New funding for book clubs in primary schools to improve reading standards has been announced by the government…
The action plan is part of the government’s plan to raise reading standards in schools, so that every child has the skills necessary to succeed in life.
Figures show that at least one in 5 children leaves primary school unable to read at a standard that will ensure they are placed to succeed at secondary school.
To address this, the Department of Education has today published a new plan, aimed at schools, that clearly sets out the government’s ambition for reading.
Included in the action plan is £100k of funding for a new programme that will support up to 200 primary schools to set up book clubs and promote libraries.
School Reform Minister, Nick Gibb said: “Nothing is more important than ensuring every child can read well. Poor reading can hold people back throughout their adult lives, preventing them from achieving their full potential.
“Our plan for education is focused on ensuring all children leave primary school with a good grasp of literacy and develop a love of reading.
“This approach is working: the proportion of 6-year olds achieving the expected standards in the phonics screening check has risen from 58 per cent to 74 per cent between 2012 and 2014. That is equivalent to 102,000 more children doing well.”
New measures to be introduced by the government include:
– A new programme to support up to 200 primary schools, where reading attainment at key stage 2 is currently low, to set up book clubs and promote library membership, to inspire thousands more pupils to develop a love of literature;
– Urging all primary schools to arrange library membership for all their year 3 pupils (age 7 to 8);
– Boosting the promotion of poetry in schools by funding new resources to help primary teachers to introduce poetry recitation to their pupils at an early age, as well as funding a further year’s extension of the national poetry recitation competition, Poetry by Heart.
