Features

An early start helps everyone
Pauline Henniker explains the Early Start approach to improving the literacy skills of both children and adults.

Read aloud and learn
Teaching children to read and understand their textbooks makes them confident and self-reliant learners for life, according to maths teacher Colin Hannaford.

Learning mentors lead on literacy
An imaginative initiative has helped low-attaining pupils to take responsibility for their learning and improve their writing skills. Maggie Northcott, from St Helens Education Action Zone, reports.

Making links
The national strategy for Teaching and Learning in the Foundation Subjects has much in common with Literacy Across the Curriculum. Barbara Welford and members of the Key Stage 3 National Strategy team explain how the two fit together.

Nervous talk
In the second part of his interview for Literacy Today, George Low talks to writer and former inspector Graham Frater about the importance of verbal communication and his latest Basic Skills Agency research.

Inside education
Neil Galbraith, English lecturer and coordinator of HMP Channings Wood’s Higher Access Programme, explains his unique course and why it is only the first hurdle in getting prisoners into university.

FEATURE: READING PROMOTION

On the ball
Deputy editor Sam Brookes speaks to Robbie Earle about his role as a Reading Champion, and how he uses his experiences as a writer, broadcaster and former Wimbledon footballer to promote the pleasures of reading to children.

The Big Read
The BBC’s poll to find the nation’s favourite book will initiate a wide range of reading activities over the summer, for people of all ages. BBC education executive Paul Manners explains.

Reaching out to families
How can libraries encourage family reading among those who are not already regular visitors? Sarah McNicol, of the More Families Reading evaluation team, reports on this project’s approach.

Get connected
Reading Connects, a National Literacy Trust initiative, is helping secondary schools to promote reading across the whole school community. Project manager Amelia Foster provides some ideas.

Research

Interactive whole class teaching
The National Literacy Strategy includes an official endorsement of ‘interactive whole class teaching’. Dr Frank Hardman and researchers from the University of Newcastle report on the impact of this endorsement on the use of whole class talk.

Raising boys’ achievement
Eve Bearne and Dr Molly Warrington report interim findings from the University of Cambridge’s major three year investigation.

Emergent techno-literacy
Dr Jackie Marsh reports on her study which examined the impact of television, computers and mobile phones on children’s early literacy.

Oral language difficulties
Professor Geoff Lindsay and Professor Julie Dockrell summarise their research on specific speech and language difficulties and literacy.

The language of African-Caribbean success
There is a greater need for schools to work together with the home and community to encourage academic success, according to early findings by Jasmine Rhamie and Dr Susan Hallam.

Research digest
REAL conference; Cross-year peer tutoring in reading; Developing embedded basic skills.

Publications
Watching and Learning 3; Strategies in Action; Accelerating Reading and Spelling with Synthetic Phonics; Take them to the Library: early years provision in children’s libraries; and Basic Skills in the Workplace.

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