Interpreted and applied correctly, Letters and Sounds gives credence to experiential and interactive learning and the importance of children using their senses to understand their world, says Daniella Cohen. Photograph at boomerang kids, saltdean, by Andrew Hasson.

One of the newest Government agendas is focused on narrowing the gap between the most and least disadvantaged children and families in society. Emphasis has been placed on statistics that show white working class boys, in particular, achieving least in schools and being left with very low levels of literacy and communication.

These least successful children are performing less well than children with English as an additional language and worse than boys of Afro-Caribbean origin. In a bid to counteract poor achievement in basic skills, and in response to the Rose Review on the limitations of current teaching of reading and writing, the Primary National Strategies team has produced the 'Letters and Sounds' guidance.

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