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Letterbox book parcels aid literacy and maths skills
An example of an initiative which
‘…the parcels have
kick-started T’s
reading.’
aims to improve literacy and maths skills
among children who are looked after by
the council is the Booktrust’s ‘Letterbox
Club’, which has recently been piloted in
Croydon.
Over a period of six months, brightly
coloured parcels of age-appropriate
books, exciting, yet challenging maths
games and an array of stationery are
posted monthly to club members.
By sending out the parcels during
the summer they address the issue of
learning loss during the holidays and assist
in supporting children’s transition from one
year group into the next.
Feedback from the carers of 26
children who received the parcels this
year has been extremely positive. One
carer said: ‘The parcels have kick-started
T’s reading and she is now able to choose
books for herself when out shopping.’
Another commented that: ‘The
parcels are a lovely idea’ and the
children ‘really enjoy receiving them’.
They also give foster carers the
opportunity to spend more one-to-one
time with their child.
Pre-assessments were carried out
on Year 3 and 7 children, and postassessments took place in November to
measure the impact of the scheme.