Literacy and Social Inclusion

Introduction

Having poor literacy skills, coupled with low parental expectations and poor self-esteem, can have a profound effect on educational life chances, employability and social cohesion. Children suffer from the social exclusion of their parents: the difference in achievement can be seen in children as young as 22 months, and the gap gets wider the older they get. However, we also know that involvement in learning has an influence on the level of individual resilience to setbacks and stress, on feelings of wellbeing and the extent to which people feel in control of their lives.

Poor literacy is the tip of the iceberg. We need to understand the less-visible factors underneath and how the patterns of influence on individual lives can be harnessed to raise literacy achievement for all.

The Literacy and Social Inclusion Project 2002-2006

The Basic Skills Agency funded the National Literacy Trust to develop a national resource around literacy and social inclusion based on the research evidence and good and promising practice. The aim was to provide a knowledge base that shows how, and why, a literacy approach can make a difference to the life chances and skills of those most at risk of social exclusion.

As a Basic Skills Agency National Support Project, this partnership enabled the National Literacy Trust to develop its knowledge base on community, family and extra-curricular initiatives across the UK. We did this through examining the research evidence that looks at raising the achievement of children, young people and adults whose literacy skills, or attitudes, inhibit inclusion or put their children 'at risk'. We mapped activity using practitioner and other networks, and sought feedback from those involved on the ground and in policy development.

The project ran for three years to November 2005, and the Basic Skills Agency provided additional funding for the website until March 2006.

The Literacy and Social Inclusion Project produced 'Every which way we can', a position paper based on our findings two years into the three-year project. The purpose of the paper was to review the evidence gathered and to provide a resource for those concerned with issues in this field. It raises some of the challenges in the current policy climate, and proposes a 'literacy vision', outlining the 'perfect literacy system' that best supports those of all ages most at risk from their poor or underdeveloped literacy or language skills. Key factors for successful literacy practice with adults and children most at risk are identified. The paper also provides a model for building parental skills, which takes into account the issues raised in the text. 

The Literacy and Social Inlusion project also produced a handbook which forms a practical partner document to the Literacy and Social Inclusion position paper, Every which way we can. It was produced in November 2005.

Literacy and Social Inclusion: The Handbook is for people involved in planning and developing local services, including education. It shows how different organisations, including local authorities, can work together to develop community literacy strategies to support schools and contribute to shared priorities for literacy.

The handbook demonstrates the relevance of community literacy strategies to early years provision, primary and secondary schools, the post-16 sector, the cultural sector and sport, the Every Child Matters agenda and the criminal justice system. It describes a collaborative literacy process that involves partners and service users, and provides a checklist for identifying shared goals and agreeing a delivery plan.

The Handbook (pdf)