A Literacy Hour is Only Part of the Story

The literacy hour is a key facet of the new National Literacy Strategy and its use will be more or less mandatory in English primary schools from September, 1998. Yet there are some problems with the concept and, Robin Campbell argues in this article, it may not in fact go far enough. Is a literacy hour in itself likely to make a significant difference to children’s literacy achievements, or are there other considerations which require some attention?