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Schools Guide to Literacy reveals enthusiastic young readers are five times more likely to achieve above average results
20 Apr 2011
New research with 17,000 pupils published in the National Literacy Trust’s 2011/12 Schools Guide to Literacy, shows that children who enjoy reading very much are five times more likely to be above average than below average in reading tests.
The largest-ever study of British children’s attitudes to reading and writing also shows that 45% of children who do not read outside of the classroom are below average readers while only 9% are above average readers; and that children who think writing is boring are three times more likely to be below average writers than above average writers. The clear link between enjoying literacy and developing good skills is particularly worrying at a time when children’s reported enjoyment of reading and writing is not increasing and negative attitudes among boys in particular have deepened.
These new findings and a recent Ofsted report which highlighted the importance of literacy training in schools, has prompted the National Literacy Trust to launch a new programme of support for schools and to publish the free Schools Guide to Literacy.
The Schools Guide suggests that while synthetic phonics play a significant role in the teaching of literacy, they are only part of the picture. The Guide provides an accessible overview of research and evidence for the effective teaching of reading, writing, speaking and listening, as well as examples of success and checklists for schools to assess their progress. It reveals:
- Why literacy teaching must be relevant and motivating for pupils – and easy ways to ensure it is
- Strategies for targeting disengaged pupils and supporting their literacy to transform achievement across the school
- Why oracy is crucial to attainment in reading and writing as well as to improved life chances
- How to effectively support speaking and listening to ensure success across the curriculum
- The significance of family engagement in literacy and best practice in this area
- How assessment approaches may impact on the development of writing skills
Jonathan Douglas, Director of independent charity the National Literacy Trust says:
“This new evidence supports what our experience tells us about the relationship between pupils enjoying reading, writing and communication and their achievement. The simple fact is that if children do not enjoy reading in school and do not read outside of the classroom, there will be an impact on their potential achievement both in literacy and across the curriculum.
“At a time of change in the education sector, we believe there is a greater need to learn from each other than ever before. We are delighted to be sharing our thinking in our free 2011 Schools Guide to Literacy and launching a new programme of support for schools. We want to ensure all schools are equipped to support their pupils’ reading, writing, speaking and listening for success across the curriculum and throughout life.”
The National Literacy Trust’s new programme of support for schools makes many of their tried-and-tested initiatives available to all schools for the first time, with resources and training including Premier League Reading Stars and Reading Champions, which featured as an example of good practice in the recent Ofsted report.
Their new Schools Network provides the latest literacy information and inspiration as well as school evaluation and profiling tools. In May they will be launching the National Literacy’s Leaders Network, a new way for consultants and lead teachers to profile their practice and connect with other schools.
As a not-for-profit organisation, the National Literacy Trust hopes to offer schools exceptional value-for-money and will use any additional funds raised by their resources, training and networks to support their targeted work with disadvantaged communities.
Eileen Anderson, literacy coordinator at St Peter’s CE Primary School in Ashton-under-Lyne, tells how the school was able to shift boys’ perceptions of reading and consequently increase their achievement in literacy by taking part in the National Literacy Trust’s Reading Champions initiative:
“My colleagues and I observed that there were a large number of boys who were completely uninterested in reading. We ran a six week Reading Champions project with these pupils that focused on reading for information and motivated them to read non-fiction for pleasure as well.
“To our amazement, the boys sustained their enthusiasm for reading throughout the 18 months left of their primary school lives. Their change in attitude became tangible when their SATs results arrived. Every single member of the target group reached the expected standard (Level 4) in reading and half of them achieved above average (Level 5). These results could never have been achieved for these pupils if it weren’t for the new positive reading ethos that was instilled through the project.”
To download a free copy of the 2011/12 Schools Guide to Literacy and find out more about the National Literacy Trust’s support for schools please visit: www.literacytrust.org.uk/guide
Ends
For more information please contact Anna Lindsay, Public Relations Officer on 020 7820 6256 or email Anna.Lindsay@literacytrust.org.uk
Notes to Editors
Research taken from the National Literacy Trust Schools Guide to Literacy 2011/12 – see www.literacytrust.org.uk/schools
Ofsted report: Removing Barriers to Literacy, Ofsted, 2011
About the National Literacy Trust
The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity and the leading literacy expert in the UK. We have worked with schools since 1993, providing innovative resources, information and support. Over 30,000 teachers, librarians and other professionals have benefitted from our networks. We believe that society will only be fair when everyone has the literacy skills they need to communicate, to fulfil their potential and to contribute more to society.
To find out more about the support we offer to schools please visit www.literacytrust.org.uk/schools
To help us transform lives through literacy, you can make a donation or support our work. To find out how visit http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/support
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
