The National Literacy Project was set up by the Conservative governments in 1996. Its approach was then endorsed by the Labour government and the literacy hour became the lynch-pin of the National Literacy Strategy (now the Primary Literacy Strategy) for England when it was launched in 1998.    

The main purpose was to raise standards of literacy in line with national expectations for primary schools by improving the quality of teaching through more focused literacy instruction and effective classroom management; and by improving the school's management of literacy through target-setting linked to systematic planning and monitoring and evaluation.

The project was led by John Stannard at The National Centre for Literacy and Numeracy.

The teaching of literacy through the project was built around two key principles:   

• Literacy hour 
• A clear focus on instructional methods