This information is provided on our adult literacy pages.

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If you are interested in becoming an adult literacy tutor, you can find information on the Talent website - http://www.talent.ac.uk/.

Alternatively, the BBC Skillswise website provides information and useful links to other agencies and sources of support -   http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/tutors/professional-development

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Many more children reach the expected level for their age in literacy than in 1997, before the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy. The key indicator, the percentage of pupils reaching level four (the level expected for their age) in national tests for English (reading and writing) at age 11, has increased from 63 per cent to 80 per cent in this time. In the mid-1990s just half of children reached the level expected for their age. Current literacy levels also represent a significant improvement in children's skills since the mid-20th century, since targets apply to all children, of all abilities and social classes, including those who speak English as an additional language.

The most significant gains were made between 1998-2009, the years immediately following the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy. The 1999 result of 70 per cent was an increase of 10 percentage points on the previous year and the 2000 result increased this again by a further five percentage points. Between 2000-09 results for eleven year olds in England have risen, but at a more gradual rate. 86 per cent of eleven year olds now reach the level expected of them in reading, up from 80 per cent at the start of the decade. The corresponding figures for writing are lower, but also show improvement, 67 per cent of 11 year olds now reach the level expected of them.

The drop off in the year-on-year increase in English has been partially blamed on differing performances between boys and girls: in maths and science, boys and girls reach similar standards; in English, there is a marked gap, particularly in writing.

For an overview of literacy levels in the UK read our report Literacy: State of the Nation

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All readability tests rely on a very rough gauge of the level of reading vocabulary people can expect to acquire by a certain point in their development – they stop generally around the 20 mark. But successful reading is about far more than word recognition: it's about style, content, physical presentation, complexity of intellectual engagement required, learner interest, confidence and skill.

Advice on how to write clearly and simply from the British Dyslexia Association

There are no simple answers about relating readability levels to adult literacy levels: they do not equate exactly and are not meant to. The SMOG (simplified measure of gobbledygook) test provides a measure of readability and not the reading age of a text. The formula was developed to help librarians categorise their stock more easily for learners and practitioners and to act as an indication of level of difficulty, but the adult literacy standards were designed to indicate what specific skills functioned at particular levels, unrelated to age.

It would be impossible to produce materials that solely met the standard definitions at each level. As a rough indication, SMOG 9–10 = Entry Level 3, 11–12 = Level 1 and 13–14 = Level 2, but this is far from an exact science and SMOG should only be taken as one indicator among many for the suitability of a text. Equating SMOG levels with reading ages is too simplistic.

SMOG is a formula that gives a readability level for written material. Readability is an attempt to match the reading level of written material to the "reading with understanding" level of the reader.

The easiest way to establish the readability level of a text is to use an online SMOG calculator. In Spring 2009, NIACE made a new calculator available via its website at www.niace.org.uk/development-research/readability that can be used to calculate the readability level of any text that is pasted into it. This is based on research into different readability tests commissioned by NIACE and carried out by Professor Colin Harrison at Nottingham University.

There is also a manual method you can follow to calculate a SMOG level (see below) on longer texts such as books. This has been used extensively as one of a range of criteria for identifying accessible books for less confident adult readers - see www.firstchoicebooks.org.uk for more than 600 titles, including the Quick Reads, which have been selected according to these criteria.

To get an accurate SMOG level for a long piece of text, most methods recommend taking at least three samples - for example, one each from the beginning, middle and end - and taking the average of the three scores.

All the readability tests rely on a very rough gauge of the level of reading vocabulary people can expect to acquire by a certain point in their development - they stop generally around the 20 mark. But successful reading is about far more than word recognition - it's about style, content, physical presentation, complexity of intellectual engagement required, learner interest, confidence and skill. Advice on presentation of text is also available from the NIACE website.

Relating SMOG levels to adult literacy levels

There are no simple answers about relating readability levels to adult literacy levels - they don't equate exactly and are not meant to. SMOG is a measure of readability and not the reading age of a text. The formula was developed to help librarians categorise their stock more easily for learners and practitioners and to act as an indication of level of difficulty, but the adult literacy standards were designed to indicate what specific skills functioned at particular levels, unrelated to age.

It would be impossible to produce materials that solely met the standard definitions at each level. As a rough indication, SMOG 9-10 = Entry Level 3, 11-12 = Level 1 and 13-14 = Level 2 but that it's far from an exact science and SMOG should only be taken as one indicator among many for the suitability of a text. Equating SMOG levels with reading ages is too simplistic. A description of Adult literacy levels is found on p.36 of the Skills for Life The Skills for Life Survey: a national needs and impact survey of literacy, numeracy and ICT skills, published by the Department for Education and Skills in 2003.

Calculating the SMOG level of a text

1. Select a page of a book
2. Count 10 sentences
3. Count the number of words which have three or more syllables
4. Multiply this by 3
5. Circle the number closest to your answer

6. Find the square root of the number you circled

7. Add 8 = Readability level

Most people will understand a readability level under about 10.

Analysis undertaken by Niace has shown average scores for newspaper editorials as follows:
The Sun: under 14
The Daily Express: under 16
The Telegraph and The Guardian: over 17
More information is on the NIACE website.

NB: The original SMOG formula gave a score related to US school grade levels. In this version, the constant added at the end has been changed from 3 to 8, to give a readability level.

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We believe literacy is the ability to read, write, speak and listen well. A literate person is able to communicate effectively with others and to understand written information.

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Longitudinal research shows that people with good literacy skills are more likely to have higher self-esteem, better health, better jobs and higher wages than those with poor literacy skills. They are more able to take advantage of the opportunities that life may offer them.

The Literacy Changes Lives report, published by the NLT, pulls together existing research about the impact of literacy on five areas in a person's life: economic well-being, aspirations, family life, health and civic/ cultural engagement. It presents overwhelming evidence that literacy has a significant relationship with a person’s happiness and success. It gives a clear indication of the dangers of poor literacy and also the benefits of improving literacy for the individual, the community, the workforce and the nation. For more please see here 

For an overview of literacy levels in the UK read our report Literacy: State of the Nation

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We have a selection of posters available on our website.  These are no longer available in hard copy but can be printed. Otherwise why not try contacting publishers such as Puffin Books, Random House, Walker Books, Templar, etc. as they may have promotional posters they could send out to you.

Another easy way to make a fresh poster display would be to photograph your pupils reading and then display the photographs; the power of peer recommendation cannot be underestimated. An important aspect of a reading corner would also be the inclusion of comfy seating, textured drapes, calming colours such as purple or dark blue, to make the corner as informal and inviting as possible. 

Finally, you could try joining our network to receive access to resources, practical advice and the support of our team. Join our network.

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Any enquiries relating to gifted and talented children should be referred to the National Association for Gifted Children, the UK's foremost membership charity that deals with all aspects of giftedness in children. Individuals, parents and organisations are welcome as members.

They strive to support those who are directly involved with gifted children – parents, teachers, schools and medical professionals – as well as advising policy makers at national and local levels.

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Supporting our work

If you are interested in supporting the work of the National Literacy Trust by fundraising, please see our fundraising and events page for more information on how to get involved.

We use members of the public as reading volunteers to support some of our targeted local projects.

The Oxfordshire Reading Campaign works across the county to improve literacy skills and promote enjoyment of reading among primary school pupils. Volunteers are providing one-to-one support in the classroom.

Literacy Champions trains community volunteers to work with families with preschool children and provide advice about supporting early literacy development.

We also work with businesses to provide volunteering opportunities for their staff. Find out more about our corporate partnerships.

Supporting literacy through other agencies

If you’re interested in supporting children's reading, there are some useful national volunteering organisations you can contact:

• Beanstalk (formerly Volunteer Reading Help)
  
• Reading Matters 

Alternatively, try contacting your local library or schools to see if they have any need for particular volunteers, or if they know other people who do. 

If you want to volunteer to support adult literacy learners, you will need to contact your local adult education service or further education college, to find out if they use volunteers and what training you may require. The following organisations may also know of volunteering opportunities in the voluntary sector.

• Community Service Volunteers
• Do It

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No, although we work with authorities and literacy professionals throughout England, and our resources are available to all on the internet.

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There are a number of organisations that can offer literacy statistics on the UK and other countries. Among them are the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development  and the National Foundation for Educational Research.  

For an overview of literacy levels in the UK only, read our report Literacy: State of the Nation.

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• It may be possible for you to advertise in our newsletters, for more information please email the development team.
• If you would like to share information about a literacy project please post an article on Wikireadia.
• If you are running a regional or national event or conference please email our Events Team.

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Firstly, it might be an idea to contact your local library as they may already be running a reading group that you can get involved with. If not, or if you wish to set up your own, then visit the Reading Agency website, or call them on 0871 750 1207. You can also search for existing groups in your area on the People's Network website. 

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Recent research shows that while reading skills have improved in the UK, there is some indication that fewer pupils nowadays read for enjoyment. So, are children spending less time reading than they used to? This is a surprisingly hard question to answer for two reasons. Firstly, large scale surveys of children and young people's reading habits are few and far between. Secondly, more often than not the surveys that have been conducted on the subject have asked about reading frequency in different ways, which makes comparison of different surveys near impossible. However, these problems have been recognised and steps have been taken by a number of researchers to begin collecting meaningful longitudinal data.

For an overview of literacy levels in the UK – including reading and writing frequency and parents reading with their children – read our report Literacy: State of the Nation.

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The National Literacy Trust does not provide funding. We recommend that you either contact the Arts and Humanities Research Council or the Economic and Social Research Council  depending on your discipline. If you are a university student then there should be a grants register available at your library. Alternatively, try contacting your local authority.

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The National Literacy Trust does not provide any funding for external projects. For funding advice we recommend that you contact your local Council for Voluntary Services - a directory is at www.navca.org.uk/directory - which should be able to offer you funding advice. You could also contact The Foundation for Social Improvement - www.thefsi.org.  

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Please feel free to post an article on Wikireadia, a collaboratively produced reference site for literacy. If you are running a regional or national event or conference please contact us. If you offer free resources or your products are particularly aligned to one of our projects, please email us.

If you would like to advertise your product in our monthly e-newsletter then you can find out more by emailing us.

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This information is provided on our adult literacy pages. 

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The British Dyslexia Association provides a helpline on 0845 251 9002 or you can visit www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/.

Other useful organisations

Dyslexia Action provides services and support for children and adults with dyslexia, as well as resources for parents and teachers at www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk/.

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The first thing you must do if you think your child is having problems with reading or writing is talk to his or her teacher, who will be able to tell you if your child is falling behind. From their ongoing assessment, the teacher should be able to give you an idea of your child’s reading level, and how this relates to what is expected at that stage.

The teacher should also be able to provide you with advice on activities you can do at home to support your child’s reading, writing and spelling. These activities will complement the teaching methods that are being used at school.

If this does not reassure you, you could arrange a meeting with the Headteacher. Find some positive things to say about your child’s life at the school before raising your concerns. Remember, teachers want your child to succeed as much as you do.

The National Literacy Trust cannot provide detailed advice on individual problems since we do not have the necessary contact with the child or understanding of their particular strengths and weaknesses. However, you could consider what might be causing your child’s difficulties and talk to the teacher about how your child copes in class. Could there be a problem with hearing or sight? It might be worth making your child an appointment with your GP, or booking an eye test.

Does he or she show any of the signs of dyslexia? The British Dyslexia Association provides a helpline on 0118 966 8271 and a summary of indications of dyslexia on the British Dyslexia Association's website.   See our FAQ on dyslexia.

The National Literacy Trust advocates four key principles for parents’ involvement with supporting reading:

1. A good relationship between parents and schools is vital, and should be maintained through an ongoing dialogue about children’s development.

2. The most important thing a parent can do to support their child’s reading is to help them find books that are appropriate in terms of reading age and content, and that motivate their child to enjoy reading. Making use of the local library can help here. Reading aloud can help children enjoy stories they might struggle to read themselves.

3. Any teaching resources parents use at home to support their child’s literacy should work alongside the methods used in school.

4. As the provider of formal education, teachers are the experts and should be trusted with the task of teaching children to read and supporting their literacy.

See our resources for supporting children's reading.

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There are a number of ways you can support the National Literacy Trust. You can donate, you could raise money for us, or you can join our campaign for Reading Rights. For otherways of supporting our work please see here.

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We are often contacted by writers/authors who would like our support to promote their work. As a small charity we do not have the resources to help individuals.

You may wish to support our campaigning work by joining our Facebook and Twitter networks or by promoting our campaigns on your website or any other channels. In this way you can associate yourself with the National Literacy Trust. See www.literacytrust.org.uk/campaigns for more information.

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If you think your child may have special educational needs there are a number of resources available to help and support you. The DirectGov website can direct you to services and partnerships, and also has all you need to know about the assessment process, as well as how your child can be supported in school.

See the DirectGov website for more.

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We do not advise on this area but suggest you visit the Volunteer Abroad website.

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Visit Mantra Lingua's website for dual language resources, although these may be better for primary children than secondary. It is also worth speaking to your local authority as there should be an Ethnic Minority Achievement Service (EMAS) team there who can help you.

Other practical suggestions include partnering your student with another student who speaks their first language, or with a teaching assistant. Using graphic novels instead of dual language books can also be beneficial as they contain universally recognisable characters and situations.

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We are often asked if we can help schools to arrange visits by authors, footballers or other celebrities to talk to pupils about reading. While we are unable to provide contacts or arrange visits for you, we have provided some general advice that will help if you're thinking about inviting a footballer to visit your school. We have also produced a list of storytellers and performers who visit schools. It was created for schools that are working with us to deliver project activity, but can be used by anyone to find contacts in their area.

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We do not currently promote any external writing competitions on our website. However, Booktrust is an independent UK-wide charity dedicated to encouraging people of all ages and cultures to enjoy books, and they feature a number of competitions on their website.

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As a charity, we do not tend to use paid for advertising so we can continue using the majority of our funds to support our beneficiaries. If you are able to donate free advertising space to us, please email us.

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Our events page shows details for events in the coming year where a date has been confirmed/announced. For longer-term planning, you can use our calendar of annual events, which lists events that take place annually and describes roughly when they occur.

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The Department for Children, Schools and Families has produced lists of words that children should be able to read, depending on what school year they are in. These are part of the framework for literacy teaching, and can be found at the DCSF website. 

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