Reading can improve not only education but also a child's life skills, including developing a sense of empathy - especially important in boys, who are more often at risk of future anti-social behaviour. Yet with Ofsted claiming many schools are failing to deliver the national literacy strategy, it's clear more needs to be done beyond supporting teachers.
It's not enough to say parents should increase their reading time; we need to equip them with the skills to read actively with their children (and improve their own reading skills at the same time). Schemes such as The Better Reading Partnership, developed by Bradford LEA, are a shining example of what can be done. A range of approaches is used, involving children, parents, teachers and community volunteers trained as reading partners. Both adults and children develop in confidence, and the trainees can also acquire college accreditation that counts as a first step towards a career working with children.
Which brings us to where such training and subsequent skills can best be put to the test. Traditionally, reading schemes have taken place at school, with the emphasis often focused on teaching children to read rather than engaging them to actually enjoy reading. This is crucial if children are to develop their reading skills as they grow.
Extended schools might provide a solution as the boundaries between formal and informal education begin to merge. Also, through joined-up provision for a range of ages, they can offer parents advice throughout their children's life stages, from help on pre-school education to assisting with homework, alongside specialised help for children with language or behavioural difficulties.
There are many success stories of engaging children: from Kirklees, where paired reading encourages secondary school pupils to support younger children, to Feltham, which runs motivational events for parents and children on the fun aspects of reading together, involving authors and illustrators.
Extended schools could ensure all families gain access to such schemes in a relaxed, non-judgmental setting.
Investing in extended schools will ultimately have a positive effect in the classroom as well as in the home. Most importantly, it would benefit communities. Looking at the root causes of a generation with diminishing literacy skills, it is plain that improving reading between parent and child is a community challenge that can only improve through a community solution.
