A home learning early literacy project in Merseyside has improved communication and language development for those children and parents in need of extra support. By Laura Gregory

In Knowsley, there have long been clear trends of children across the borough needing support with their communication and language development. However, in recent years, a new need has emerged – that of supporting early literacy. To build on existing support and address this new trend, Knowsley launched a Raising Early Achievement in Literacy (REAL) project, which has brought significant benefits to pre-school children through home learning.

The decline in effective support of children’s early literacy within the borough stems from the 2012 revision of the EYFS, which split the ‘curriculum’ into three Prime and four Specific areas of learning.

As a result, according to local settings, support for the Specific area of Literacy has waned as practitioners have focused increasingly on the Prime area of Communication and Language. What we wanted to remind parents, and practitioners, through the REAL project was the importance of sharing books and effective communication and language development in helping a child to become literate.
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