English schoolchildren should read by age 6, Tories say

Members of the Conservative party in England have set out plans which they say will ensure children can read by the age of six. Shadow schools secretary Michael Gove said English assessments for 6- and 7-year-olds should be replaced with a standard reading test. But primary school head teachers have warned against formal tests for young children saying exams could put them off reading “for a very long time.” Schools Secretary Ed Balls said the plans were “hastily cobbled together.” A key factor in the Tory plans involves extending the use of “synthetic phonics,” which focuses on teaching the sounds which make up words. Read the article at BBC News.