Even more on national standards...

In a book I read (I'll paraphrase) it describes how a group of teachers invited a writer to talk to them about reading and writing and one of the teachers asked the writer, "What do we do if a child doesn't learn to read?" and the writer replied "First, love them."

When I first read this it brought tears to my eyes. Because it is true. But also because I know it is true but as a teacher, and a school administrator, I never said it out loud. Love is the most important ingredient in learning to read.

Anne Tolley needs to visit some classes where there is love in the room. She needs to hear what the teachers in these rooms think about National Standards.

I want to ask her: What mother says to her child, "I love you - but you don't come up to scratch"? And I want to say: How can you ask a teacher to say to a six-year-old "You don't meet the National Standard"? Because I think the harm you do is greater than whatever good you might do in saying to even 100 other kids "You did meet the standard."