Early Childhood Forum

Charlotte Lynch's presentation to the ECF general meeting on 8 March can be found by clicking on the link below.

Please also see Save the Children's Wonder Words presentation at

https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/what-we-do/uk-work/in-homes/wonder-words

Wonder Words is an innovative behaviour change campaign, helping families to talk, sing and play more with their babies and toddlers.

To see Pam Jarvis's presentation given at the March 2018 meeting of ECF please click on the link below:

The Early Childhood Forum is concerned that recommendations from government ministers, who are proposing a baseline test for four year olds, and OfSTED, who have just issued a report on reception classes, appear to demonstrate that established knowledge and understanding of how young children learn are not being used to formulate policy. The strength of feeling from our members across the early childhood sector in rejecting these proposed changes and recommendations is very evident (see from examples from TACTYC and NAPE ) .
 
Most other countries do not consider formal teaching of reading and writing until children are seven when they learn very quickly. What is being proposed and much of what is happening already will not only fail children at a young age, but consequently damage their progress and motivation for the rest of their education.
Research is plentiful - why do Ministers and now worryingly OfSTED- not heed the research?

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/09/skills-children-need-work-future-play-lego/
 
Melian Mansfield
Chair Early Childhood Forum

This letter has been published in the Guardian and Nursery World

TACTYC's response to HMG's consultation on primary assesment in England can be read by visiting

www.tactyc.org.uk/consultations/