Under-sevens 'too young to learn to read'

The Guardian

Children should not start formal learning until they are seven, according to a world expert in nursery education who will suggest today that teaching reading and writing earlier can put them off for life.


Teaching children at five to read and write can dent their interest in books later on, according to Lilian Katz, a professor of education at Illinois University, who will today address an international conference on nursery schooling at Oxford University.


"It can be seriously damaging for children who see themselves as inept at reading too early," she told the Guardian. Boys were particularly vulnerable when rushed into reading too soon, she said.


Her comments come amid mounting concern over reading skills. In England, a quarter of all 14-year-olds now fail to reach the expected standards, and boys are struggling even more. Earlier this month a Cambridge University report strongly criticised Labour's £500m national literacy strategy for having a "relatively small impact". It concluded that children's reading skills had not improved in 50 years.


Moves in England to introduce more structured learning for three- and four-year-olds could store up problems in the long term, Katz suggests.


English schools start formal teaching at five but there are plans to introduce a foundation stage for three- and four-year-olds which will set new learning goals, including one which specifies that by the time children start school at five they should be able to at least "use their phonic knowledge to write simple regular words". Katz, a former president of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and a respected authority on early years education, said: "Teaching younger children can look OK in the short term but in the long term children who are taught early are not better off. For a lot of children five will be too early.


"That has a more negative impact for boys. For most boys they are growing up in cultures where they are expected to be assertive and active. In instruction they are passive and receptive and reactive, and in the long term that accounts for the negative effects. In most cultures girls tend to put up with instruction earlier and better."


The conference will examine the case for starting formal teaching at a later age. In Sweden children do not start formal instruction until six or seven. Professor Ingrid Pramling-Samuelsson, from the University of Goteborg, who is president-elect of the World Organisation of Preschool Education, will tell the conference that academics in Sweden have been "surprised" to hear that England is moving towards earlier formal instruction.


The children's minister Beverley Hughes will also address the conference about the early years foundation stage, which has been interpreted by some as the extension of the national curriculum to toddlers. The government is adamant that despite setting goals for children to reach they are not targets and it is not a formal curriculum.


A spokeswoman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said: "The formal school starting age of five has served children well for decades and standards in our primary schools have never been higher. The curriculum is age-appropriate and we actively support teachers to adapt their teaching to the needs of children. We want all children to make progress in literacy and numeracy at an early age, as these skills are critical to their ability to get the most out of learning later on."


Source HERE

Yesterday

I was on the tube yesterday...on my way to Uxbridge, on the Piccadilly line. For people not knowing London, there are different lines, they all have "names" and the Piccadilly line is also the line you get from Heathrow...but it splits at Acton town. From Acton town you can either go into London, or take the Piccadilly line to Uxbridge/Hillingdon. For me to go to Uxbridge, I had to travel to Acton from where we live, near Heathrow, got off and there changed to go to Uxbridge. If you travel early in the morning, like I used to do, the time before 7, then it could be very frustrating near Acton town, because the depot (one of the depots) is at Northfields, which is on the way to Acton. Sometimes you get delays and then it's because of the depot being a bit busy....so, if you have to travel to London early, you know to leave about 20 min earlier, for those delays...that might occur...

What I was about to say...there was a man sitting opposite me, reading this book...see the picture. I sat there, fascinated by the cover, wondering what the book was about....I couldn't read anything apart from the title and the author's name...this man was quite "reserved" about the book..it is funny to travel by train in and about London...you are not suppose to look other people straight in the eye...not that they will bite you..but there's just "unwritten rules"!

I like to watch people, even on the trains...very interesting...you do get people looking YOU in the eyes...I don't mind...tells me that person is more human than others...hahaha... also, if somebody reads, you DO NOT read with him! It is so funny, to see what people are doing when "next door" is reading a newspaper...those eyes...some are so curious to see what is in the newspaper, they can't help themselves...some readers don't mind, but SOME people will move position in a very annoyed way...body language!! I had people once or twice reading with me the paper...just a headline or a short article...I don't mind...I do that sometimes myself!

What I don't like on the tube....people piling up their luggage on a seat and then expect you to stand! I would go and ask politely to sit down...I mean...I pay for my seat! Also, people having their lunch/breakfast on the train and then leave their rubbish right there! Yuck! Bad manners...they don't have mums....or parents...that could educate them properly, so let's feel sorry for them...And...those who fall asleep...on your shoulder!!! And...start snoring....geeee worse...that's the fastest I change position every now and then....

To come back to the reader...here on Amazon,you can read a view reviews of the book, I think the men will like it...I like speeding with the car, but only in South Africa, Pretoria, where the streets are wide and there's enough lanes for other people too...don't tell on me!

Have you....

His book translated into Flemish here.

Have you read...."The soul of the white Ant"...or..."Die siel van die Mier!" by Eugene Marais... if not....you have a gap in your culture...:))....get "The soul of the white ant.." and read it...


Where is the soul of a termite, or the soul of man?

“Someone once said that all behaviourism in nature could be referred to as hunger. This saying has been repeated thousands of times yet is false. Hunger itself is pain – the most severe pain in its later stages that the body knows except thirst, which is even worse. Love may be regarded as a hunger, but it is not pain.

“What protects animals, what enables them to continue living, what assures the propagation of race? A certain attribute of organic matter. As soon as one finds life, one finds this attribute. It is inherent in life; like most natural phenomena it is polarised, there is a negative and a positive pole. The negative pole is pain; the positive pole is sex. This attribute may be called the saving attribute of life; and it is here where one comes closest to what appears like a common purpose beyond nature.” (Eugène Marais, The Soul of the White Ant, 1989:261)


Eugène Nielen Marais[1] (1871-1936) was a South African lawyer, naturalist, poet, and writer. Although Marais is remembered by South Africans more for his contribution to Afrikaans literature than for science, he has been described as being a scientist far ahead of his time.


He began life after leaving college as a journalist, then studied medicine for four years, but eventually took up law and was called to the bar by the Inner Temple. He was a scholar and a man of culture.

However, it was not only as jurist that Marais distinguished himself as a brilliant (yet eccentric) character in South African history. He has been described as “… a human community in one man. He was a poet, an advocate, a journalist, a story-teller, a drug-addict, a psychologist, a natural scientist.”

In 1910, he abandoned his law practice and retreated to the remote Waterberg (‘Water Mountain’) – the mountain area north-west of Pretoria. Here he studied two creatures – termites and baboons that, on the face of it, had nothing in common. Both fascinated him, as did all wild creatures.

Read more HERE...

School, books and nature

This nature program will definitely be on my list of TV programmes to watch when I'm in South Africa next week!

http://www.5050.co.za/


Just discovered I have a couple of books to read! on top of another 6 given as a present....this one is about Philosophy....which I like..."The Reason of Things..." by A C Grayling....and I still need to read these two! By Richard Bach..."The Bridge across forever..." and...."One"....

Picture of my Secondary school.....on your way to the office ....

http://www.hslydenburg.co.za/site/
Follow this link to my old school's website....my Secondary school.......

...........and this link to the place where my grandfather started a school...
Boschfontein Primary School.... it's a small farm school, still existing....
http://www.multimap.com/maps/?title=Boschfontein%2C%20KwaZulu%20Natal%2C%20South%20Africa&t=l&map=-30.5833,29.1167164&loc=ZA:-30.5833:29.1167:16#t=l&map=-25.10125,30.25137114&loc=:-25.1:30.25:11Boschfontein,

Wednesday's quote:

Our games reveal our characters

by...Ovid

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovid

First they killed my father

This book...."First they killed my father".... is a must-read if you like to read books about wars....this is sad, but it gives you a true insight in what really happened. Read the reviews on Amazon, follow the link below. I totally agree with what everybody says about this book. So, get yours now! :)

and..........get yourself the sequel too...."Lucky Child..."

http://www.amazon.com/First-They-Killed-Father-Remembers/dp/0060931388

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Child-Daughter-Cambodia-Reunites/dp/0060733942/ref=sr_1_1/102-8514781-7579335?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184407506&sr=1-1

SATS Results

We got our SATS results! Well, must say we are very proud and the Headteacher is over the moon. Our children did great and we feel good!

My class did some "recycling" all morning.....we used plastic bags to make pom poms to go on to a sculpture for the Thames Festival in middle September. That was fun. Tomorrow we have again our BRASS project in the afternoon. David is coming in to support the groups in their presentation which they have to prepare for Brad...the Director of the HMS Belfast...for Thursday! And Thursday Brad will be handing them their certificates too.

In the meantime, we try to get our heads around the leavers' evening. Practise time is so little. Y6 children are going to pretend that they are in a care centre and they are going to use their memories from "primary" to act out bits. Y5's are going to pretend that they are visiting the care centre and they will be singing songs to the "people" (Y6) in the care centre. We are using this book (see picture) as an idea for our "play"....

Blue Kangaroo!

http://capitolchoices.communitypoint.org/displaykey.asp?sort=102&key=827

Blue Castle

Enjoy reading...? Follow this link about the Blue Castle!


http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200951h.html

Books to read

The Kin is an outstanding book set 200,000 years ago in Africa. The kin are first humans very brave and clever and they can talk. It is a wonderful story of their journey in search of new life and land. In between the chapters are Oldtales about Black Antolope and other creatures that make the Earth. The book travels in four stories with Suth, Noli, Tinu, Ko and Mana. They are the Moonhawk Kin trying to find new Good Places as the kins are dying. You will come to fighting with lions and demon men to meeting new people that can't talk. I loved this book. I was thrilled in Dickinsons great ideas and vast imagination. I could not put it down and I am looking forward to reading many more of his fantastic books.
I agree 100% with the comments of this person on Amazon's website!
Author: Peter Dickinson