It would not be overstating things to say that in recent years, the challenges of the literacy strategy and the principles of the foundation stage have left teachers and early years practitioners feeling like they are stuck between a rock and a hard place - this is entirely unsurprising.

If a strategy is to be joined up, it makes no sense to start in the middle. Do this, and you're bound to end up with tensions. The literacy strategy came first and despite efforts to ensure that the guidance for the foundation stage was evidence-based, it took more than a little manoeuvering and a whole lot of compromise to make it look as if the two things fitted together, which actually, as you've probably noticed, they don't!

The consequences of this fundamental flaw have been far reaching, and we're a long way from sorting things out. Add to this the downward pressure caused by the inappropriate testing of children at the tender age of six, and you have a recipe for madness. Literacy consultants and coordinators, conscious of the imperatives of institutional survival, want to see results and measurable outcomes. Foundation stage practitioners struggle to implement the foundation stage guidance in the way they know it should be implemented. This has resulted in confusion, mixed messages and massive difficulties for everyone concerned. So, for goodness sake, let's say it as it is.

If we are to be led by the results of our national tests for English, it is inevitable that many children will be forced into formal literacy learning well before they are ready. This will present some serious dilemmas. Yes, it is possible to get children to do things early, but let's not kid ourselves; this comes at a cost. By doing this, we can seriously damage their disposition to learn and rob them of a lifelong love of literacy. Surely, the time has come for us all to be vocal about things. As professionals, whether we are early years specialists or literacy specialists, we all want the same thing: children with good literacy skills who enjoy using them to enhance their lives. If this is to become a reality, serious action is required.

In the first instance, it is imperative that we work together to understand each other's worlds and pressures. We should not make assumptions. Early years practitioners should be confident in what they do and be prepared to 'fight their corner' and advocate the importance of the foundation stage. They must help others to understand the ways in which young children learn, and how this is different to the learning of older children. Unless you understand this, an early years classroom can look like a lot of children having a wonderful time but learning very little. The trouble with a 'child-centred' approach is that unless you understand it, the learning may not be immediately apparent. For someone who has always taught in a teacher-directed way, the concept of 'child-initiated' learning may be a bewildering mystery.

It is the responsibility of early years professionals to demystify this learning and help other professionals understand how the skills required for later literacy learning are acquired through a well planned balance of both adult-initiated and child-initiated activities. This is a whole school issue. Everyone should face the tensions we are presented with openly and honestly and make conscious decisions about how they should be dealt with.

Hopefully, we all realise that the foundations for later literacy learning do not simply happen by osmosis. It demands skill, understanding, knowledge, imagination and hard work, and this is where literacy coordinators and consultants can play their part. Literacy specialists can frequently support early years colleagues to do their work more effectively, but only if they understand the world of early years. It is not enough to know what needs to be done - it is also essential to know when and how it should be done.

There is no room for going into corners and engaging in black and white thinking. This is not a matter of 'either, or'. What is required is a thorough understanding of the skills, knowledge and concepts that children need (the literacy specialists should be able to supply this) married with the knowledge of how this can happen in practice (the province of the early years specialist). We need to respect each other's specialisms and ensure that we listen to, and learn from each other.

We may also have help at hand. Now that the foundation stage is enshrined in law and is part of the Primary Strategy, we might just begin to see some joined-up thinking. I really do hope so!

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