NIACE recognises value of Booktrust initiatives Thursday, December 23, 2010 - 15:01

NIACE is pleased that initiatives supported by the Government and run by Booktrust - Bookstart, Booktime and Booked Up in England - have been saved. These initiatives not only introduce children to books, but they have also helped many thousands of adults to confront their own literacy needs and take up learning.

Carol Taylor, Operational Director at NIACE, said:

"Children bringing books into the home and wanting help with their reading, is the single biggest factor in helping parents, grandparents and carers take the enormously courageous steps to admit they need to improve their own literacy. Some homes in this country have very few, if any, books. Encouraging reading for pleasure for all ages is absolutely essential if we are to take the steps necessary to become the literate nation we aspire to be."

"Adults learning to read, including those helped through the enormously successful Quick Reads initiative, has a huge impact in transforming their lives. They become more confident, have greater ambitions to learn more and pursue careers and are better role models for their children. The Government takes literacy extremely seriously and they are determined to improve literacy rates throughout the entire population. The schemes that Booktrust have run have had a considerable impact on families in England and Wales."

Encouraging reading for pleasure for all ages is absolutely essential if we are to take the steps necessary to become the literate nation we aspire to be...The schemes that Booktrust have run have had a considerable impact on families in England and Wales.

Carol Taylor, Operational Director at NIACE

The Graham Family, from Lancashire, is a prime example of how learning to read together, can transform lives and their dedication and commitment was recognised with a National Family Learning Award as part of Adult Learners' Week in 2009.

Wanting to be a good role model for her children led Lisa Graham to take part in Home Start classes. Lisa and her youngest daughter have attended a number of family learning courses which have seen Lisa's confidence as a mum grow.

A family literacy course has made reading together a more pleasurable experience, and has given Lisa the confidence to explore new opportunities for herself, such as further literacy and numeracy classes.

Having spent a childhood in care homes, Lisa struggled with low self-esteem and self-confidence. When she became a mother of two at 19, she found herself unable to cope and turned to drugs. This led to shoplifting and her children were taken into care when she was sent to prison. Upon release her eldest children were returned to her, but when she later gave birth to her daughter, she was still unable to cope. A health visitor referred Lisa to Home Start where she finally began to turn her life around.

Lisa said:

"I have learnt so much about child development and how to communicate with [my daughter] and my eldest children. It's so much easier to express myself and I have learnt coping mechanisms that allow me to be a much better parent."

"I am over the moon to say I'm a positive role model. The best thing I ever did was go along to the Home Start family learning classes as they've taught me how to be a mum."