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National Literacy Trust announces involvement in new campaign to boost children’s communication skills
8 Mar 2010
As a member of The Communications Trust consortium the National Literacy Trust will help to deliver a year-long campaign to focus on developing children’s communications skills in 2011.
National Literacy Trust Director, Jonathan Douglas says:
“The National Literacy Trust is delighted to welcome the National Year. Speaking and listening are the very first literacy skills and are a vital part of the combination of literacy skills every individual needs to fulfil their potential.
“We hope the National Year will achieve greater awareness of the universal importance of speaking and listening skills, both among professionals and the wider public.
“We hope to bring to the National Year the expertise and knowledge we gained by leading the successful 2008 National Year of Reading, a campaign to promote reading in the family and beyond.”
As part of the 2008 Bercow Review the appointment of a Communication Champion and a National Year were key recommendations made in order to help improve services for children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). This landmark review led to thousands of parents of children with SLCN reporting their sense of isolation and highlighted concerns around a lack of information on speech, language and communication.
The National Literacy Trust’s Manifesto for Literacy (1) states that government must implement all the recommendations of the Bercow Review, in particular: prioritising speech, language and communication as the means for measuring every child’s progress; and ensuring all parents receive information which emphasises the importance of speech, language and communication through the Healthy Child Programme.
The National Literacy Trust runs two initiatives that specifically support the development of speaking and listening skills. The Talk To Your Baby campaign has been running for seven years and encourages parents and carers to talk to their baby from birth to three. The Words for Work project works with business volunteers in secondary schools to unlock young people’s speaking and listening skills for future employability. The National Literacy Trust is one of 38 third sector, voluntary and private organisations who will form The Communication Trust. The Communication Trust will deliver the National Year in collaboration with recently appointed Government Communication Champion, Jean Gross.
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For further information about The Communication Trust and the National Year or to arrange an interview with a National Literacy Trust spokesperson please contact Anna Lindsay, National Literacy Trust Public Relations Officer on 0207 820 6256 or Anna.Lindsay@literacytrust.org.uk Notes to Editors:
1. Manifesto for Literacy
The National Literacy Trust’s Manifesto for Literacy aims to influence the level and shape of political commitment to literacy in the run up to the General Election. The manifesto highlights key themes affecting literacy in the UK and makes specific recommendations pertaining to each. We believe that literacy is a tool for social mobility and want to ensure that the political parties do not default to treating literacy purely as a classroom issue. We will take the manifesto to the Liberal Democrats, Labour and the Conservatives to influence the shape of literacy policy for the 2010 election. To find out more about our campaigning activity visit http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/campaigns
2. About the National Literacy Trust
The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity that transforms lives through literacy. We believe that society will only be fair when everyone has the literacy skills they need to communicate, to fufill their potential and to contribute more to society. We campaign to improve public understanding of the vital importance of literacy, as well as delivering projects and working in partnership to reach those most in need of support. To help us transform lives through literacy, you can make a donation. To find out how visit http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/About/donate.html National Literacy Trust is a registered charity no. 1116260, and a company limited by guarantee, no. 5836486. Registered in England and Wales. Registered address: 68 South Lambeth Road, London SW8 1RL. Tel: 020 7587 1842.
3. About The Communication Trust
The members of The Communication Trust Consortium are:
1Voice
ACE Centre
ACE Centre North
Action For Children
Afasic
Association for the Rehabilitation of Communication and Oral Skills (ACROS)
Auditory Verbal UK
Barnardo’s
British Stammering Association
Candle
CENMAC
Chailey Heritage Clinical Services
Communication Matters
Communications Forum
Contact a Family
DialogueLAB
Elklan
I CAN
KIDS
Language for Learning
Mencap
MERU
NAPLIC
NAS
National Deaf Children Society (NDCS)
National Literacy Trust
Scope
Selective Mutism Information and Research Association (SMIRA)
Social Emotional Behavioural Difficulties Association (SEBDA)
St Catherine’s
Symbol UK
The Children’s Society
The Children's Trust
The Learning Partnership.com
The Makaton Charity
The Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children
The Signalong Group
TreeHouse
The Communication Trust raises awareness of speech, language and communication issues amongst everyone that works with children and young people. It was founded by Afasic, BT CDC (Council for Disabled Children) and I CAN.
The Communication Trust ensures that access to training and resources support speech, language and communication development for all children and those with SLCN
The Communication Trust develops and manages a coalition of 38 voluntary organisations in order to deliver these objectives. It has an advisory group that includes the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, Association of Educational Psychologists and the General Teaching Council.
The Trust’s work has been supported by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and other funders. More information can be found at www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk.
The ‘National Year was a commitment in the Better Communication Action Plan. The Action Plan is the DCSF and Department of Health response to the Bercow Review. www.dcsf.gov.uk/slcnaction
The National Year is a working title for the programme.
