Literacy news
Welsh pupils must read at home more to boost standards
5 Jul 2012
Fifteen-year-olds around the world will be tested in reading, maths and science later this year. In the last tests three years ago, Wales was below average for reading and maths, and average for science. Wales ranked lowest of the UK countries in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests in 2009.
The Welsh Local Government Association will hear from PISA's senior analyst Michael Davidson about how countries can improve their performance. Mr Davidson believes that reading scores could be boosted very simply by encouraging more reading. He said:
One of the strongest predictors of reading success is the extent to which students read whether in school or outside of school. In Wales amongst 15-year-olds, there's a 50-point difference in PISA - that's more than a school year's worth of difference between the students who don't read for enjoyment and those who only read for up to just 30 minutes.
In 2009, Wales ranked 38th for reading while countries like China, South Korea and Finland dominated the upper rankings. The Welsh Government has said it wants to get Wales into the top 20 by 2015. They also said that improving levels of literacy and numeracy is a key commitment in its Programme for Government and that it had recently launched its National Literacy Plan, which outlines actions to drive up literacy standards in schools.
A Government spokesperson said:
We have also put in place a number of programmes over the years to encourage reading, such as Read A Million Words Together and Improving Boys Literacy targets boys aged 9-14 who are reluctant readers. Our Make Time to Read campaign emphasises that reading with a child, just for ten minutes a day can make a huge difference to their overall reading ability and confidence.
Read the full story on BBC News
