Reading boost for Hertfordshire schools (From Watford Observer)

Reading boost for Hertfordshire schools

10:15am Wednesday 24th February 2010

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School bosses are pulling out all the stops to help struggling young Hertfordshire children learn to read and write.

A new training centre has been set up in Tring, where the first group of 20 teachers are learning how to help five and six-year-olds with literacy problems, in a programme to be extended this year to staff from schools across the county.

Children having difficulties will get up to 100 hours of individual attention, in a campaign the county council predicts will boost the proportion reaching the national literacy target when they leave primary school from 80 to 90 per cent.

Scheme co-ordnator Kirsten Snook said: “There are huge benefits in working one-to-one with children in a way that suits their needs.

"Each child gets up to 100 hours of highly personalised tuition and, although our reading recovery programme has only just started in schools, we are already seeing some really impressive results.”

Councillor Richard Thake, cabinet member for schools, said: "One of our key roles is to ensure that children become confident readers and writers - this programme targets children who need extra help to make a good start in reading.”

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