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• 27Sep2011

  Something to write home about: How can literacy pave the way to social mobility?

  Posted by Jane Woodley

  On 20 September 2011 the National Literacy Trust hosted a fringe event at the Liberal Democrat conference, giving key political thinkers the opportunity to showcase their thoughts on the wider social impact of literacy. The panel included; Chris Paterson, Liberal ThinkTank Centreforum; Liam Nolan, Headteacher of Perry Beeches School and Bennie Kara, Head of English at The Bridge Academy and freelance journalist.

  The consensus from the speakers and the floor was that schools need to be allowed to be more creative in their teaching. The many benefits of educating parents about teaching literacy to their children were also discussed.

  Three areas were identified:

  Parenting is a skill that needs to be learned

  Firstly, we need to move away from the idea parenting is an inherent skill, and thereby remove the stigma surrounding statutory support for parenting. Chris Paterson explained that parents really need guidance about how to support their children through education as well as other matters. The early years of children’s lives are essential and so the quality of communication is vital. Chris’ research demonstrates that a child’s vocabulary aged 5 is the single best predictor of their later life chances, so there needs to be a focus on improving the quality of communication in the home, not just necessarily the quantity.

  Bennie Kara explained that parents need to be empowered about how to teach their children. The skill needs developing and parents need guidance. By the time that children reach secondary school, teachers are largely playing catch-up, therefore schools need to be utilised as early as possible to educate both children and their parents about best practice in the home.

  Teaching literacy must be taught to Teaching Assistants

  Both Bennie Kara and Liam Nolan stipulated that whilst teachers obviously get training, many are not taught specifically how to teach reading, writing and speaking. All teachers should have a responsibility for teaching literacy, not just English teachers.

  Children all learn at different times and at different paces. Rather than having a prescriptive curriculum to adhere to, schools desperately need a toolkit that can be dipped in and out of depending on the child and their level of understanding, incorporating both phonics and comprehension.

  Passing exams and league tables do not allow for comprehension

  Striving for the top places in league tables distracts teachers from what should be their ultimate aim - teaching children to be an integral part of society after school. Each speaker commented that learning to read is more than being able to dictate individual words; the current system does not allow for comprehension. As such, often children can read an individual word but cannot understand it in context. Liam expressed his personal concerns that although 85 per cent of his pupils passed GCSE English, he could not be entirely sure that he was sending literate children out into the world.

  Our entire panel agreed that while there are league tables, not all issues surrounding literacy will be dealt with; passing a GCSE in English is not a functional skill in the way that learning to read is. The uncomfortable truth is that the home environment is the hardest to access, but education needs to be able to extend beyond the school gates, into families, if we want our children to reach their full potential.

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