Making it REAL – Raising Early Achievement in Literacy

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.

For more details, or to sign up, please contact Carmen Martinez

• cmartinez@ncb.org.uk 
• 07949077406

Practitioners working with Early Years families in the LEAP area.

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.