Supporting Literacy at Home – A Toolkit for Parents and Carers

This toolkit has been created to support parents/carers in Northern Ireland (NI) who want to help their children with literacy at home. It is designed to provide practical strategies and guidance for families whose children may experience or be at risk of developing a difficulty with literacy.

Supporting Literacy at Home offers clear, accessible advice that parents/carers can use day-to-day. The toolkit is evidence-based. It has been developed to follow the child’s educational pathway, beginning in the early years and through each Key Stage. It also provides guidance relevant to the onward journey into further education or work.

The emphasis is on practical and effective approaches to make learning more accessible. Each section of the toolkit covers a key area of literacy development that parents/carers will find useful when working with their child at home. The sections are:

  • Speech, Language & Communication (SLC)
  • Executive Function & Working Memory
  • Phonological Awareness & Phonics
  • Reading
  • Spelling
  • Writing
  • Assistive Technology

Each section explains how these skills impact learning and offers practical recommendations for each stage of education. Additional chapters focus on helping prepare for the next steps in the child or young person’s educational journey: 

  • Transition
  • Access Arrangements & Reasonable Adjustments
Cover & Contents
Section 1 - Introduction to the Toolkit
Section 2 - Voices That Matter
Section 3 - Assistive Technology
Section 4 - Speech, Language & Communication
Section 5 - Executive Function & Working Memory
Section 6 - Phonological Awareness & Phonics
Section 7 - Reading
Section 8 - Spelling
Section 9 - Writing
Section 10 - Transition
Section 11 - Access Arrangements
Glossary
Bibliography

While this home toolkit is written specifically for parents/carers in NI, anyone who wishes to explore literacy difficulties in greater depth can do so through our Literacy Inclusion Toolkit - this has been designed for schools in NI and provides more in depth professional guidance. Both resources have been designed to be complimentary in supporting schools and parents/carers.

If you have any queries or require guidance in using this resource, please contact us on: 

  • Tel: 028 9031 7777 – select option 2 for the Cognition and Learning Team
  • Lines are open Monday to Friday 9:00am to 4:30pm