Literacy and Social Inclusion is a Basic Skills Agency national support project being delivered by the National Literacy Trust. A recent discussion paper presents findings so far on successful practice in this area. Project director Viv Bird reports.

A National Literacy Trust discussion paper, Literacy and Social Inclusion: the Policy Challenge, summarises the half-stage findings from the three-year Literacy and Social Inclusion project, identifying the successful key features of home and community literacy practices that promote social inclusion and improve the literacy skills of those of all ages most at risk because of their poor literacy. It also raises a number of questions for policymakers. These were debated at a Smith Institute seminar at 11 Downing Street this summer, by an invited audience of headteachers, college principals, academics, community organisations and representatives from Whitehall.

In the initial stage of the project, extensive regional consultations took place with those with an interest in literacy and/or social inclusion: practitioners and policymakers across the age range from Sure Start and the early years, local education authorities, schools and colleges to the prison and probation service, Jobcentre Plus and the Connexions service. What emerged was a remarkably consistent picture of 'what works'. Two key points were made: the benefit of family learning activities for children and parents, and the powerful role of the arts and sport, and ICT, to motivate disaffected young people and 'at risk' adults to improve their literacy skills.

The 2003 DfES research review, by Professor Charles Desforges and colleagues, concluded that good parenting has a positive effect on children's achievement (see Literacy Today, September 2003). So how can we better support parents to help their children become confident and enthusiastic literacy learners? In the early years, actually showing parents how to communicate with their children is more effective than simply providing them with the information. Fun events that encourage parents to share literacy activities - making storysacks or book bags, reading or choosing books together, with special efforts to involve parents who are socially isolated - help to build relationships and make it easier for parents to ask for help or advice. As they share in their children's enjoyment and developing confidence in learning, parents feel empowered to get involved in other learning activities, become volunteers and even go on to improve their own skills.

For children who, for whatever reason, are not getting that crucial home support, special effort is needed to put in place support from someone who can listen to them, encourage them to read often and widely and use the library. In a number of schools, trained reading buddies or mentors are making a real difference. These may be older children (who also develop their own communication skills and confidence), parents or community volunteers. Where a local authority takes a strategic community literacy approach, for example, Birmingham's Core Skills Partnership, the FAST LANE initiative in Kirklees or Read On - Write Away! in Derbyshire, the result is greater home and community support for schools in the learning process.

The paper raises some challenges for policymakers, particularly around funding to support the long-term engagement of both children and adults with poor literacy who are least likely to benefit from or participate in mainstream learning. The strength of community partners such as the voluntary sector and the local library service is that they are not perceived as 'authority' by the most disaffected. The voluntary sector provides access to marginalised social and ethnic groups, and understanding of their needs; libraries can provide stock loans and knowledge of books, access to electronic resources and the internet. However, in the allocation of funding, they may be forgotten as potential partners in social inclusion initiatives.

Targets provide a clear focus and public accountability but they can result in unintended consequences which are detrimental to the social inclusion agenda. Adults at risk of exclusion and those living in disadvantaged communities are among the target groups for the Skills for Life strategy to improve adult literacy, numeracy and language. A narrow interpretation of the Level 2 and basic skills targets makes it more difficult for learning institutions to fund longer-term community work to engage and support adults with more complex problems.

Across the board, supporting at-risk children, young people and adults to improve their literacy skills requires the best teachers who can motivate, personalise learning and encourage students to achieve the important small steps towards success. While the results may not be immediately reflected in league tables, this work may ultimately make an important contribution to the vision of the 14-19 agenda; more young people will have the basic literacy skills, sufficient good qualifications and motivation to continue learning after the age of 16.

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