Reading Nonsense!

Reading is a means of communicating a message.  The whole point of it is that understanding occurs.  This is why I have to call into question the judgment of those proposing using made up words to test reading skills of children.  See Koob and Zort the non words in the new reading test for six year olds.

With over 200,000 words in the Oxford English Dictionary, surely it is unnecessary to make up words in order to check a child’s ability to use phonic rules.  Apart from that, not all English words can be deciphered by use of phonics.  We have what are known as ‘Sight Words’ or phonetically irregular words, which are those that are pronounced without decoding the word's spelling, for example “these”, “because” and many other common words. 

As a teacher of reading, I constantly use reading tests and from these I can identify which words a child is reading by using phonic reasoning and sounding out strategies.  I also note where sight words are not known and base that child’s personalised learning programme on that assessment. 

The inclusion of non-words is completely unnecessary and I would argue potentially damaging.  Children rightly expect their teachers to be leading by example and ought to be able to ask the meaning of any word used and be given the answer.  By making up words we are undermining the whole learning process. 

I’m sure that I’m not the only professional educationalist who is getting tired of political interference of the micromanaging type.  We are told that we need more tests such as the phonics-based reading check for six-year-olds.  Good teachers know how well their students are doing and test in order to shape teaching and learning rather than for the sake of Government statistics and league tables.  Yes, of course we want to raise standards in reading but more testing isn’t how to do it.  This is certainly not done by making up nonsense words which don’t have a meaning to convey therefore do not deserve to be words.

I teach English and Maths to children as a tutor and I see the results of teaching every day. Some teachers are better than others but I am yet to find one who didn’t know more about how to teach children than the Minister for Education. What children need is education that meets their specific needs and tailored to their personal strengths and weaknesses. Clearly this is not something that is helped by this new proposal.

Jan Long

Centre Director

Kip McGrath Education Centre (Southampton)