Literacy

‘Writing has dropped off a cliff’: England’s lockdown-hit pupils get extra pen lessons

Schools hire handwriting specialists to tackle drop-off in pen skills caused by use of laptops and tablets

Julie Henry

23, Jul, 2022 @12:00 PM

Sats suggest Covid disruption affecting primary school attainment in England

Just 59% of 10- and 11-year-olds reach expected standards in literacy, writing and maths in this year’s assessment

Richard Adams Education editor

05, Jul, 2022 @2:05 PM

Cressida Cowell renews call for £100m investment in primary school libraries

The outgoing children’s laureate has transformed six primary schools through her Life-changing Libraries initiative, but says a ringfenced fund is needed for lasting impact

Sarah Shaffi

08, Jun, 2022 @5:01 AM

The number of children who read for fun is at a historic low. Why? | Sophie Brickman

There is scientific evidence that reading with your children has positive chemical effects for both parent and child

Sophie Brickman

30, May, 2022 @10:29 AM

Wordle tips from me and Grandma | Brief letters

Brief letters: Starting words for Wordle | Short answer to flying question | Moving on | Palindromic TV title | Swallow sightings

22, Apr, 2022 @4:26 PM

Zahawi’s English schools white paper leaves many in sector underwhelmed

Hopes were high after blunders of Williamson’s tenure, but 60-page vision for future offers little to inspire

Sally Weale Education correspondent

28, Mar, 2022 @6:51 PM

Fronted adverbials be damned. Let’s teach the young what really matters | Cathy Rentzenbrink

New research shows kids don’t learn creatively under a Kafkaesque grammar system

Cathy Rentzenbrink

06, Mar, 2022 @7:00 AM

Improving literacy means a book – or an iPad – at bedtime, say researchers

If ministers want to boost reading and maths scores in schools, they must involve parents, according to social mobility experts

Anna Fazackerley

26, Feb, 2022 @8:15 AM

‘House of love’: the calm, creative space changing young lives in Karachi

In Lyari, a slum notorious for violence in Pakistan’s most populous city, Mehr Ghar offers young people a safe place to hang out and study – and, for many, an alternative path to gang life

Somaiyah Hafeez and Shah Meer Baloch in Lyari

24, Feb, 2022 @7:00 AM

Investment in adult literacy could play a major role in ‘levelling up’ | Letters

Letters: Sue Hunter argues that literacy and numeracy projects must be invested in. Jenny Hartland addresses the pressure of being forced to learn to read and write too young

Letters

28, Jan, 2022 @5:50 PM

Jay Blades: Learning to Read at 51 review – a fascinating and unusually honest look at illiteracy

The Repair Shop presenter is one of 8 million UK adults who find the act of reading ‘pure pain’. Can six months with a new teacher change all that?

Lucy Mangan

26, Jan, 2022 @10:00 PM

Fixating on phonics will not help young readers | Letters

Letters: Readers respond to a landmark study that claims the current emphasis on synthetic phonics is ‘failing children’