Reading the Rose review, I warmly welcome the report’s promotion of positive attitudes to reading, promotion of good literature and the place given to speaking and listening.
The report also says “systematic teaching of phonics is a good thing”. How much money was spent reaching that dazzling conclusion? The problem lies beyond the obvious. Rose passionately advocates the teaching of synthetic phonics, then admits no one quite knows what the synthetic approach is.
Diverse advocates wrangle about how you deliver the synthetic approach, muddying the waters.
So while they argue among themselves, could I prioritise the enjoyment of reading? At one end of the reading experience we risk schooling our Year 6 children in the notion that reading is all about a 45 minute test. If we make the other end just as dull, then all we have to do is suck the interest out of the middle and we’ll finally have killed off the enjoyment of reading for good.
Let’s put first things first.
Remember: the fcat reamins taht raeders can raed tihs qutie eaisly bceause raeding ivnolves uisng a ragne of startgeies to reocginse wdros. Wehers the pohnics in taht?
Huw Thomas
St John’s CE school Manor Oaks Road Sheffield
