Reading programme for foster children yields impressive results
http://www.letterboxclub.org.uk/

Results published today by the charity Booktrust and the University of Leicester reveal a marked improvement in the educational outlook of children in foster care who participate in the educational project, The Letterbox Club.

The Letterbox Club delivers parcels of reading materials, maths resources and stationery every month for 6 months to children aged between 7 and 11.

Booktrust and the University of Leicester, who jointly run the project, tested levels of literacy and maths scores from the children who have participated in the programme in the pilot schemes from 2003 and 2006, and the 540 children who participated in 2007.

Thus far, more than 1500 foster children have participated in the Letterbox Club.

Today’s results reveal significant gains in the literacy and maths scores of children involved:

Summary of results

· Each child was tested in May before the first parcels were sent out and after the last package was received.
· At the beginning of Letterbox, the children demonstrated lower reading scores than would be expected for children of their age nationally. 36% of the Year 3 children and 33% of the Year 5 children had scores of under 90; nationally for all children this figure would be 23%
· Before Letterbox only 10% of Year 3 and 18% of Year 5 were classed as very good readers; nationally the figure is 23%
· The Neale Reading Analysis showed after Letterbox, the Year 3-4 children made a mean gain score of 4.35, and the Year 5-6 children made a mean gain of 2.53, compared to the expected gain score of zero (meaning average progress)
· For the maths test, 40 % of children involved in the Letterbox Club had scores that increased by at least one National Curriculum level during their time in the Letterbox Club.

From 2009 the Letterbox Club will be open to every local authority in the United Kingdom, on a subscription basis for each child enrolled.

Rose Griffiths, lead researcher, University of Leicester:
“The Letterbox Club is such a simple idea, but right from the beginning five years ago, when we just worked with twenty children in Leicester, it was obvious that it had a very positive impact on how children felt about themselves. The pilot in 2007 and 2008 has given us the chance to see the improvements it can make to children’s reading and maths, and we are very hopeful that even more children can benefit in future years.”

Jacqueline Wilson, author:
“I think the Letterbox Club is such an exciting and worthwhile project. It’s great that looked after children get their own special parcel of books and stationery and stickers. It’s like a little birthday present every month. I’m delighted to be involved - I think it’s a wonderful way of introducing children to the joys of reading.”

Lemn Sissay, author and poet:
“The Letterbox Club is a great idea. Every child in care deserves to receive books. That the books come through the post in an envelope addressed to the individual child is just the best! I wish The Letterbox Club had been around for the hundreds of young people that I came across when I was in care.”

For the full research document and interview opportunities, please contact Katherine Solomon on katherine@booktrust.org.uk