A new
report revealing the literacy levels of constituencies across the UK has
concluded that ‘local action’ is key to tackling the UK’s literacy
challenge.
The report, entitled Reading England's Future: Mapping how well
the poorest children read compares poor children’s reading ability at age 11
across the country’s 533 parliamentary constituencies.
The
research was published by Read On. Get On. – a coalition comprised of
charities, parents, teachers and businesses which launched earlier this year
in response to the UK’s reading challenge. The charity behind the
Peterborough Literacy Campaign, the National Literacy Trust is a leading
partner of the coalition, which calls for commitment to the goal of getting
all children reading well at age 11 by 2015. Reading well means children can
read, understand and discuss stories, such as Harry Potter.
The
report concludes that local communities, schools and parents will need to
‘own’ the Read on. Get on. ambition to achieve change and that businesses and
the whole of society need to play a role by creating ‘reading towns and
cities, which critically, bring together schools and early years services’.
Jonathan
Douglas, Director of the National Literacy Trust says:
“This
report recommends the creation of reading towns and cities and shows that the
newly launched Peterborough Literacy Campaign is taking the necessary steps
to achieve the Read on .Get on. campaign’s crucial goal of getting all
children reading well at 11.
We
believe our work with local partners to champion reading in the community and
focus on early years services will make a difference to many Peterborough
families, as our ‘literacy hub’ approach here in Peterborough and also in
Middlesbrough and Bradford understands that schools, pre-school
professionals, local and national government and businesses all play an
important role in celebrating the joy of reading.”
You can
read the report here.