WHAT CHALLENGES DO EARLY LITERACY PROVIDERS FACE?

• With a variety of entry points to the teaching profession, the understanding of the reading process is not always secured.
• Early Literacy teaching is now governed by the requirements of the National Year 1 Phonics test. Phonic knowledge is vital, as is a strong sight vocabulary; but decoding is only one component of the skills required to be a ‘balanced reader’.
• As educational skills depend on the use of language, pupils entering school with poor speaking and listening skills are disadvantaged in their ability to access the national curriculum.
• Provision for EAL students is inconsistent so such pupils, despite academic ability, can be hampered in accessing the curriculum.
• Whilst commercial writing programmes offer opportunities and stimulus for pupils, they lack a systematic approach to the writing process.
• Teachers need a more informative and effective system for teaching and accurately measuring literacy as they transfer from Early Years to Year 1.
• The gap between pupils can widen if effective teaching methods are not put in place to improve attainment for alllearners, not just Pupil Premium.