Every Child A Reader

New Every Child a Reader follow-up research finds that the poorest readers now outperform the national average.

Every Child a Reader is a unique collaboration between charitable trusts,

the business sector and government. It aims to show that, with the right resources, it is possible to overcome the literacy difficulties that blight so many children's lives.

The initiative is funding highly-skilled Reading Recovery teachers in inner-city schools, to provide intensive help to children most in need.

The vision is that every child who needs early literacy support receives it and that the numbers of children experiencing long term literacy difficulties are dramatically reduced. Progress towards this vision took a leap forward when government announced in December 2006 that Every Child a Reader will be rolled out nationally, benefiting 30,000 children year on year from 2010-11.

The roll-out, which begins in September 2008, will be managed by government through the Primary National Strategy, working in partnership with the Reading Recovery National Network at the University of London Institute of Education. The charitable funders who helped set up the programme will maintain an important role. Through the Every Child a Chance Trust they will, over the period 2008-10:

independently monitor and evaluate the national roll out of Every Child a Reader in schools and local authorities ;
contribute expertise to shaping the national roll out;
add value to the government’s expansion of the programme by intensifying activity in targeted geographical areas where funders have interests;
add value to the government’s expansion of the programme by helping schools explore opportunities to engage local businesses through sponsorship – for example enabling them to expand their stocks of appropriate books;
research and explore practices which will ensure that more children exiting Reading Recovery reach age related expectations by the age of 7 and 11;
develop and implement an accreditation/award scheme for schools;
set up a long term evaluation of the impact of Every Child a Reader through to age 16;
fulfil a continuing communications strategy;
fulfil a continuing advocacy function.

The Trust will present an independent annual report on the progress of Every Child a Reader to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.

New Every Child a Reader follow-up research finds that the poorest readers now outperform the national average

Read the 2007 Annual Report
Every Child A Reader: the results of the second year, December 2007 (PDF 1496 kb)

The Long Term Costs of Literacy Difficulties

KPMG Foundation report shows literacy difficulties cost the nation £2.05bn every year
The ground breaking research from the KPMG Foundation calculates for the first time the cost to the public purse of 38,700 pupils in England and Wales leaving primary schools every year with very low literacy skills.
Download the PDF (2022 kb)