How do children learn to read and what's wrong with letters in a sand tray?
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Stephanie Hammond and Angelica Celinska critically discuss early literacy provision and the teaching of phonics, really unpicking how children learn to read. They discuss practitioner skills and confidence in challenging 'tick list practices', child-led vs adult-led learning, activities set up for adult purposes in terms of testing for specific outcomes and observations, rather than for the value of the learning in the moment for the children. As well as rich language environments, expectations of phonics schemes, reductionist phonics set ups and the 'catch up' narrative. Episode breakdown:  00:30 - DfE Literacy Specialist  03:00 - Learning from practice 04:55 - Are we 'experts' or 'specialists'? 08:00 - Letters in a sand tray are like worksheets  11:30 - Tick list and outcomes based practice 18:00 - Skilled adults supporting phonological awareness 19:45 - Senior leadership teams and Ofsted 22:00 - Are we interacting or interfering in learning? 23:40 - 'Quick wins' and contradictory information 25:25 - The reading framework 27:50 - Top down pressures and school readiness 31:15 - Strong phonics start in Reception 34:39 - Do children really need to 'catch up'? 42:55 - Phonics schemes and adult-led teaching 45:35 - Picking up literacy in the environment 46:50 - Language rich environment 48:55 - Expectations of phonics schemes 51:35 - Being open to being challenged and reflective Take a look at Stephanie's article and read more around early literacy and language development: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com