Children's Laureate calls for action over ‘indefensible' reading inequality
A report from Cottrell-Boyce and children's reading charity BookTrust has called for all children and families to have access to high-quality books that are 'representative of the contemporary UK'.
The report – which will be launched on Wednesday at Edith Kerrison Nursery School and Children's Centre in London – added that training for early years practitioners should include skills for storytelling to ensure staff feel confident in sharing stories and showing parents how to read with their children.
Cottrell-Boyce, known for the novels Framed and Millions, said: 'Britain is not an equal society. 4.3 million children are growing up in poverty.
'When I was named Waterstones Children's Laureate, I knew I wanted to use my position to campaign for these children, the ones that are being left behind.
'I started the Reading Rights campaign to highlight this indefensible inequality, but also to say that we can do something about it.
'We have an astonishingly powerful tool in our hands – shared reading.'
The report comes after Cottrell-Boyce led a summit in Liverpool in January which brought together experts from the political, education, literacy, early years, arts and health sectors to recommend action.
In the report's foreword, Cottrell-Boyce said: 'Children who have not been given the vast invisible privilege of being read to will all too soon be parents themselves and, without support, will pass on that disadvantage to their children.
'The task is urgent and vital, but it is also achievable and full of joy.'
He added: 'I'm asking for Government support on a local and national level to make sure this simple, vital experience is available to all.
'To help us remember who we really are – the storytelling species.'
Diana Gerald, chief executive of BookTrust, said: 'It is our huge privilege to be working with Frank Cottrell-Boyce on the Reading Rights campaign, and with the extraordinary cross-sector coalition that has been involved in this work so far.
'BookTrust has been working to get children and families reading for many decades, but we know that too many children are missing out on the immediate and lifelong benefits of early shared reading.
'That's why, for BookTrust, this report is the next step on our journey to make early shared reading and storytelling an everyday part of all children's lives.
'We want this report and campaign to unite us, inspire us and give focus to our shared commitment to improving children's lives.'
A Department for Education (DfE) spokeswoman said: 'This Government is committed to breaking the unfair link between a child's background and what they can go on to achieve, and have set a clear milestone through the Plan for Change to ensure tens of thousands more children start school ready to learn.
'Supporting every child to become a confident reader is crucial for their development, wellbeing and life chances, which is why we are extending early language support, delivering thousands of new places in school-based nurseries, and providing support for parents with home learning through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programmes.
'The Education Secretary has made clear that reading and writing are the cornerstones of learning, and we will continue to engage with experts across the sector as we build an early years system that gives every child the best start in life.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
8 hours ago
- The Sun
Parents can get summer holiday childcare for FREE thanks to little-known help – how to get it
PARENTS who are struggling with money can get help with the costs of childcare for free over the summer holidays. The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme is a major Government scheme aimed at helping out low-income families. 1 It's funded by the Department for Education and provides free food, childcare, sports, music and arts clubs to low income households during the school holidays. Local authorities can decide what they will provide parents so you'll need to check exactly what is on offer where you live. Most offer help to families with children in receipt of benefits-related free school meals. But local councils are also allowed to offer help to children outside of this group. The initiative is mostly for Reception-aged children up to Year 11. Again, you should check with your local council to see if you're eligible. Most will have information on their websites or you should be able to give them a call or visit your local council office. What help can you get and how can you apply? As we mentioned, you'll need to check in with your local council to find out exactly what they're offering. But the programme generally will provide holiday clubs where kids can take part in activities and eat healthy meals. Some councils might coordinate the clubs themselves and others will work with organisations to provide the clubs locally. Martin Lewis issues urgent warning to 800,000 parents missing out on £2,000 to help with summer childcare costs The clubs will offer activities like arts, sports, drama and music, or they might even include trips. The Government says the clubs must provide healthy free meals, nutritional education and physical activities on a daily basis. In some areas you could be offered holiday club places for the equivalent of at least four hours a day. Others may run a standard 8am-3pm day for free. For example, Ealing Council says it is offering clubs and activities for a minimum of four hours per day, four days per week. It says the programme will be available for children receiving benefits-related free school meals who are either at school or living in Ealing. Meanwhile Manchester City Council says its HAF programme is mostly for children who get free school meals but you can check your eligibility here: Extra support is also on offer for children with special educational needs plus young carers and those in care. The HAF clubs are being offered over the summer holidays for four weeks. However they're also offered for a week during the Christmas and Easter breaks. The application process and what help you can get varies based on where you live. What other help can you get? The Government is also encouraging families to sign up for Tax-Free Childcare to save on their childcare costs. The scheme can give you £500 every three months for each of your children. You can use the cash to pay for approved childcare like nannies, nurseries, childminders and after school clubs. If you take advantage of it, it can save you up to £2,000 a year for each child. You could be eligible for it if you: Have a child or children aged 11 or under. They stop being eligible on September 1 after their 11 th birthday. If their child has a disability, they receive up to £4,000 a year until September 1 after their 16 th birthday The parent and their partner (if they have one) earn, or expect to earn, at least the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage for 16 hours a week, on average Each earn no more than £100,000 per annum Do not receive Universal Credit or childcare vouchers . You can visit to check your eligibility.
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
More than a million primary pupils go to schools with no male teacher as experts warn of rise in misogyny among kids
Just one in seven of England's 350,000 primary school teachers is male NO SIRS More than a million primary pupils go to schools with no male teacher as experts warn of rise in misogyny among kids Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MORE than a million primary pupils go to schools with no male teacher, The Sun can reveal. The figure emerged as experts warn of a rise in misogyny due to a lack of positive role models for boys. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 More than a million primary pupils go to schools with no male teacher Data showed that out of England's 16,743 primaries, there were 3,392 with all-women teaching staff last November — with another 746 having men on the books only part-time. It means 4,138 schools have no full-time male teacher, up from 3,865 in 2020. A typical primary has about 300 pupils, so 1.2 million kids are at schools with only women teachers. Overall, just one in seven of England's 350,000 primary school teachers is male. The Department for Education statistics show the largest school with no men is West Thornton Primary in Croydon, South London, with 910 pupils. Experts have warned of a lack of role models to combat misogynists like Andrew Tate. Christopher McGovern, of the Campaign for Real Education, said masculinity has become a dirty word in the 'feminised' teaching profession. He said: 'No wonder the classroom is shunned by most young men. 'But it's going to undermine the well-being and stability of this country.' Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has vowed to recruit more men. Fury as dozens of pupils 'put into isolation for wearing Union Jack clothes on school's culture day' Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club.
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
The downside of having summer-born children
Families seeking to delay their summer-born children's primary school entry face an "unfair postcode lottery" due to inconsistent council decisions across England. An analysis of Freedom of Information requests revealed that some councils refuse over half of parents' requests for deferred entry, while others approve all. Campaigners and parents are advocating for greater consistency, arguing that the current system causes stress and can disadvantage children not emotionally or physically ready for school. The Department for Education 's guidance states it should be "rare" for a request to be refused, as it is "rarely in a child's best interests" to miss a year of education.
