National Literacy Trust

Early Words Matter: Their story starts with you. Have you booked your place at our Early Words Matter conference? We are in an exciting time for education reform, so join the conversation about how we can harness these new opportunities to support families, and foster provision with children’s voices at their centre. The conference is kindly sponsored by KPMG and Cosy Direct. Early bird tickets available until 31 December: https://lnkd.in/eDSVc9S5

Literacy and inequality are deeply intertwined. A boy born in Stockton town centre, which has some of the most serious literacy challenges, has a life expectancy 26 years shorter than a boy born in North Oxford, which has some of the fewest literacy challenges. Poor literacy skills are both a cause and a consequence of inequality. Literacy levels determine a child’s future opportunities including their ability to succeed at school, find meaningful work, earn a living wage, and even lead a healthy life. Without literacy, children are at risk of being left behind, finding it harder to go after the life they want. We exist to break this cycle of inequality by increasing literacy levels and helping children in the most disadvantaged communities to reach their full potential. This Christmas, we want to #GrowAGenerationOfReaders by putting books into the hands of children who need them most, so they can find the joy in reading and get the most out of life. Together, we can ensure no child’s future is defined by inequality instead of their dreams. #ChangeALifeStory➡️ Donate now: https://lnkd.in/eVfjM_FV

Two weeks ago, we revealed that children’s reading enjoyment is at an all-time low, with just 1 in 3 young people across the UK aged 8-18 saying they enjoy reading in their free time. Teenagers (11-16 year olds) reported the lowest level of reading enjoyment that we’ve ever seen amongst this age group. We know that when young people read for pleasure, they’re happier, more relaxed and do better at school. This means that across the country, two in every three children could be missing out. On Friday, we met with Swindon MP Heidi Alexander to talk about how we’re tackling these issues head on in the town. Joined by our partners at Arts Council England who fund our work in Swindon, we discussed our latest initiative: the launch of a brand new #BookTokBookshelf that harnesses the power and appeal of TikTok to inspire more young people to engage in reading for pleasure. This is one of twenty community bookshelves funded by TikTok popping up in towns and cities across England, giving young people much needed access to books and empowering them with the literacy skills they need to succeed. To find out more about the challenges that young people are facing with literacy, and what you can do to help, visit https://lnkd.in/efS-bYHx

Functional literacy and financial capability are crucial for young people today. However, many lack the literacy skills to manage their finances confidently. 📝 Last year, 35% of 16-year-olds didn't achieve good grades in English and maths GCSEs, rising to 57% of young people from disadvantaged communities (source: Department for Education). 💬 Additionally, 77% of this age group worry about money (source: The London Foundation for Banking & Finance). Our research shows that good reading skills are strongly linked to good financial skills. Yet, gaps in literacy and financial capability persist, especially among young people from disadvantaged communities. Over the past three years, we've partnered with Experian to equip nearly 1,000 young people with the words, knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about their money through our Words that Count programme. Results include: ✅9 in 10 (90%) young people had an increased understanding of money management ✅ Confidence in managing money doubled (from 49% to 96%) ✅ 8 in 10 (78%) felt confident using financial vocabulary ✅ Our digital campaign reached over 16 million young people and parents In the 2024/25 academic year, we will continue to grow the reach and impact of Words that Count to empower more young people aged 14-19 to make good financial decisions and build financial resilience. To maximise engagement, we will explore new and meaningful community partnerships, trial an innovative game-based digital learning resource and introduce bespoke book packs. To find out more about the programme and its impact, check out our latest report: https://lnkd.in/eaaP43vw

Wicked Writers: Be the Change is back. Earlier this year, our research found that children and young people’s enjoyment of writing and daily writing habits are at an all-time low, meaning that 7 in 10 (71.3%) are missing out on the associated benefits to their writing skills, critical thinking skills, confidence, creativity and wellbeing. Having the opportunity to take part in writing competitions can have a positive impact on children’s motivation to write and their enjoyment of it. With more than a quarter of 11-year-olds leaving primary school last year unable to write at the expected level for their age, inspiring pupils through competitions like Wicked Writers: Be the Change is more important than ever. In partnership with Wicked Active Learning, this annual persuasive writing competition inspired by the themes of Wicked the stage musical, gives young people ages 9-14 a voice to write about what they’re passionate about. This year the theme is local change, and pupils have a chance to win class tickets to see Wicked on stage, receive book bundles and have their work published in an anthology. In the previous year of the competition, we received an amazing 1600 entries and teachers told us that the competition improved pupils’ writing enjoyment, confidence and their motivation. Entries open on 13 January and you can now register to get the latest updates: https://lnkd.in/eN3Xqhbi

"The bad news is that we are at risk of losing a generation. The good news is that the solution is in our hands" - Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Waterstones Children's Laureate. Reading enjoyment among children and young people is at an all-time low. But the story doesn't end here. To make reading for pleasure a national priority, we must join forces with families, schools, libraries, charities, publishers, and businesses to amplify our reach and influence, strengthen our impact and re-imagine solutions to this complex crisis. Over the next three years, we will support and empower 1.5million more children and young people from disadvantaged communities to read for pleasure and develop greater confidence in their reading skills. How will we do it? 📖 We're calling on the government to urgently form a reading taskforce and action plan with multi-sector partners. 📖 Accelerating our #LibrariesForPrimaries campaign to ensure every primary school in the UK has a dedicated library space by 2028. 📖 We will increase support for teachers through professional training, programmes, high-quality resources linked to the national curriculum 📖 Provide families with practical tips, advice, resources and free books to support parents and carers with their children's reading 📖 We will build capacity and capability for reading for pleasure activities in the communities we work in through our network of Literacy Champions. Together we can #GrowAGenerationOfReaders. Here's how you can help: https://lnkd.in/efS-bYHx

We're accelerating #LibrariesForPrimaries to help #GrowAGenerationOfReaders and ensure that no child is left behind. Access to a good school library shouldn't be a postcode lottery. But in the North East of England, 1 in 5 state primary schools do not have a dedicated library or reading space. In the South East, only 1 in 20 primary schools are going without. We're on a mission to ensure that every primary school has a dedicated library space by 2028. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/e_JkspzW

It’s time to #GrowAGenerationOfReaders! 📚 Teachers, we invite you to participate in our 15th Annual Literacy Survey. This survey, open to children and young people aged 5-18, gives you valuable insights into your pupils’ attitudes toward reading, writing, speaking, and listening whilst also providing a consistent national measure of literacy. The data from our survey allows us to track annual trends in literacy, creating an evidence-base that informs all of our campaigns and programmatic work. This year, we found that reading enjoyment has hit an all time low and as a result are calling on the government to make reading for pleasure a national priority. We're also accelerating our Libraries for Primaries campaign to ensure that every primary school has a dedicated library by 2028, and we're increasing support for teachers and families. By participating, your school will receive a personalised report to compare with national data, helping you track progress and identify areas for support. Register your class today: https://lnkd.in/eWwR7qjJ

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. This offers a powerful opportunity to spark classroom conversations about survivor stories to inspire young people to engage with literacy, empathy, and the critical reflection skills that will shape them as compassionate adults. We hope to inspire them to work toward a future where hatred and persecution are challenged. To support teachers, we’re hosting a free online event for pupils aged 11 – 14 featuring author Tom Palmer in conversation with Holocaust survivor Alfred Garwood and Antoinette Mutabazi, child survivor of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. The event is on Monday 27 January 2025 and will sit alongside a five-part bespoke film that explores Tom Palmer’s writing process, using the power of testimony to inspire student’s non-fiction writing. More details in the article - delivered in partnership with Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.

“The literacy challenges in the twenty communities where the National Literacy Trust works across the UK are all very different and it’s only through frontline teams who understand, know and can lead action in those communities, who can bring together the community and voluntary sector as well as the business community and schools that we can make a real difference by working together.” Jonathan Douglas, Chief Executive.  We believe that by taking coordinated action at a local level to drive up literacy levels, we can support increased educational attainment and employability skills and improve health outcomes and social and cultural capital. That’s why, yesterday, at Bradford City Hall, we brought together businesses, funders and local organisations to share the work we are doing to build life-long literacy skills in the city and help create a legacy for Bradford as the UK’s City of Culture 2025.  In Bradford, 22% of children are living below the poverty line, and both the writing and reading skills of Key Stage 1 children are significantly below the national average. In 2023, 44% of pupils in Bradford did not reach the expected standard in writing. This number increases significantly amongst disadvantaged pupils, with 57% of pupils on Free Schools Meals not achieving the expected standard in writing. In the same year, 37% of pupils in Bradford did not reach the expected standard in reading, a number that rises to 49% amongst pupils on Free Schools Meals.  To address these problems, frontline teams in Bradford have been working with over 30,000 children, families and teachers since 2014, including putting over 100,000 books into the hands of children, many of whom did not own a single book, and yesterday we launched an innovative and evidence-based three-year programme that aims to improve the literacy skills of 1000 children from disadvantaged communities across 22 primary schools in Bradford. Children participating in the 500 Writers programme, generously supported by The Goldsmiths' Company, will enjoy expertly curated, inspirational visits to museums and art galleries and teachers will receive cutting-edge training and tools that will harness the power of these memorable cultural experiences in improving reading and writing skills.  To find out more about the National Literacy Trust’s work in communities across the UK visit: https://lnkd.in/eKqFKcWG