Specialist programmes helping every child make progress and thrive.
Julie Taylor – Education Lead, The Children’s Literacy Charity
As a teacher for over 30 years, and a specialist in Literacy, I have always believed in the transformative power of reading for pleasure. Books open doors, spark imagination, and give children the confidence to see the world in new ways.
As a charity we are 100% behind the life-changing impact of reading, however, in our specialist work I see too many instances of children who would benefit from tailored, expert help to start their literacy journey, without which the opportunity to read for pleasure may pass them by.
At The Children's Literacy Charity, our highly trained, expert tutors work hard to close the literacy gap for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The children we support can be up to two years behind age-related expectations and are really struggling to engage in the classroom as their literacy deficit is already holding them back in a significant way. Through our Literacy Labs, Reading Labs and Story Labs, we create supportive, nurturing and inclusive environments where children have the opportunity to close their literacy gap and become confident and resilient learners.
For over 30 years, the Children’s Literacy Charity has been providing specialist literacy tuition for children needing the most help. Our partnerships with schools are at the core of what makes our work unique. We collaborate closely with teachers and senior leaders to identify children most in need, align our programmes with school priorities, and ensure that the programme we deliver complements classroom learning. As a teacher myself, I know only too well that if an external literacy intervention is to work well, it must be in real partnership with the school, reflecting the values, behaviours and priorities of the teachers and senior leadership team. This joined-up approach means our specialist literacy programmes are embedded within school life.
A key element is identifying those children who would benefit the most from our dedicated support: not just children eligible for Pupil Premium or Free School Meals, but those with English as an Additional Language or Special Educational Needs or coming from home lives where there are no books or where parents lack the time or the confidence to support their child. We have worked with children facing a wide range of challenges, demonstrating our commitment to supporting every child's unique circumstances.
A 2023 report from the Centre for Social Justice revealed that 57% of children growing up in areas of economic deprivation and educational disadvantage left primary school without reaching age-related expectations. The attainment gap is now the widest it has been in a decade and some of our children are over two years behind in their reading. With our expert, targeted support, particularly through early intervention, we can reduce, and in many cases, close this gap. After one month of our Key Stage One Literacy Lab tuition, children can catch up by four and a half months. Two thirds of the children we support close their literacy gap completely.
Importantly, our work is more than just reading support. We deliver specialist tutoring across all the important literacy skills - comprehension, listening, speaking and writing as well as reading - because we believe a more holistic approach, tailored to a child's individual needs, is the most effective way of not just closing the literacy gap but building confidence.
In our 'Labs', specialist tutors, employed, trained and managed by us, work from nursery through Key Stages One, Two and Three, with a different emphasis at each stage. Tutors assess the children, communicate with teachers and senior leaders, and ensure that our teaching meets the needs of every child.
Our year-round Key Stage One Literacy Lab programme provides one-to-one and one-to-three support to children who are not yet meeting age related expectations in literacy. 45-minute sessions are held twice a week to build essential literacy skills, with tutors adapting sessions to target individual areas for development. Using a wide range of multi-sensory resources, children strengthen their phonics, reading, and writing skills while gaining the confidence they need to thrive in the classroom.
Our 10-week Reading Lab programme addresses those children in Key Stage Two and Key Stage Three who have secured their phonics but lack reading fluency and therefore struggle to comprehend and engage with reading for pleasure. The twice-weekly, one-to-three tuition block runs across one term, immersing children in inclusive and diverse texts that aim to excite them and motivate them to read independently. There is a focus on 'Book Talk', oracy, vocabulary development, reading fluency and reading comprehension skills. At the end of the programme, the children perform a celebration assembly for their peers and parents.
A love of books is central to everything we do and we believe more than anything else in the power of storytelling to develop all the literacy skills needed to make the most of a child's full potential and encourage them to realise the joy of reading. This is evidenced most through our newest inventiom, Story Lab which is currently being piloted in nursery and reception across five London schools with high levels of pupil premium. This 10-week, small group intervention focuses on those children who are lacking the language and communication skills needed to flourish when they start their primary education. Through a carefully designed storytelling programme, children expand their vocabulary, strengthen their storytelling skills, and gain the confidence to communicate with their peers and adults. Families receive five high quality picture books with activities to do at home at they are also invited to observe a Story Lab session and to a celebration assembly. An initial evaluation of the Story Lab programme indicates strong progress in literacy outcomes, with schools reporting highly positive feedback.
While we focus on measurable outcomes in reading progress, we believe it is equally important that our tutors create a nurturing and positive environment which builds confidence, self-esteem and resilience, allowing each child to engage positively with the curriculum and their education journey. The most compelling evidence comes not from our data, but from the voices of those we work with, teachers who see withdrawn children suddenly participating in class discussions, parents who watch their child read confidently and the children themselves discovering they have something valuable to say.
Parental engagement is at the heart of our Literacy Lab, Reading Lab and Story Lab programmes. When families are involved, children not only practise their skills beyond the classroom but also build confidence and motivation through encouragement at home. By equipping parents with activities, resources and opportunities to take part, we create a dynamic, supportive home environment where progress is sustained and literacy can flourish.
Katherine Paterson, the acclaimed children's author, reminds us that ‘It is not enough to simply teach children to read; we have to give them something worth reading. Something that will stretch their imaginations - something that will help them make sense of their own lives and encourage them to reach out." While our focus as a charity is on delivering specialist tuition which allows a child to make significant progress, all of our interventions are underpinned by a commitment to developing a genuine love of books. Our tutors help children connect with books in meaningful and engaging ways, laying the foundations for a sustained love of books and learning, and transforming not just their literacy skills but their entire educational journey.
www.thechildrensliteracycharity.org.uk
Instagram - @childsliteracy
X - @childsliteracy
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thechildrensliteracycharity
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/TheChildrensLiteracyCharity