Blogs

• 06Dec2010

  Involving communities in literacy: an opportunity for local areas to improve life chances

  Posted by Emily McCoy

  On 1 December, Sarah Teather, Minister for Children and Families, attended a National Literacy Trust event and endorsed the difference made to the lives of children and adults in disadvantaged families through our work with local authorities. The Minister repeated the need for local authorities to continue as champions for the most vulnerable and to be leaders of local partnerships to improve the lives of local people.

  Over the last two years, the National Literacy Trust has been working with 21 local areas, ensuring that literacy support reaches the most disadvantaged homes. Our approach rests on local areas seeing literacy as a strategic priority and building a partnership approach which embeds literacy within the work of partners across the community be they local authority delivered services, commissioned projects, businesses, health services or housing providers. We’re learning that, across local communities, everyone can play a part in improving literacy.

  And we believe everyone should! Research continues to show literacy is a building block for health and wellbeing, personal resilience, success at school, access to employment and training, personal confidence and community engagement. Literacy is a necessary plank in policies on Child Poverty, worklessness, regeneration and Big Society.

  Frank Field’s Review of Child Poverty and Life Chances has identified early language development as a Life Chance Indicator. The report recommends a more holistic and less financial definition, of poverty that takes account of the whole picture of a child’s early life and behaviours, experiences and activities which shape later outcomes.

  Is now the time for local areas to seize language and literacy as issues which can help turn the curve on disadvantage? And if so, what are the most effective ways for them to do so?

  At our event, Naomi Eisenstadt (former National Director of Sure Start) spoke about the interrelation between poor literacy and other indicators of poverty such as lower life expectancy, obesity and overcrowded housing. She analysed the data on FSM attainment and KS 2 results to show that the gap in outcomes had not narrowed despite gains made overall in improving standards. Naomi’s analysis was that to “turn the curve” in outcomes we need to:

  • Sweat our assets – make all our opportunities to improve literacy work harder;
  • Segment the market – ensure that we identify the priority audiences for literacy locally and develop support with them so that it effectively meets their needs and fits with their lives.

  At the  National Literacy Trust, we think we have developed an approach which does just that – which adds value to existing literacy provision, ensures it reaches the most disadvantaged and which offers an opportunity to involve local people in supporting literacy. We also think that this collaboration, between the Third Sector, local services and people, is Big Society all over.

  We are keen to hear from you – what do you think the opportunities and challenges might be to this approach in your area? Do you want to get involved?

  Please leave a comment here or, if you would like to work with us, get in touch via our online form.

  Emily McCoy, Manager, Partners in Literacy

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