Evaluation Report of Time to Read Research Launched
26 January 2011
The findings of the groundbreaking 2009/2010 randomised controlled trial of BITC's literacy intervention programme Time to Read was launched at the Ulster Museum, Belfast. The trial, undertaken by the Centre for Effective Education at Queens' University, and funded by BITC with the support of The Atlantic Philanthropies, involved 512 P5 children (8-9 year olds) selected from 50 Time to Read primary schools across Northern Ireland
Professor Paul Connolly, Director of the Centre for Effective Education said, "This trial is one of the largest evaluations of its type undertaken internationally and the results provide clear evidence that Time to Read is having a positive effective."
"Our evaluation demonstrates that Time to Read is effective in improving particular reading outcomes for children, namely in relation to the foundational reading skills of decoding, reading rate and reading fluency. The effects it is achieving in these areas are comparable to other international literacy programmes that use volunteer mentors. The programme is also having a significant impact on the children's aspirations for the future."
Also making a presentation at the launch of the Report, Mark Dynarski, an international expert in educational programmes, noted that the research has placed Time to Read in the top 5% of interventions globally. "The impact of this programme since its launch in 1999 is significant",explained Paul Rooney, Chair of BITC. "Our member companies and businesses across Northern Ireland who have participated in Time to Read have supported more than 4,600 children".
"In this year alone, BITC has involved almost 500 volunteers in supporting children through Time to Read in 100 schools at a cost of some £600k to Northern Ireland business, representing a huge investment by employers and an immense saving for government, particularly in these tough economic times.
"Since the early days of Time to Read, we've been aware of the impact of the programme on participating children. Now, through support from The Atlantic Philanthropies and the subsequent involvement of the Centre for Effective Education, the results of this research prove that the Time to Read model is a clear reflection of the extensive positive contribution businesses can make in improving the outcomes for young people".
For further information, this is the link to the full Research Report, conducted by the Centre for Effective Education at Queen's University Belfast, and this is the link to the Executive Summary.
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