Research evidence suggests that if children are exposed to what Tim Brighouse calls a 'rich wash' of nursery rhymes, language, books and songs, their readiness and interest in literacy will be increased. Research has trialled the effect of early intervention programmes in the form of nursery provision (High/Scope) or the introduction of a book into the home (Bookstart), and found this to be positive. There are also some research studies (see Weinberger, Wells) which have emphasised the importance of children enjoying books at home.Peter Hannon's work on the REAL Project in Sheffield has shown that parental involvement has a major effect on children's reading attainment, and that this involvement can be enhanced by effective home visiting.

The Meaning Makers
Gordon Wells in The Meaning Makers (1986) traced children's literacy development on a long-term basis. The Bristol language Development Programme findings revealed a significant relationship between home background and literacy experience. Wells concluded that children who were supported by their parents at home were more confident and fluent readers at school. 

Phonology and nursery rhymes
Goswami, U & Bryant, P. (1990) reinforce the link between nursery rhymes and phonological development in their book Phonological Skills and Learning to Read. In it, they report their research findings and conclude that pre-school children who can identify the beginning and end sounds of a word find learning to read easier. 

The Effective Early Learning Research Project
The Effective Early Learning Research Project is a national researchand development initiative which aims to evaluate and improve the quality of early learning in a wide range of education and care settings throughoutthe UK. The team has documented improvements in the quality and effectiveness of early learning for a cohort of 21,500 three and four year old children and their parents in more than 850 education and care settings in the UK. It has also trialled training and professional development materials anddeveloped a national training programme. Out of this has come a databaseon the quality of early learning, which will form a central part of the emerging national analysis of learning in early childhood settings. 

For more information contact: Christine Pascal and Fiona Ramsden, Centre for Research in Early Childhood, Worcester College of Higher Education, Henwick Grove, Worcester WR2 6AJ
Tel/Fax: 01905 855068