Helping children to enjoy reading and writing.

Raising expectations, raising achievement.

The National Literacy Association works in partnership with a range of organisations to promote awareness of and support children’s literacy needs. As well as campaigning for the needs of the 20% of children who continue to under-achieve, we do practical work in schools, with children in public care, with parent groups and in the wider community. We also produce a range of resources which are distributed free of charge to schools, parent groups and others.

Who We Are

The National Literacy Association is a small charity based in Birmingham. Our remit is national and we work with groups of children who are in danger, for whatever reason, of not acquiring literacy skills

We are very fortunate in having representatives from all the major teaching unions on our board (NUT, NASUWT, ATL and NAHT) as well as representatives from many other organisations from the fields of education and literacy. (Assocation of Educational Psychologists, British Dyslexia Association, British Educational Suppliers Association, English Speaking Union, National Association for of Primary Education, National Association for Teaching of English, Questions Publishing)

Our Aims
…narrow the gap…

We want to narrow the gap between those who achieve at school and those who do not. We are always working to ensure that all school leavers will have adequate literacy for their needs in daily life.

What We Mean
… having the ability to communicate with confidence…

By adequate literacy, we mean having the ability to communicate with confidence through the written word, through speech and/or through technology. We want all young people to be able to fill in an application form, understand written instructions, take down a telephone message, send an e-mail and read for pleasure.

What We Believe
…children CAN learn to read , write and spell …

Expectation is the key to achievement. We believe that the vast majority of children CAN learn to read, write and spell adequately given the appropriate help.

The Future

The National Literacy Association seeks to work in partnership with other organisations to:

• Develop a distinctive and influential voice in the field of literacy
• Take an innovative and holistic approach to the teaching of literacy
• Have a particular focus on those who have difficulty in acquiring literacy skills

In order to create a nation of people who are enabled to participate fully in a literate society, and who gain pleasure from reading and writing as life enhancing experiences.

Objectives
…NLA has three core objectives…

• Promote life-enhancing and enabling literacy from ante-natal clinics through schools, colleges, after school clubs, foster homes, care homes and family environments
• Raise awareness of the importance of literacy in relation to later goals in life
• Support children and young people who find it difficult to speak, listen, read and write

What We Do
…support children’s literacy needs by:

• Campaigning for the literacy needs of the 20% of children, who still do not achieve functional literacy, to be addressed
• Project work in schools, with children in public care with parent groups and in the wider community
• Producing publications, which are designed to support teachers, educational support workers parents and carers working with children from Foundation through to KS 4.
• Celebrating the written and spoken word