Who are the people behind the ReadingWise literacy programme?
The ReadingWise team is a blend of educators, including Early Years teachers, educational software experts, and trainers of all shapes and sizes.
But while our experience in education may be broad, we all share the same conviction ⏤ that learning to read is a child’s fundamental right. And it’s a right that should not be denied to children who, through no fault of their own, struggle to learn with traditional classroom methods.
We all came into this project as experts in our own fields of education. But we hoped that, by putting our heads together, we could make a difference in the lives of children who found themselves in the bottom 20% of reading and literacy attainment.
That’s because as a team, we’re only too aware of the devastating effects poor literacy skills can have, both on individuals and society.
Reading difficulties are linked to truancy, exclusion, reduced employment opportunities, increased health risks, and a greatly increased risk of involvement with the criminal justice system. Here are some of the most shocking problems caused by illiteracy and low levels of literacy in the UK:
- The annual cost in the UK of illiteracy is up to £80 billion
- 20% of children in the UK do not achieve adequate literacy levels at school
- A National Literacy Trust report states that: “1 in 6 (16.4%) adults in England are estimated to have very low literacy.”
- The average worker in the UK with very low literacy will earn approximately 7.1% less than if they had a basic level of literacy (Pro Bono Economics, 2021).
- Over 57% of people in prison are functionally illiterate (A Ministry of Justice (MoJ) report in 2022).
And it all starts at school. A child for whom reading does not ‘just click’ may come to feel that school is a place where they cannot succeed - a feeling of disaffection that can go on to blight entire lives.
With this as our motivation, we’ve used our collective expertise to come up with the ReadingWise programme ⏤ an innovative solution to one of society’s most pressing problems.
“Learning to read is the key to unlocking the potential of every child. And that’s why we’re so passionate about our product.”
We’ll do all we can to support the people and institutions who use it. Feel free to contact us to see if we can help the struggling readers in your school, too.
Over 300,000 pupils in UK schools have completed a ReadingWise programme! We hope we can help pupils in your school learn, embrace, and enjoy reading, whether they’re in reception or preparing for SATs, and even GCSE or A Level exams.
Read our case studies, testimonials, and blog for more information.
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