New reading test for six-year-olds 'waste of money'
The government's new reading test for six-year-olds is a waste of money that will not identify youngsters' needs, experts have warned.
They are "deeply concerned" about the test, and call on the Education Secretary Michael Gove to reconsider its introduction.
The warning comes in an open letter to him signed by representatives of the UK Literacy Association among others.
The Department for Education said those needing help must be identified early.
Plans for a reading test for six-year-olds were announced by the department at the end of last year, amid concerns that children with poor reading skills were slipping through the net.
The test, taken in the final term of Year 1, is based on phonics, which is the decoding of words by sounds, rather than children recognising whole words.
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