BRITISH children who are struggling to read have made “spectacular” improvement under a reading scheme, according to a British government commissioned report, the British Broadcasting Corporation has reported.

The scheme for six-year-olds, called Every Child a Reader, began as a three year (2005-2008), ￡10 million ($15 million) pilot project that aimed to tackle children’s literacy difficulties. It was supported and funded through a unique collaboration between British charitable trusts, the business sector and government.

In 2007-2008, 5,276 six-year-old children received reading recovery teaching. They were taught individually by specially trained teachers for 30 minutes each day for an average of 12 to 20 weeks in nearly 500 schools. The results were monitored by the Institute of Education at the University of London. Researchers found that on average children boosted their reading age by nearly two years. The rate of improvement is roughly four times the normal one. Their writing also improved markedly. Children in the test schools who did not receive the direct tuition experienced an improvement in their literacy levels too.

Jean Gross, Director of Every Child a Reader, said, “These results are spectacular because the number of children involved in the final year of the program nearly tripled, yet the results continue to be outstanding as the program scales up.”

Jim Knight, the Minister of State for Schools and Learners, said, “I am delighted to see the continued success of this vital program. We know the importance of getting literacy right in the early years of primary schools to ensure long term educational success.”

The scheme will be implemented in schools across Britain. The British government is now planning to spend ￡144 million ($214 million) over the next three years. The number of children to benefit from the scheme will rise to 30,000 by 2011.