The Reader Online

A commission to examine the future of school library provision in England is being launched by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and the National Literacy Trust (NLT). The commission will be chaired by former secretary of state for education and skills Estelle Morris and will deliver its findings in June.

The Mind Hacks blog reports on a study showing that literacy has a measurable physical effect on the structure of the brain. From the post:

The researchers, led by neuroscientist Manuel Carreiras, recruited a group of ex-paramilitaries who could read less than five simple words on a Spanish reading and writing test, and compared them to a similar group who learnt to read and write from an early age.

The research team use MRI scans to compare differences in brain structure between the two groups to allow an insight into how brain anatomy changes to accommodate reading and writing.

While it is possible to do this with children, it is almost impossible to separate out which are the brain changes due specifically to acquiring literacy and which are just part of the massive changes that constantly take place as children develop.

Here’s the link.

Posted by Chris Routledge

Today is International Literacy Day, upon which, each year, UNESCO reminds the international community of the status of literacy and adult learning globally.

Today one in five adults is still not literate and two-thirds of them are women while 75 million children are out of school.

Since its foundation in 1946, UNESCO has been at the forefront of global literacy efforts and is dedicated to keeping literacy high on national, regional and international agendas. However, with some 776 million adults lacking minimum literacy skills, literacy for all remains an elusive target.

UNESCO’s literacy programmes aim to create a literate world and promote literacy for all.

The Bloggers Unite Team have set up a special site dedicated to this day, click here to view it and join in.