As a grandparent and former teacher, I was astonished by the Pre-school Learning Alliance's claim that the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) mirrors parents' priorities (CYP Now, 10-16 September).
Surely this prescriptive curriculum is filling small children with anxiety and the fear of not being good enough? I have winced to see my little grandson already pointing at words in books asking anxiously "what does this say?".
Can the minister who thought up this madness not see a difference between child-led and adult-led play? When adults lead, they have an intention that remains in their mind and determines what happens. Genuine play comes from inside, unfolding nature's developmental programme, which varies for each child.
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