06 May  2008

FURTHER PROGRESS IN OVERCOMING DYSLEXIA

Stafford’s Labour MP David Kidney is pleased that the Children’s & Schools Secretary, Ed Balls, intends to help pupils with dyslexia to have more one-to-one help in school. He says this is the right way to build on work already done:

“In the Children’s Plan, the Government acknowledged that more needs to be done to improve outcomes and provision for children with special educational needs. It is so important that we act decisively to increase parental confidence that children’s educational needs are being met, including for children with dyslexia.

“To encourage schools’ development of best practice in improving outcomes for children with dyslexia, the Government is already:
o Providing funding of around £1m over three years to the ‘No to Failure’ project.  ‘No to Failure’ is trailblazing and evaluating the impact of specialist training for teachers and specialist tuition for children with dyslexia in some schools in 3 local authority areas. 
o Introducing nationally an Inclusion Development Programme  designed to increase knowledge and awareness of dyslexia and communication difficulties amongst schools and early years teachers and staff.
o Providing £150,000 over two years to enable the British Dyslexia Association to develop their helpline.
o Providing £250,000 over three years to enable Dyslexia Action to run further Partnership for Literacy pilots.

“This is all good work, but I am glad that the Government is not stopping there. Rather, we need more action to support pupils with dyslexia and their parents and the Minister says that  Reading Recovery support and one-to-one tuition from specialist dyslexia teachers is the way forward.”

Ed Balls has also asked Sir Jim Rose to review the published research on specialist dyslexia teaching and Reading Recovery and make recommendations for further support for children with dyslexia.
ENDS