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Why from 7 years? As an experienced teacher, I contend that children should not be ‘taught to read and spell’ in the early years. Instead they should hear stories read from a real book, by a real person, at least once every day. Reading should be enjoyable and they should live the whole story, enjoy the magic, feel the fear and experience the sadness and joy. They should see the whole words on the page and, indeed, some children may be ‘reading’ some of these whole words long before they are seven.
If all Nursery and Infant Schools were to offer their young pupils the opportunity to learn about their environment through play via their senses of touch, taste, smell, hearing and sight: if they were encouraged to explore their world and enjoy free imaginative play and activities: if a developmental movement programme such as Brian Gym® were to be used every day for all children then by 7 years old most of them would have a firm foundation for future academic success. |