Literacy news
New reading test for six-year-olds announced
23 Nov 2010
Government Ministers have given more details of plans to bring in reading tests for six-year-olds in England. Teachers will run the tests, which will be based on phonics, where pupils learn the sounds of letters and groups of letters before putting them together.
Pupils in England will take the tests in Year 1 from 2012 and a pilot scheme will start next summer. Ministers say the tests will be a "progress check" to help identify children needing extra support.
Schools inspectors Ofsted also recently endorsed this method.
Education Secretary Michael Gove says the test will confirm whether individual pupils have grasped the basics of "phonic decoding" by the end of Year 1.
At the moment, children are formally assessed by their teachers at the age of six or seven - with the results being reported to the government - so this reading test will come a year earlier.
Mr Gove said a solid foundation in reading was crucial to a child's success in school and later life. He says:
"In spite of the hard work of teachers and pupils, too many children are currently not reaching the expected reading levels at age seven and age 11."
However, critics believe that a regimented approach can turn children off reading.
While teaching unions and headteachers have said phonics is a good way of teaching children to read but say it is not a magic formula and different children may require different approaches.
Most schools use the scheme already, but often alongside other methods. The government wants it to be used systematically - with children building up their phonic knowledge stage-by-stage.
Christine Gilbert, chief inspector of schools, says:
“The foundations for fluent reading and writing are established between the ages of three to seven.
“A test for six-year-olds should not only prioritise reading for primary schools, but should also enable early support to be given to schools who are finding it difficult to get all their children reading.”
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