Foster carers helping boost children's literacy

Foster carers are successfully helping vulnerable children improve their literacy skills, pilot studies have found.

There are more than 60,000 looked after children in the UK, many of whom fall below the minimum standards for literacy.

Catch Up, a charity which aims to help children with reading difficulties, trained foster carers in its one-to-one reading programme.

The first study, in partnership with Norfolk County Council, saw 26 children begin the Catch Up programme. It focused on children whose education, or care placements had been disrupted.

After five months, with help from their foster carers and learning support assistants, the children saw their reading age go up by an average of 14.7 months, and at the end of the project it had gone up by 17.1 months.

The second study looked to see if foster carers could replicate the success teaching assistants had seen using Catch Up in schools, at home.

It found that out of the 10 children who took part in the study, half saw an improvement in their reading skills.

This study found that it was more difficult to improve the children's literacy at home than in school.

Many of the children taking part had suffered upheaval, trauma or abuse, which had led to behavioural difficulties and emotional problems, and in turn to a negative attitude towards education.

The Catch Up literacy programme involves 15 minute individual lessons twice a week, tailored to the needs of the child.

Director of Catch Up Julie Lawes said: "It is precisely because the needs of the most vulnerable children are complex that the success of literacy intervention delivered by foster carers, specialist and learning support assistants trained by Catch Up is so welcome.

"The boost to literacy levels, confidence and self-esteem is vital for these most vulnerable of children."