Nicky Morgan, the Education Secretary has pledged to get every eight-year-old in England enrolled at their local public library. She highlighted that children who use the library are more likely to read in their own time.
The Government drive to improve literacy comes after the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2013 found that England was 22nd for literacy and 21st for numeracy out of 24 countries, behind countries including Estonia, Poland and Slovakia.
Writing in the Telegraph alongside comedian David Walliams, who is supporting the project, Mrs Morgan warned that “for some children, reading is, quite literally, a closed book”.
“Improving children’s literacy should be a national mission,” they said. “Whether that means teachers running book clubs, schools enrolling pupils in libraries, publishers donating books, or simply parents reading with their children.” Read more here
Vacancies
Would you like to work for Dyslexia Action?
We are looking for Area Managers
- Area Manager - Kent (Initially a one year contract) £36,500
- Deputy Area Manager - Surrey and Hampshire £31,000
- Deputy Area Manager - East Midlands £31,000
Closing date: 11th October 2015
For more information, please see our work for us page
We are also looking for Specialist Teachers for our Egham Learning Centre.
If you are interested, please contact Aneeta Tablada - Area Manager - 0300 303 8358.
Battle of the sexes for dyspraxia campaign
This year's National Dyspraxia Awareness Week will focus on the "diagnosis divide" between girls and boys.
Taking place from 11 to 17 October 2015, the event will highlight what organisers, the Dyspraxia Foundation, say is the growing issue of girls, teenagers and young women "slipping through the net", in terms of early diagnosis
Frequently falling over, difficulty walking up and down stairs, poor hand-eye co-ordination, short-term memory problems, lack of spatial awareness, difficulty getting dressed or applying make-up and illegible handwriting are some of the physical symptoms for people affected by dyspraxia.
While young women with dyspraxia can struggle on through school, university and even in the workplace, without ever receiving a diagnosis, it can have a huge impact on their lives and their families.
The results of a new national survey will also shed light on why so many girls "get by" without an official diagnosis and why they fall below the "professional radar", as well as highlighting the benefits to young women with dyspraxia if introduced to special coping mechanisms from as early an age as possible.
Once referred to as "clumsy child" syndrome, dyspraxia - which is also known as developmental coordination disorder (DCD) - is a common condition affecting fine and gross motor coordination, in both children and adults. Although the exact causes of dyspraxia are unknown, it is thought to be caused by a disruption in the way messages from the brain are transmitted to the body. This affects a person's ability to perform movements in a smooth, coordinated way.
Dyspraxia/DCD is thought to affect around five per cent of the population and around two per cent severely.
Dyspraxia Awareness Week will include the "Funky Friday" event on 16 October. Children and adults are being asked to show their support for the campaign by wearing their most colourful or "funky" item of clothing to work or school.
For more information, visit:
www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk
Next Issue
The next issue of Guild Gallery will be sent out December 2015.
