New children's literacy campaign: should Mumsnet sign up?

[RowanMumsnet]

Hello everyone

The charity Save the Children, with whom we've done a bit of work in the past, is asking if Mumsnet can give its collective support to a campaign to improve children’s literacy here in the UK.

Save the Children say: “Reading is the key to a child’s future: it unlocks their potential and opens up a world filled with possibilities. For our poorest children, reading well is their best route out of poverty, but thousands of children from poorer backgrounds leave primary school not reading as well as they should.”

As ever, we'd like to know what you think about adding Mumsnet's voice to this. The aim of the campaign is to ensure that every child is a confident reader by age 11, but Save the Children's position is that to achieve this we all need to play our part. The campaign hasn't launched yet, but Save the Children will be working with a coalition of organisations, communities, parents, teachers and schools, businesspeople and politicians. They are working with a range of media, including The Sun. They don’t want to give away all their campaign tactics before the launch (understandably) but if you have any specific questions about the methods and aims of the campaign, let us know and we'll see if we can get answers for you.

Please do also use this thread to let us know what you think about Mumsnet officially getting behind this one.

Thanks,
MNHQ

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

This isn't just an education policy-led campaign, like others before. Our campaign is about mobilising the public to raise the importance of reading and the enjoyment of reading at the same time.

We aim to get reading and the joy of reading out there as widely as possible, to reach children wherever they are and whatever media their parents read. That does include work with The Sun, and a vast range of other media."

Those are the only few sentences in that response that deal with the two main issues that were raised in this thread. And it doesn't answer either of them much beyond what was written in the OP.

IMO, at this point, I don't think MN should officially be getting behind this one.

[mrz]

The fact is in some homes parents don't read ... not even the Sun!

[KatherinaMinola]

Ha ha, what a politician Mora is! She obviously thinks we're a bunch of idiots

Nope, I don't think Mumsnet should get behind this either - how can we realistically say No More Page 3 if we're getting into bed with The Sun?

[awfulomission]

It sounds like too broad a remit for such a specialist area. Charities for children with SN, particularly SLCN already have specific support in place for schools and families to support literacy development.

The families they talk about targeting may need help with a lot of other things before literacy or indeed any learning can happen well; understanding the importance of and support giving a settled, established family life for example.

However, I do work with a very small group of families whose circumstances and attitudes are fortunately not representative of most of the population.

[KleineDracheKokosnuss]

I'm definitely in the 'No' camp for this one. There's been nothing said to indicate what STC will be doing and how that will actually help. Everyone knows why reading should be supported - but without detail on what the actual plan is, and given the negatives, I don't think MN should get involved.

[Soveryupset]

I am also in the no camp for all the reasons above. I dislike it when key issues are used emotively to drive a hidden political or self promoting agenda and alarm bells ring when nobody can give details. Also agree there are more qualified organisations working in this area already.

[LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett]

That's not much of a response from STC, is it?

And I'm inclined to agree with the teachers' comments directly after that post - clearly bring cold/hungry/tired is going to impact children's learning and wouldn't solving that be a better place to start? It's hard for hungry children to learn, no matter how effective the learning strategies and how 'joyous' the reading experience.

[Pointlessfan]

Great idea, please support it!

[QueenAnneofAustriaSpain]

I would definitely support this. Please do get behind it MN.

[IrenetheQuaint]

It all sounds quite flakey. The previous MN campaigns that have stuck in my mind and had a national impact have focused on specific objectives - e.g. better miscarriage care, believing the victims of sexual assault, showing sensitivity towards children with SN and their parents. But what is the actual aim of this campaign? As previous posters have said, there has been masses of research, policy work and focused interventions designed to improve primary-age literacy over the past 20 years; I can't see what a new unfocused initiative, led by a charity with no record in this area, has to contribute.

[frogbubbles]

I think it's a brilliant idea

[woolymum]

Our campaign is about mobilising the public to raise the importance of reading and the enjoyment of reading at the same time. We all want to solve the problem of children falling behind because they are from poorer families once and for all.

Err, fantastic idea but this is repetitious of other schemes. Bookstart for one? Couldn't they just back an existing scheme or is this glory hunting?

Reading is the most amazing gift you can give to someone. Even maths genius's need to read to be able to understand the questions being asked so, with the exception of physical activity, the ability to read undeniably underpins a child's entire learning spectrum. The ability for a kid to get lost in their own imaginary world after a trip to the library works out well for the kid as well as well for the parent's who have a little break of piece and quiet.

Totally behind supporting reading, but i wouldn't back this campaign to the exclusion of others. Saying we have fantastic things planned but we can't tell you..... sure you have love but i've heard that before so not very impressed....

[Thenapoleonofcrime]

Completely agree with the many excellent posts on this thread pointing out:

1. There have been many literacy initiatives within schools and in communities, most haven't made a huge difference, and many were very underfunded (e.g. reading recovery is ace with struggling 6/7 year olds, but its funding was cut after training thousands of specialists, what a waste of all that expertise, now they have TA's following online reading programmes with older children instead, so missing the opportunity for early specialist intervention which everyone knows works)
   

1. It's with the Sun
   

1. It sounds very waffly, and based around families reading with their children. The families that read daily with their children aren't the ones, in the main, that need help! The ones that need help are those who have poor literacy in the adults, no books/materials in the home, and can't through their own difficulties support school-based reading programmes. Better school teaching is more effective than relying on parents- because plenty of children come from immigrant families who do not read english but do very well in reading tests come the end of primary. It can't be all down to families and an enthusiasm for literacy (although that might play a part).
   

I wouldn't be in on this, I just don't get what it's trying to do, it's also patronizing and sounds like they think they are the only ones to notice that literacy is linked to poverty, whereas the educational world has been shouting this for the last 20 or more years!

[jelliebelly]

A bit late to this thread but I would add my voice to the "No" camp. Yes of course it is a great idea to improve children's literacy across the UK but not sure how this "campaign" is likely to achieve that when it doesn't actually seem able to articulate what action will actually be taken.

The link with The Sun is particularly distasteful and I don't see where this would add value other than by giving free books away - but even free books aren't much use if the child can't read!

It is already widely acknowledged that poorer children are often not supported at home with the daily reading and writing practice or role models that advocate reading for pleasure that young children need so I would suggest that this is where we should look to start - more volunteers and time given in school to support those that need it would be a good place to start...not sure that STC are planning on doing this though.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

Free books are even less use if the parents can't read either.

[Badvoc123]

So surely it would be better to focus on child poverty then?.....

[mrz]

Ive seeb Booktrust packs for sale brand new on Ebay

[Badvoc123]

Me too Mrz :(

[KateHMumsnet]

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for your thoughts. On balance, we've decided not to be formal partners on this campaign but as most seem to support its aims, which are hard to disagree with, we'll give it airtime where we can.

[FabulousFudge]

I think that's the right decision!

[Badvoc123]

Yes, I think that's the right decision too.

[EduCated]

Agreed!