Raising Early Achievement in Literacy

The Early Childhood Unit began work on the new Making it
REAL (Raising Early Achievement in Literacy) project in August 2009.

Funded by The Big Lottery Fund (Family Learning programme) the project will use the REAL framework developed by Cathy Nutbrown and Peter Hannon at the University of Sheffield. Eight children’s centres in Sheffield and Oldham will work
together with the university, Sheffield and Oldham local authorities and the ECU over a three-year period. A team of early years teachers, practitioners and local authority officers will receive training each year in the REAL approach, and families will be invited to receive a series of home visits and invitations to special events and workshop sessions.

REAL builds on what parents already do at home to help children learn. The relationships developed between practitioner, parents and children are central. Parents will receive support to provide more opportunities for their children to learn through books and stories, songs and rhymes, environmental print and early mark making activities.

Parents, practitioners and children will be directly involved in evaluating the effectiveness of the project. Anticipated outcomes are increased parent confidence and knowledge of how to join in with children, model practice, recognise and respond to children’s progress - and improved communication and social skills for young children. 

For more information contact jconnor@ncb.org.uk and hwheeler@ncb.org.uk or visit the new REAL website.

More can be read about REAL in Nutbrown, C, Hannon, P and Morgan, A (2005) Early Literacy Work with Families, Sage Publications.

Further information can be found at the Big Lottery Fund site