Literacy scheme for 60 families actually helped 6,000 after word spread

Professor Cathy Nutbrown, of Sheffield University, shared her approach on family literacy nursery workers, teachers, child-minders and family support units to help them plan and evaluate their family literacy work.

She said she had been delighted to discover that the initial 20 practitioners had shared the approach with some 300 colleagues, far more than anticipated, creating case studies documenting the benefits of the approach.

Professor Nutbrown said: “We have been excited to see how the people involved in this project are taking our ideas and developing them further to work with parents who have young children,

This has greatly exceeded our expectations and by the end of the project the new approach reached over 6,000 families.”

About 20 practitioners learned the theory behind the practical work they do and how it can benefit children’s literacy and report back on its application and its impact.

Most said it helped promote many activities including encouraging talk in two-year-olds and encouraging boys to begin communicating with writing.