The Children’s Literacy Charity is a small organisation making a big difference—working to close the literacy gap and expand opportunities for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Our highly trained tutors provide targeted support to help children catch up and thrive. We believe that early intervention in literacy not only boosts confidence and achievement but has a powerful, lasting impact on a child’s future.
Our Reading Labs are set up in schools in areas of economic and educational disadvantage. They provide a safe, nurturing space where children benefit from the dedicated and consistent support of a tutor, delivering tailored literacy support. Our interventions allow a child to grow in confidence, self-esteem and resilience and, with significantly improved literacy skills, develop a love of reading.
Reading Lab was created to help Key Stage 2 pupils who had fallen behind age-related expectations due to the impact of Covid-19. Over ten weeks, the programme fosters a genuine enjoyment of reading while building vocabulary, fluency, comprehension and oracy. Oracy is a chief component of Reading Lab. The book talk generated from an immersion in texts is well modelled, structured and aims to extend not only vocabulary knowledge but will also develop language structures, enabling pupils to develop the confidence and skill to express their opinions and ideas effectively and persuasively.
“When I started Reading Lab, I couldn’t read long words, but now I can and I know what they mean. I didn’t like reading out loud, but now I am reading books to my little cousin”. Child at George White Primary School, Norwich.
“Reading Lab was excellent because I liked all the books, they were very interesting. I got better at reading and predicting and I’m better at English.” Child at Henry Fawcett Primary School, London.
In 2023/24, children made an average of six months’ progress in reading after the 10-week intervention. Parental involvement is also central to the programme: families are invited to an introductory workshop and a celebration assembly, where they can share reflections on their child’s progress at home.
We are able to make this difference, thanks to our skilled and dedicated tutors, who become an integral part of the children’s week at school, building strong relations with children, parents and school leaders, with support and guidance from our Schools Programme Managers.
Our Reading Lab Tutor, Emily says: “as a tutor with the Children’s Literacy Charity, you have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on children’s lives. It’s fantastic to see their self-esteem and enthusiasm grow over the course of the programme and it’s an incredibly rewarding role that can transform children’s attitude to reading and literacy”.
You can find out more about our work including our other programmes; Literacy Lab and Story Lab at www.thechildrensliteracycharity.org.uk or you can contact us at recruitment@theclc.org.uk
