Brighton and Hove ‘emergency’ child reading scheme to grow

A reading recovery centre in Brighton has moved to a new site as its ‘emergency’ child reading scheme is growing

The scheme is helping more than 200 Year 1 children every year who have been struggling to read.

It uses an intensive 20-week programme of one-to-one daily tuition in reading and writing to raise literacy levels from low to average.

The centre has already trained 17 local teachers who are helping children in 14 different schools in Brighton and Hove.

Nine more local teachers are currently being trained up, meaning that soon children at 23 local schools will be benefiting.

The centre also acts as a regional centre of excellence, attracting teachers from as far away as Guernsey to come to learn reading recovery methods.

Councillor Sue Shanks

The centre has moved into Moulsecoomb Primary School from its nearby former base in Hodshrove Lane.

Brighton and Hove City Council said that the scheme had “expanded into new, improved premises in order to help more young children whose learning is held back by poor literacy skills”.

The council added: “The centre has moved from the council’s learning development centre into Moulsecoomb Primary School to give direct access to classroom situations and make the training as immediate and effective as possible.”

The council quoted one parent as saying: “I was amazed at how quickly my daughter started to read, write and create sentences on her own.

“At home she has developed a love for writing stories and making picture books. She now reads books independently.”

Councillor Sue Shanks, who chairs the council’s Children and Young People Committee, said: “Non-literacy is an emergency in educational terms.

“It stops children learning basic skills that are fundamental to future learning and risks children being marginalised and disruptive in the classroom.

“Our reading recovery centre is tackling non-literacy among our youngest children incredibly effectively and it’s something everyone in our city should be very proud of.”