It goes without saying that learning to read and write involves far more than just 'knowing your sounds.' Thankfully, the Rose Report acknowledges this. If children are to become not only fluent but also enthusiastic readers, they need to understand what reading is 'good for'.
Practitioners have a significant role to play in helping young children to see reading and writing as a deeply pleasurable activity that everyone can access. Creating a community of language users in a setting where everyone's literacy is valued is integral to this process.
While practitioners will be involved in introducing children to the notion of linking sounds to letters, other aspects of the reading and writing process need to be given at least equal value.
Rich in print
To be most effective, phonics teaching needs to take place in a print-rich environment, where young children are encouraged to develop a fascination for words, letters and sounds and where they are able to build on the knowledge that they have acquired outside the world of education.
All those who work regularly with young children will be aware of their capacity to interpret, discuss and comprehend stories of a far greater complexity than those that they can decode for themselves(??). It is absolutely essential that children have a rich diet of quality texts, to feed their imaginations and their vocabulary.
With quality resources and careful planning, this need not be difficult to do. Regular read-aloud sessions, where books have been carefully chosen with the emotional and cognitive needs of the children in mind, are invaluable in this regard.
Through these read-aloud sessions, adults can demonstrate what a fluent reader does, lifting the words off the page for the children and introducing them to a diverse range of stories, songs, poems and rhymes that they will want to hear read aloud over and over again.
Wide selection
It is important to make a wide selection of reading material available so that children can choose books to browse through on their own and with friends. Children may have committed some favourite stories to memory, either at home, or through participating in regular read-aloud sessions, and need to be encouraged to return to these key texts time after time, familiarising themselves with the way that books and stories work. Such experiences will mean that phonic knowledge can be brought in to use in a context that is meaningful and relevant.
WAYS IN
Practitioners should always bear in mind the need to make the reading curriculum accessible for all children. This means ensuring a variety of 'ways in' - through puppets, props and playful activities that match the principles of good early years practice.
Bringing stories to life through elements of continuous provision such as role play, small-world play and construction will mean that children can take ownership of the stories that they have heard, and indeed, use them to create stories of their own. Remember to incorporate texts into activities wherever and whenever possible, so that children see the real world reflected in the setting - one that they can recognise and relate to.
There has never been any doubt that phonics has a place in learning to read and write. However, it is important that in the landscape of literacy learning, we make room for other aspects of becoming an effective and enthusiastic communicator, if we are to do the best for the children in our care.
It is vital that young children understand that the world of literacy is exciting and rewarding, and do not become so bogged down with tackling the 'small shapes' that they lose sight of what being a reader and a writer really means.
Further information
* L is for Sheep (Featherstone Education, 14.99, www.featherstone.uk.com) is written by a group of experts in the field of early years literacy and offers practical advice, underpinned by theory, for practitioners.
* www.literacytrust.org.uk is an excellent website, providing links to information about all aspects of literacy learning.
* www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary is where you can read the revised frameworks for literacy and numeracy. It gives detailed information about what will be required for children from the age of five.
References
* Gibbons, P (1993) Learning to Learn in a Second Language (Heinemann) * Kenner, C (2000) Home Pages, Trentham Books