The National Literacy Trust believes wholeheartedly in the important role that parents and the home learning environment (HLE) play in tackling the early word gap, supporting early literacy skills and helping children develop to their full potential. It’s the missing piece whenever we talk about early education and childcare. We share a focus on supporting parents and the home learning environment with a number of other charities, including National Children’s Bureau, Peeple and the Foundation Years Trust.
In 2018, the charities created a joint publication, 'Home Matters', to share knowledge and practice about the HLE with practitioners working with disadvantaged families from a range of sectors (early years, schools, public health, social work etc.) Funded by the Department for Education, the publication supports all practitioners who work with parents to support children’s development.