So, in your opinion, just how important are the first years of education (am thinking Reception and Infant)?

[notnowbernard]

Am interested in what people think. Have a friend who is having a nightmare with allocations (Reception age)She is V V stressed because she thinks if her dd gets into the 'wrong' school it will cock up her entire education

I don't agree with this, fwiw

But would like to hear opinions

What do you think is important about the early years of education/school provision/type of schooling/environment etc?

TIA

mrz -- OP implied her friend was getting worried because the school she was afraid her child would attend wasn't graded Outstanding; therefore, it couldn't possibly be good enough in the early years. OP might better have asked "Can a school with iffy Ofsted or SAT results be good enough?"

TeacherGran r.e. The phonic method in schools today is the worst possible way of teaching a dyslexic child to read.

Really, TeacherGran? I am interested as to why you are of this opinion, when The Dyslexia Institute recommend programmes of work which involve daily, systematic phonics work? And successful schemes for dyslexic children, such as Toe by Toe, are phonically based?

Look my DS is at an 'outstanding'primary and has a reading age 3 and a half YEARS behind where he should be despite us doing extra work, tutoring etc etc.'outstanding' means bugger all to my familey.

Thanks Teachergran will check it out

family

Message withdrawn

I agree Feenie ...Teachergran why does Dyslexia Action sell good phonics resources if phonics isn't effective for teaching children with dyslexia to read and spell?
Why does the British Dyslexia Association sell phonics software if it isn't effect for children with dyslexia?

Why does Dyslexia help link to Crossbow phonics games and resources if this isn't effective?

Hmmm....a quick search on TeacherGran reveals that she doesn't engage in discussion - just advertises her wares and leaves. Maybe she should place her reading scheme in the Small Business Ads section?

It seems so feenie I'm concerned some people have purchased it on the back of a claim that children can become readers in a term.

Me too - am especially concerned over the comment made on this thread about dyslexic readers. She contradicts all known research by respected associations who work to combat dyslexia, seemingly just to promote her reading scheme.

Have reported it to MNHQ.

I guess it's the balance - they need to be excited by learning (and thus actually learning) in a supportive and loving environmnet. I had the most fantastic P1 and 2 teacher who fed my enthusiasm and engaged us in active learning from the get go. I went on to have a great school career and had a fantastic time. My dbrother went to the same school but had a different set of teachers which absolutely set the course for his learning pretty much for the rest of his time at school; the bad early years experience was recognised by the headmaster and they did try to rectify it post P4 and it did get better but he didn't adore school the way I did and didn't engage because he had been made so miserable. Schools have to get both bits right. We're hitting the Bloss issue with ds1 at the moment ...

Stillenacht - have you been in touch with the Dyslexia Institute r.e. your ds? That would be my best advice. I agree that you and your ds have been badly let down by his primary school.

Blimey, MNHQ are on the ball tonight! They replied within a couple of hours, and deleted the aforementioned posts.

"Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man,"

The foundation years are all-important.

I'm relieved the posts have been deleted unfortunately at least 2 children may be denied the right kind of support....