Background

Young people who don’t enjoy reading don’t read. 39.2% of young people, aged 8 to 16, say that they like reading a bit and 10.2% say that they do not enjoy reading at all. (Clark, C. and Douglas, J. (2011) Young people’s reading and writing: An in-depth study focusing on enjoyment, behaviour, attitudes and attainment. London, National Literacy Trust.)

Unsurprisingly, this results in poor literacy skills and impacts on the ability to engage with all areas of the curriculum. It also means that young people miss out on the opportunities offered by reading: exploring new ideas, other people’s lives and even different worlds.

The need for a national programme that specifically targets 11 to 19-year-olds is clear. Currently, an estimated 400,000 young people in the UK are detached from education, looked after, within the youth justice system or unlikely to achieve a grade C at GCSE. In 2008, at Key Stage 3, 77% of students achieved Level 5 or above in writing, but only 69% achieved this in reading. (Ofsted (2009) English at the crossroads.)

Not only has the TextNow® programme proven to be popular and engaging with teenagers, but it has also shown striking outcomes in terms of literacy progress.

Watch the video to see young people talking about their experiences on the programme

TextNow was originally created for young people in the youth justice system who were detached from education, training or employment. From a youth justice perspective, improving literacy skills and engagement in reading are important intermediary outcomes for increasing educational engagement and employability, and reducing offending.

Watch the video to hear some views from coaches and a parent about the programme