers?
If they started with the practical and balanced view of a cross - section of good classroom practitioners, many of whom would have spotted the inherent lack of balance in the current strategy, they might find a more workable approach to a very important matter.
I am sorry if this is too complicated for the summit planners, but as a former secondary teacher, experienced local education authority officer and educational consultant with a wife and daughter who teach key stage 1 and reception I really wanted to suggest getting cart and horse the right way round this time.
Stuart Parry
4 The Banks
Bingham
Nottingham
