Employers and organisations such as the Confederation of British Industry have called for a greater emphasis on core literary skills, arguing that if individuals don't have them it not only affects their employability but also the wider economy.
A report by the KPMG Foundation, the grant-making organisation for education and social projects, has also found that children who are unable to read confidently are more likely to truant from school, which can snowball into greater social exclusion in adulthood.
Initiatives outside of school can complement academic teaching and learning within school hours. The most effective of these programmes reap rewards through involving the family, local services and the wider community.
In Derbyshire, the Read On - Write Away! (Rowa) strategy is a partnership between the local authority, schools, libraries and the community. It has established a range of ways to involve the whole family in literacy-support projects.
Rowa piloted the Books for Babies scheme, which now delivers more than 6,000 packs to babies through health visitors, while the Bookstart Plus and Treasure Chest schemes have delivered more than 12,000 books to children. Meanwhile, emphasis on parent involvement is brought to life by providing adult learning opportunities. Working in the top 30 per cent of socio-economically disadvantaged wards in the county, the Rowa strategy has helped more than 5,000 adults gain a nationally recognised qualification, having important knock-on effects for their children.
Other projects have also found innovative ways to bring families together around reading. The Oakenrod community gardening project in Rochdale set up a play area on a derelict area of land. Involving a family literacy tutor, community artists, a local school and parents, literacy improvement was a key aim. A mosaic reading circle and a musical wall, inspired by ideas from books, were created. A nearby school has used the area to teach curriculum subjects, and the garden itself has hosted learning events, such as the Annual National Family Learning Weekend, which attracts more than 200 families.
Reading and writing often flourish through creativity and activity. Exploring routes to learning that bring out imagination in children, while supporting parents to bring reading to life, can lend invaluable support to classroom study.
- Anne Longfield is chief executive of 4Children.Email anne.longfield@haymarket.com.
