Government plans for children as young as four to be taught to write in sentences and use punctuation were attacked today by a group of leading authors and educationists.

In a letter to the Times, they say that an "imposed" system could force youngsters into " inappropriate" early learning.

The Open Eye campaign group, including children's authors Philip Pullman and Michael Morpurgo, is critical of the "highly contentious" Early Years Foundation Stage framework, which has been described as a "toddlers' curriculum".

The early learning goals become compulsory from September, but last month ministers announced two of the targets set out in the new curriculum for under-fives are to be reviewed.

The group says in its letter, signed by more than 80 campaigners, that Children's Minister Beverley Hughes has ignored calls to scrap or suspend literacy goals, which they describe as being "widely deplored as being far too advanced for many young children".

Ms Hughes said: "The EYFS is hugely important as a single framework for play-based early learning and care, based on the kind of support that helps children thrive in the early years."

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