Making it REAL – Raising Early Achievement in Literacy

Making it REAL will start again in the new academic year. You'll have training opportunities and the chance to work on projects with families.

We'll be delivering virtual, interactive training sessions – but with all the benefits of face-to-face and collaborative training. 

You'll receive accompanying packs for designing literacy activities for children and parents. 

Normally, you'd be carrying out home visits. But, if home visits aren't possible, we'll share options for contacting parents to support their children’s literacy.

For more details, please contact Angela Russell, Early Literacy Quality and Improvement Officer:

• arussell@ncb.org.uk
• 07432739032

Making it REAL is a service that helps parents support their children’s literacy, early communication and language – in the home and in their local neighbourhood.

Making it REAL draws evidence from the original REAL project delivered by professors Cathy Nutbrown and Peter Hannon at the University of Sheffield.

REAL uses a framework called ‘ORIM’ (Opportunities, Recognition, Interaction and Model). It's based on the idea that there are four main ways in which parents can help their children’s literacy development.

Settings taking part in the service decide which families would most benefit from being involved in it.

Practitioners working with Early Years families in the LEAP wards.

A practical support package for instances where there is a concern with a child's speech or they have limited interest in early literacy activities (i.e. looking at books, singing rhymes, early mark making) and parents are unsure on how they can support their children.

Making it REAL training also introduces the principle of 'ORIM' which is the idea that there are four main ways in which parents can help their children's literacy development through:

• providing opportunities for literacy,
• recognising children's achievements,
• interacting and
• modelling literacy use.

Sharing REAL with parents, Doorstep Library, the Evelina Award.