Professor Lillian Katz, from Illinois University in the United States,delivered her warning about the perils of beginning formal instructiontoo early at a conference at Oxford University last week which looked atthe Early Years Foundation Stage from a world perspective.
She welcomed the EYFS as 'a step in the right direction' but warned thatit should focus more on children's intellectual development rather thanacademic skills, as children need to learn to think for themselves.
Professor Katz, who has lectured across the US and in 43 countries,said, 'Research suggests the benefits of formal academic instruction forfour-and-five-year-olds seem to be promising when tested early, butconsiderably less so in the long term. Indeed, there are someindications that the long-term negative effects of premature academicinstruction are more noticeable for boys than for girls.'
Professor Ingrid Pramling-Samuellson from the University of Gothenburg,Sweden, expressed surprise at the UK's emphasis on starting to readearly using phonics. She said Sweden's early years curriculumconcentrates on the development of speaking, listening and narrativelanguage.
Professor Kathy Sylva of Oxford University and convenor of the Families,Early Learning and Literacy group, said the Government's commitment topre-school education had been one of its biggest achievements.
She referred to research, which she co-led with Sandra Mathers at theuniversity's department of education, showing 'a direct relationshipbetween observed quality in early childhood settings and the presence ofqualified teachers on the staff'.