Pat Rabbitte
Ceist:388 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education and Science the situation regarding the early literacy measure under the national development plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30499/01]
Written Answers. - Literacy Levels.
A range of initiatives under the early literacy initiative measure have already been implemented and new initiatives are in the process of implementation. The key element of the literacy measure is to significantly raise public awareness of the importance of reading skills.
During 2000 the national reading initiative was launched. It ran a media campaign to promote public awareness of the importance of reading. Revised guidelines for the school remedial service entitled learning-support guidelines were published in September, 2000 and were issued to every primary school. Under an initiative entitled Babies Love Books, a pack of high quality picture books was supplied to parents of children born in 2000.
To develop and disseminate material to improve literacy standards, a video was made in 2000-01 to increase teachers' awareness of the approaches to the teaching of reading recommended in the English curriculum. This video will be launched next week and will be distributed to primary schools, education centres and colleges of education.
A trilogy of books entitled Book Choice is in the process of publication. These books are intended to provide guidance in the selection of books for children and adults at different stages of learning to read. A copy of Book Choice for primary schools has been sent to every primary school. Book Choice for new adult readers will be launched next week and the final book in the trilogy, Book Choice for post-primary schools will be published shortly.
To implement a proactive approach to preventing literacy difficulties, a number of initiatives are under way. The NCCA is in the process of devising revised procedures for the assessment of the English curriculum in the primary school. The Educational Research Centre is in the process of developing an early literacy test to ensure that children with reading difficulties will be identified early.
A reading recovery pilot project began in Monaghan in 2000. Teachers have been trained in techniques to assess children's early literacy concepts with a view to taking action to prevent reading failure.
I am continuing to build on the very good work commenced in 2000 with the launch of new measures in the Early Literacy Programme for 2001. These measures consist of the completion of aspects of the national reading initiative commenced in 2000; the continuation of babies love books scheme; the running of summer literacy camps for children at risk from learning difficulties; the provision of a special training programme, with particular emphasis on teaching reading to children with difficulties in this area of learning, for all learning-support teachers, resource teachers and resource teachers for travellers; additional once off grants of £150 for every learning support teacher and resource teacher for materials in association with the learning support training; the extension of the reading recovery pilot scheme to explore and evaluate new approaches to reading difficulties in children; and the establishment of a junior certificate school programme literacy strategy to address, through fresh approaches to library provision and use, the specific literacy needs of junior certificate students in selected schools.