Firstly, let's just put it out there: childhood is not a race. It is something to be cherished, not accelerated. However, right now, it feels like we are almost being forced to run a race, a race we didn't even enter, with results of this invented race being proudly announced, even if the participants themselves have a completely different perspective.
Don't get me wrong, anyone who reads this page knows I advocate for effective teaching practices, but they also know I advocate for childhood and the right of children to play and develop in their own space and time. I have been fortunate enough to spend the last ten years doing this work, having stumbled upon 'structured literacy' and guided myself through it, without the pressure of time and the 'urgency' that seems to have been created. I am also lucky enough to have learned a lot about children and the role of play, and to have been able to balance these seemingly opposite pieces of understanding into the practices I use today and the way our school operates.
I have developed my 'lens'—how I see teaching and learning—with the individual in mind, and that is the way I continue to go forward.
Yet right now, our system is caught up in this race, a race to implement practices that many teachers don't deeply understand, with very little thought given to the children.
Children as the Curriculum
I have always said children are the curriculum. So much can be achieved when we just step back and see where their interests and wonderings lead us. I also know that explicit teaching has a role to play, and that combined, these approaches are magical.
The Phonics Check: A Critical View
Let's specifically look at the 'phonics check' that's at the forefront in the media right now and the supposed gains that have been made. Checking on phonics is a good part of our practice; of course, as we work with children, we check in with their understandings, based on what we have actually taught.
The amazing progress that the phonics check is supposedly showing isn't reflected at our place. There are many factors in this. For one, our children are engaged through bite-sized explicit teaching, but they are given space and time individually. Some of our learners don't start 'formal' reading until they are six, while most start around 5 years 9 months. Their development is prioritised first; they are immersed in oral language and play, allowed time to feel safe, and relational trust and co-regulation are big priorities for us. This does not mean they are not involved in phonics sessions, but it does mean these sessions are not our priority.
Another factor is that the oral language levels of children coming into school are really low right now, which is a priority for us. We put in every result for the phonics checks—we don't filter out any of our neurodiverse learners, we don't exclude any results, we put them all in there. Many of our 20-week checks show no result. Often, the children know the sounds that they have been taught (a big deal from where they started) but they can't yet blend them to read.
Another factor is that the sequence of the phonics check doesn't quite align with the sequence we use. Children can often read words further down the list but make mistakes earlier on.
This phonics check doesn't really prove anything. We already know where our children are at, and any school using a robust system will too. We monitor our children individually, notice any red flags, and intervene in ways that we have available to us.
We also all know there is so much to reading other than phonics.
Observations from Teaching
I teach older Year Ones and Twos. Most come to me having started reading, but very early in their journey. Many of these children are superb readers now, some towards the end of decodables and others reading early chapter books. Most of these children would not have scored well on the 'phonics' check early on.
We would be better placed measuring word reading in Year Two; it would give us a much better idea of where a child was at once they had had a real length of time at school.
Yes, we need to intervene early for those with difficulties, but intervening needs to be tailored to the child.
The Role of Executive Functions
Another thing the 'race' mentality is missing right now is the role of executive functions. These executive functions play a crucial role in a child even being able to access the curriculum. I know of no better way than play and understanding children developmentally to do this.
Conclusion: No Race, Only Growth
We seem to be caught up in a race that we did not enter, a race where the powers that be like to declare victory before many of the runners have even started.
There is no race. It is crucial we have a strong pedagogical understanding of the principles of learning, that we have a lens that allows us to see the whole child, that gives us time to develop a kete to draw from that allows us to help all learners as we identify their needs.
The first three years are crucial, not only for learning but for the overall development of a child.
Let's cherish childhood and spend as much time allowing children to uncover the curriculum as we spend covering it.
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