Teaching aid divides experts

A new teaching aid has been bought by several schools and three local authorities but has not been met with a warm welcome by all education experts.

Costing £130 each, Red the Robot is an innovation from Headstart and aims to help teach children phonics - the method of learning to read that involves understanding the sound of each letter, the Guardian reports.

The toy has received backing from the Institute of Education but has been criticised by the author of Toxic Childhood Sue Palmer as no replacement for 'real' teaching.

She told the paper: "Robots can't teach. The only effective teaching is by breathing, living teachers who can look a pupil in the eye and respond to them."

Meanwhile, changes to the way teachers help pupils learn to write have been recommended by the government.

According to the Independent, teachers should explain to their pupils what they are expecting from them before setting a writing exercise.