More than 100 delegates attended a conference at Roehampton University to debate the role of phonics in the wake of the Rose Review of early reading.
Jim Rose, who led the Government's controversial review, spoke about the findings.
But speaking to Nursery World afterwards, conference organiser Professor Tina Bruce said delegates welcomed Mr Rose's message about the systematic approach to teaching phonics within a broad curriculum. 'It helped to clarify the importance of the rich learning environment, the multi-sensory approach, and the emphasis on communication, language and literacy.'
She said delegates were reassured that they would have to use their professional judgement and that observation was of 'paramount importance'.
Lesley Staggs, former national director of the Foundation Stage, said that with the early learning goal relating to literacy being revised, it was time to examine the others, 'especially in light of the Foundation Stage profile results around reading, writing and mathematical development'. She said, 'Either the early learning goals need a good look, or the age at which we pitch them. Is the end of the reception year the right point for the end of the early learning goals, or Year 1?'
Ms Staggs stressed the need for professional development and training.
'There is a huge issue of how children's phonological knowledge develops.
People need the phonological knowledge but also a knowledge of child development and knowledge of the individual child.'
Dr Dominic Wyse of Cambridge University told the conference that the teaching of reading had become 'inappropriately politicised'.
Dr Wyse, who surveyed 43 international phonics studies, said, 'The main conclusion about synthetic phonics is not supported by research. The enquiry should have paid more attention to the evidence that's there.'