Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg
4 minutes reading time.
Helping children across Wales improve their ability to read, write, listen and speak and improve their language skills in general is a subject that parents, teachers and education leaders across the country care deeply about. It is also a priority for the Welsh Government, who have made driving improvement in literacy standards central to their work on education more generally.
As part of that effort, the Welsh Government has published the Literacy Expert Panel’s agreed Principles for Language and Literacy in Wales and the Statement of Intent for Early Reading. These are:
- A strong foundation in spoken language is essential for the successful development of learners’ literacy across all stages.
- The teaching of literacy should be systematic, structured and explicit.
- Making connections between listening, speaking, reading and writing is vital for supporting learners to learn, communicate and make meaning.
- Effective language and literacy teaching enables learners to experience enjoyment, success and motivation.
- Purposeful assessment is fundamental to support the informed, responsive teaching of language and literacy.
Further detail on the Panel’s principles, accompanying Statement of Intent and the Welsh Government’s response are available online.
What is the Literacy Expert Panel?
The Literacy Expert Panel is a group of experts who bring a mix of knowledge on the teaching and learning of literacy, relevant academic research and direct teaching experience from across Wales and the UK.
The Panel was set up by the Cabinet Secretary for Education in November 2024 to inform Welsh Government thinking on future guidance, professional learning, and wider priorities for strengthening literacy across Wales, and ensure this approach is both rigorous and grounded in real evidence.
For further information on the background of Panel members, watch the video below:
What is the Welsh Government doing to improve literacy standards?
These principles are already being put into practice across Wales. A key part of this work is the £8.2 million CAL:ON Cymru project, which is creating a national centre of excellence for literacy teaching. The programme draws on the strongest international evidence, including elements of approaches used in places such as Mississippi and New Zealand. Through CAL:ON Cymru, schools will receive bilingual, national support that includes help to strengthen learners’ spoken language skills, alongside more targeted assistance for those who need additional help to learn to read in upper primary and secondary school.
CAL:ON Cymru will publish guidance on effective phonics teaching, including advice on using systematic synthetic phonics programmes and on choosing the right phonics package for a school’s context. The project will also make available internationally recognised assessment tools that help schools understand learners’ specific literacy needs.
Alongside this, wider literacy grants continue to promote literacy through creativity and a love of reading, as well as providing focused support for reading and oracy in Welsh. This year, Wales is joining the other UK nations in marking the National Year of Reading. The campaign, Ymgolli/Go all in – launched earlier this month – builds on work already underway to help schools, learners and families develop lifelong reading habits and raise literacy standards. This shared national campaign aligns with Estyn’s enhanced focus on reading, where inspectors will work with all education providers to prioritise improving reading skills for all learners.
Dysgu, the new national professional learning body, will play a central role in taking this professional learning offer forward, ensuring support reaches every school. Close work with Local Authorities continues so that schools can access a coherent, joined up offer that builds on this national support.
It is vital that this work is done well. Experts and teachers have contributed extensively to the development of the approach. Wales now has a clear, evidence based national strategy that will support every school to equip learners with the literacy skills they need to unlock their education and to thrive throughout their lives.