Sport and literacy

How does sport support literacy?

At the National Literacy Trust, we asked a simple question: what if we built more literacy opportunities around what children and young people already love?

For many children, their favourite sport can act as a powerful motivator to engage with reading, writing, speaking and listening, and empower them to feel that reading, writing, speaking and listening are relevant to their lives and interests.

A team effort

As any fan of any sport knows, it takes a team to play and thrive. We work with a breadth of partners to change young people’s lives through sports and literacy, including:

• National sporting organisations
• Iconic sporting clubs
• Role models, including athletes, coaches, and commentators
• Local and national government, community organisations, and regional charities
• Businesses and corporate partners

What programmes are available?

Sport and literacy programmes are designed to support children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to develop their motivation and skills through literacy by stealth.

Discover the range of content available to suit the needs of your young people. These initiatives are available to schools and community sport organisations and can include resources and training for community-based staff.

How to get involved

Visit the relevant page below and sign up to the initiative you want to get involved with.