The Department for Education said Mr Gove was determined to make Englishteaching at primary schools "more rigorous" and was publishing the draft programme of study now for informal consultation.
But shadow schools minister Kevin Brennan said the report showed that the government had the wrong priorities and should be doing more to provide support in basic skills at primary level as well as strengthening English and maths teaching at secondary level and allowing all students to continue those subjects until 18.
The Department for Education said that where Englishteaching was concerned, the aim was to ensure that pupils left primary school with high standards of literacy.