National Literacy Trust launches online zone to support home learning as schools close

The National Literacy Trust has launched new online zone for parents to engage children and support learning at home, with author videos, poetry workshops and illustration sessions, as schools close across the UK.

The free resource literacyfamilyzone.org.uk is designed to help parents seeking ideas and guidance for activities to engage children at home. It is also designed to assist children with their reading, writing and language development and draws on the charity's partnerships with teachers, authors, publishers and educational organisations.

Families can access engaging reading and writing activities, book lists, videos, audiobooks, apps, competitions and reading challenges, curated for early years to early teens. New activities and resources will be added regularly, as the charity develops innovate partnerships and features over the coming weeks and months.

Jonathan Douglas, chief executive of the National Literacy Trust, said: “During these unprecedented times, we want to ensure that every parent across the UK has access to a wide range of exciting activities that will engage their children at home, whilst also supporting their literacy development. From live story time with incredible children’s authors to building your very own reading den at home ‚Äì our Family Zone has something for everyone.”

Resources and activities for families to enjoy together at home include: simple and fun Small Talk videos to help parents chat, play and read with their young child; tips for enjoying audiobooks as a family; a guide to building a reading den at home; a Reading Miles Global Challenge to encourage children to read around the world; activity sheets based on popular children’s books, including Where’s Wally?; playful learning activities featuring much-loved CBeebies characters; author videos, including live stories with author Steve Antony; draw-along sessions with illustrator Rob Biddulph; and poetry workshops with Sarah Crossan.

Over the coming weeks and months, the charity will be developing and publishing new and innovative content on the Family Zone.