Early Literacy Programme

Our Early Literacy Programme supports the early literacy and language development of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. We work with local communities to establish reading centres at schools, libraries and community premises. We provide training and mentoring to volunteer co-ordinators on how to set up a team of volunteers at a new centre, and also to all our volunteer tutors, who work with small groups of children to support their emerging reading and writing skills.

The activities and materials are targeted at children between the ages of 5 and 8 years who are learning to read in English as a second language and also benefit older children who have not acquired basic literacy skills. Children work with the same volunteer for a minimum of six months in pairs or small groups, using a tried and tested lesson structure that enables rapid progress over relatively short periods of times in a fun and stimulating environment.

Evaluations have shown that at schools where we are working, increasing numbers of children are reading and writing at the expected grade level. The relationship between the tutors and their young charges is at the heart of their remarkable progress: The children we work with thrive on the level of attention they receive in small learning groups, and their learning and social skills benefit in the broadest sense as they grow in confidence and self-esteem from week to week. A visit to one of our reading centres will reveal eager and inquisitive children who take great delight in their own advancement.

Click here to find out more about setting up an Early Literacy Programme, including an overview of the programme and information on aims, methods and roles.

Click here to download useful materials and resources for parents, volunteers and teachers.

Click here to see a list of sites where our Early Literacy Programme currently operates.