The educational plight of children in care is a worthy subject for a TES campaign. Last year 25 out of 28 looked-after children who completed the Reading Recovery programme at the age of six, were lifted from being non-readers to age-appropriate levels of literacy. That is, 85 per cent went from an average reading age of four years 10 months, to six years seven months in around five months.
Because it is a short, once-and-for-all solution to literacy problems, Reading Recovery is effective for children in care, traveller children (37 out of 47 made the same accelerated progress) and refugee pupils (all 16 made accelerated progress). If we are serious about children in care, Reading Recovery must be part of the solution.
Julia Douetil National co-ordinator Reading Recovery National Network, Institute of Education London
