Achieving the Vision. The Final Research Report of the West Dunbartonshire Literacy Initiative

Final report of a successful project, begun in 1997, to effectively eradicate functional illiteracy among young people through a multiple-component intervention in 58 pre- and primary schools. About 3 000 children entering the schools were baseline assessed annually as were 3 000 older pupils. One main study and four supporting studies were done. In the main study, comparison of cohorts showed year-on-year gains on all tests and across all age groups, with sustained post-intervention gains in later years. In each of the four supporting studies gains were found for the experimentals, pointing to benefits in the use of synthetic versus traditional phonics, in changing attitudes to reading, in making declarations of future reading achievement and in the use of intensive individual support.