The Government has recently announced the launch of a new reading test for all six year olds. They want all children to learn to read using synthetic phonics and schools inspectors Ofsted have also recently endorsed this method. All pupils in Year 1 will start to take the tests from 2012. The 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.
Talking Tots is the only national pre-school group that offers classes in pre-literacy skills which includes developing phonological awareness by breaking down the sound structure of words. Phonological awareness is an important and reliable predictor of later reading ability.
Although this all sounds very serious, Talking Tots covers this basic understanding in such a fun way, that children do not realise that they are learning such an important skill that will help in the Year 1 test. They are simply enjoying playing with sounds.
Talking Tots was founded in 2005 by Tracey Park and Lisa Houghton, both experienced paediatric speech and language therapists. Tracey and Lisa realised that many children were not reaching their full potential because they lacked vital communication skills. The two women worked closely with a team of speech and language therapists, teachers and educational psychologists to develop a series of age-appropriate classes that would boost these skills.
The first Talking Tots classes were a phenomenal success, and there are now many classes throughout the UK. Visit www.talkingtots.info to find a class near you.
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