A new report which focuses on Blackpool pupils has revealed how use of smart phones is damaging reading skills.
The research published today (Friday March 7) warns a national literacy crisis is being made worse due to children spending more time on social media and video streaming instead of reading.
The report by think-tank Pro Bono Economics (PBE) for the education charity Right to Succeed, found nationally millions of children are entering secondary school without age-appropriate literacy skills.
A quarter of Year 7 pupils have a reading age below 11, and one in five primary school pupils fail to meet expected reading standards which then impacts their chances of finding a good job later in life.
The report ‘Reading the future: the impact of literacy support on
disadvantaged pupils’ GCSE grades and beyond’ targeted work on Blackpool and Birkenhead to show how better literacy could boost attainment.
Now calls are being made for continued investment in literacy programmes and more comprehensive data collection to deepen understanding of their impact.
Economists at PBE evaluated the impact of two community-focused literacy programmes: KS 3 Literacy Blackpool and Cradle to Career North Birkenhead which reached more than 5,000 pupils between 2018 and 2023.
Beverly Priestner, Reading Lead at South Shore Academy who works on the Blackpool KS3 Literacy programme to improve reading skills among 11 to 14-year-olds in the town, said targeted projects were working.
She said: “One student during Ofsted was out of his seat volunteering to read Shakespeare, which is like another language, confident and fluent.
“This was a pupil premium lad who used to be running around the corridors in Year 7 and was consistently withdrawn in class. By Year 8 he was at +14 (literacy assessment score).”
Graeme Duncan, chief executive at Right to Succeed, said reading was essential to a pupil’s understanding of their lessons “and the world around them”.
He said: “Yet in low-income communities, children too often start their education behind in reading, and finish their education significantly behind national expectations, reducing their ability to achieve their potential.
“This is why we’re thrilled to show what our schools and partners in Blackpool and North Birkenhead have been able to achieve through working collectively in a systematic way that has led to them co-creating some amazingly impactful practice.”
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