Call for Evidence

Developing a new national reading strategy in England for the

‘Read On, Get On’ campaign to get every child

reading well by the age of 11

Response Form

Closing date for responses: 15 June 2015

About the Read On. Get On campaign

Read On. Get On. is a national campaign to get every child in the UK reading well by the age of 11. At the moment far too many children are leaving primary school without this key skill – including, in England, one in three of our poorest children. Our mission is to change this for good so that all our children start secondary school as confident readers. Further information about the campaign is availableat

About the national reading strategy (England)

On behalf of the ROGO coalition in England, the RSA (Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, Manufacturing and Commerce) has been commissioned to develop a national reading strategy for England. This work will provide analysis of the problem, identify key objectives and set out the strategic action needed over the next decade to achieve the following target goals for 2020 and 2025:

All children achieve good early language development by age five by 2020
Every child is able to read well by the age of 11 by 2025, with good progress made so that we are at least halfway towards this goal by 2020

Call for Evidence

As part of the process of developing the national strategy, we invite submissions based on the questions below from all individuals and organisations with an interest in promoting children’s reading and early language development. Your contributions will help us to identify key issues and strategic priorities for action, to help achieve the 2020 and 2025 target goals.

Submitting any additional information or evidence

Beyond the answers given here, we would be pleased to receive any additional information or evidence that is relevant for the strategy. Do get in touch via the contact details below for a brief discussion about what material would be most useful and relevant.

Respondent Details

Personal information will be treated as confidential and will not be disclosed to third parties or used except for the purposes of the national strategy. We may refer to your response in our strategy reports or may publish extracts from it. All responses will be anonymised unless you consent to being identified.

Please tick if you want us to keep your response anonymous:
Name: / Sarah Mears/ Janene Cox
Please tell us your current occupation (if applicable): / Chair ASCEL/Past President of SCL and Chair of the Universal Reading Offer books and Reading Group
Please tick if you are responding on behalf of your organisation: / 
Name of organisation (if applicable): / Responding on behalf of ASCEL: the Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians and SCL The Society of Chief Librarians
Address:
Postcode: / C/O
Sarah Mears
Essex Libraries
E2
County Hall
Chelmsford
Essex
CM2 6WN

Key Questions:

1. In your view, how can parents and families best be supported (and support each other) to help their 0-5 year old children learn to listen, speak and communicate clearly and confidently?

In our view a strategic approach with shared messages across local authorities (including libraries), early years settings, public health, Clinical Commissioning Groups and early years agencies is the best way to support parents and families.
We believe thatfamilies need clear direct and accessible information in engaging formats,selling the benefits of spending time talking to children, sharing rhymes; songs and stories and highlighting the importance of simple communication skills e.g.listening to children, reinforcing what they say, extending their words and sentences and praising them. Those working with children and their parents, including library staff,have a role to play in demystifying these skills and giving parents the confidence to understand that they don’t have to be highly literate to share stories and rhymes with children and have an impact on their children’s reading. However these agencies should also make support available to adults who want to build their basic skills, through local partnerships with Adult Community Learning and national programmes such as the Reading Agency’s Six Book Challenge.
Families need access to libraries and children’s centres where they can obtain resources and participate in activities such as rhymetimes where good communication is enabled and role-modelled and ensure they benefit from Booktrust’s Bookstart programmes.
Families need quick access to advice when they are concerned and there should be clear signposting/ referrals from any services and agencies with which they come into contact.

2. What steps need to be taken to build capacity for everyone who works with very young children and their families (e.g. health visitors, nurseries, child care providers, speech and language therapists etc.)to make sure thatevery child has good early language development by the time they start school?

Capacity could be built by ensuring a joined up approach and shared messaging by all those agencies working with young children and their families. Capacity could be also built by ensuring that all those agencies have a basic understanding of good early language development and can provide signposting/referrals as required but also offer basic preventative information for parents and carers. For example library staff in rhymetimes could highlight useful books and digital resources that parents could use with children to help them develop language. Some libraries offer activities as part of partnership sessions for parents such as storysack-making workshops which given parents structured learning about language development.
Encouraging agencies that work with young children to consider how to make their spaces communication-friendly may also build capacity. See for one approach.

3. What are the main issues and barriers that need to be overcome to ensure every child is able to read accurately, fluently and with enjoyment by the end of primary school?

Lack of parental understanding or confidence about their continuing role in supporting children when they start school
Some teachers lacking knowledge and skills about the broad range of children’s books that are available to tempt children. – Public libraries and School Library Services can support teachers to widen their book knowledge
Children feeling that they are “compelled” to read certain types of books at school can often have a negative impact on reading. A free choice outside school can sometimes encourage children to read – this is often reported by parents commenting on children’s participation in the annual national Summer Reading challenge developed by the Reading Agency and delivered by libraries.
More research is needed about the role of digital technology and e:books in engaging children in reading, not just giving them technical skills, but encouraging their desire to read for pleasure.
Stigma about the inability to read may mean that it is hidden in families, meaning they don’t always obtain the help they need.

4. How can parents best be supported (and support each other) to help their children with reading?

By providing clear and accessible information for parents through schools, libraries and all those organisations who work with primary aged children and their parents
Working with national and local media, commercial organisations, third sector organisations and public bodies to put out the message that not supporting children’s reading is socially unacceptable – using nudge theory. Engaging celebrities in talking about books, more children’s and adults book programmes on the media.
Schools and libraries should highlight the importance of the home learning environment, encouraging parents to continue to share books and stories with children even when their children start school and can read for themselves and to make books a part of home life e.g. having a bookshelves in rooms where families gather together.
Agencies providing exciting opportunities for parents and children to enjoy reading related activities together – for example the Summer Reading Challenge and other children’s reading events in libraries. The Summer Reading Challenge is significant because although the focus is on children, the activity brings parents into libraries as well and enabling them to meet other parents during the long summer break. Parents can motivate each other to participate and support children.

5. How can all partners (including libraries, local businesses etc.) in the community best be involved to support and encourage children with early language and reading?

We believe that all partners should share key messages around early language and reading.
Local businesses should support workers who are parents to read with children. They can also work alongside libraries and other community organisations supporting reading through partnership opportunities, sponsorship and corporate social responsibilityactivities.
Local libraries must be instrumental in supporting children with early language and reading, working alongside their partners in schools and in health and wellbeing and with the reading charities. ASCEL’s recently published “Children’s Library Journeys” report funded by Arts Council England highlights the importance of the repeated message about libraries at key stages of a child’s life responding to their changing needs. Libraries in particular have a role to play in making reading accessible, by ensuring that there are as few barriers to use as possible. This includes quick and simple procedures for becoming a member; physical access and availability of local library services at times when families can visit. It also requires strong marketing and advocacy to entice parents to visit libraries and understand the support they can provide, particularly to families who may struggle to provide books for children through other means. The library workforce are trusted enablers of support both for children and parents and their role could be highlighted particularly to support parents unsure of how to find help and support.
Libraries and other places where children go in the community should work together to make books and reading special. We want exciting and stimulating displays and activities around books and reading that attract children’s attention and make books objects of desire.
We also need a range of “experts” in the community including in libraries – people with great children’s book knowledge, who can sensitively support children to make reading choices – inspirational adults, and teenagers who can guide children and open their eyes to new authors and new reading experiences.

6. What do you think is the most important priority for ensuring that every child achieves good early language development by age 5 by 2020, and why?

Providing support for parents to ensure they are confident, motivated and committed to building a caring, language rich home environment for their child
Build expertise in early years settings
More joining up and shared messaging between all those involved in supporting children in the early years and their families

7. What do you think is the most important priority for ensuring that every child reads well by age 11 by 2025, and why?

More joining up and shared messaging between schools, libraries and other community settings.
More encouragement for parents of primary aged children to continue to share and enjoy books with children

8. Is there anything else you would like to add that hasn’t been covered above?

The broader impacts of good language skills and reading well need to be articulated clearly in any national reading strategy. In particular, the role of reading and good language development in children’s long term economic success; their physical and emotional health and wellbeing; theirattachment; resilience and school readiness need to be outlined.
The strategy must recognise the different kinds of reading that children do in their daily lives and it is important that all are valued. In particular we need more understanding of how children read in a digital environment and the impact of this.

Thank you very much for taking the time to let us have your views.

Completed responses should be submitted by 15 June 2015.

Send by e-mail to:

Send by post to: Thomas Hauschildt, The RSA, 8 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6EZ