Although Derrie submitted this memorandum in 2009, this scenario continues in countless schools for countless children in England and wider afield. Teachers continue to get mixed messages about 'what' they should provide for foundational literacy and 'how' they should provide it. This is simply not good enough - TOTALLY unaccountable when taking the body of international research into reading instruction into account and, without doubt, an enormous and unnecessary tragedy:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/p ... me2902.htm
Literacy teaching and interventions in primary school
Here is a typical scenario from my day to day work as an Educational Psychologist linked to a group of schools. (The information and letters I have received in response to my correspondence to the Government Departments reflect no understanding whatsoever of what is really happening in schools at the chalk face. Much is assumed at the policy making level this is not actually the case):
A boy in Year 4 (aged approx 9 years) with a reading age of less than six is referred to me because of concerns about his slow progress across the curriculum. He cannot read or write a sentence. The Year 4 National Curriculum demands that his class covers such things as similes, persuasive writing, putting words/names in alphabetical order etc (and now, of course, French).
During my assessment I ask the pupil to bring his writing book and reading book to show me. Neither he nor I can read what he has written in his book. I can though read the Learning Intention which he has copied neatly off the board into his book. When I attempt to elicit his understanding of the concept he has no understanding of it. (I wonder how this lad spends much of his time in school?) When I ask him to read his book, he makes up the text as he goes along and remembers some of it from the pictures.