30,000 young children to benefit from specialist reading tuition  

Bob Laxton MP today welcomed more help to make sure all children in Derby can get the help they need to learn to read. 

Bob said: “Reading is often taken for granted but it could not be more vital in a child’s development. Admittedly it is some time ago now but I used to read to my son regularly and I think it made a huge contribution to his development. Children need their young minds challenged and occupied and reading offers one of the best possible ways of not only improving an essential skill but provides a great hobby and a means of understanding and learning about the world around them.   

“We have a responsibility to prepare our children as best we can for the future and that is why I’m supporting the new scheme that will give intensive help to the children who need it, more help to read. “I really hope that all parents in Derby will get involved too – in their schools, helping their children to make the most of the support available; and at home reading together as a family.” 

Alan Johnson, Labour’s Education Secretary, said: “Being able to read well is fundamental to anyone’s education but it can also be a joy. It can open up children’s eyes to fresh perspectives and make them curious about the world.” 

“Research has shown that a love of reading improves a child’s life chances and that when children read for pleasure it improves their school results across the curriculum”. 

ENDS 

Notes to Editors 

1) Following a successful three year pilot, Education Secretary Alan Johnson and Chancellor Gordon Brown have launched the national Every Child a Reader (ECAR) programme. ECAR is designed to help 5 & 6 year old children with severe literacy difficulties learn to read. For the pilot £10m was made available to place specialist literacy teachers, trained in ‘Reading Recovery’ across 37 local authorities. Now all local authorities will benefit from a roll out of the programme which will see 30,000 children receive intensive catch up reading support by 2010-11. 

2) The project will also explore the potential for those teachers to support tailored literacy teaching more broadly within a school, with an impact beyond those receiving one-to-one support.