Media centre
What’s hot in literacy for 2008
14 Jan 2008
Reading for pleasure should come top of the literacy agenda in 2008, according to a new survey by the National Literacy Trust. The first report of its kind to take place in the UK, ‘What’s hot, what’s not 2008’ surveyed experts from research, policy, practice and the media about a range of literacy issues ranging from phonics to family reading.
Phonics is rated as one of the hottest issues by far. However, fewer respondents believed that it should continue to be a focus of attention in 2008. Assessment is another topic that was rated to be “extremely hot” at the moment. Most respondents believed that it should continue to be “very hot” in 2008.
Key statistics include:
- While 100% of respondents thought that phonics was a hot topic, one in three felt it should not be.
- Although 97% of respondents thought reading for pleasure should be a high profile issue, over half (54%) felt that it currently was not (although 65% felt that the National Year of Reading would be a hot topic).
- 89% felt that initial teacher training was not a hot topic, but 80% of respondents felt that it should be.
Director of the National Literacy Trust Jonathan Douglas comments:
With 2008 designated as the National Year of Reading, it is natural that reading and literacy should be widely debated. And encouragingly key issues such as teacher training and reading for pleasure, which will build a reading culture, have been identified as priorities by reading and literacy experts. A national debate about these issues should change not only how we think about literacy but also shift practice and policy which will raise literacy standards.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity that changes lives through literacy. It links home, school and the wider community to inspire learners and create opportunities for everyone. www.literacytrust.org.uk
What’s hot, what’s not survey 2007/8
During December 2007, 35 professionals from research, policy, practice and the media were interviewed about a range of literacy issues. Interviewees were asked to indicate whether a certain topic was “hot” (i.e. currently a topic of debate and research) or “not hot” (i.e. not currently receiving a lot of attention). In addition, interviewees were asked whether these topics should or should not be a focus of research and debate in 2008. A similar survey has been conducted in the U.S. since 1967. The most recent U.S. findings will be reported by Jack Cassidy in the February/March 2008 issue of Reading Today, but this is the first time that the study has been carried out in the UK.
