Dyslexia and Employment Project

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LLU London South Bank University Family
Learning in Prisons

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Looking out A prototype project funded by the
Learning and Skills Council

• Began in October 2005 and funded until June 2006
• We worked with three prisons one female, one
  male and one male resettlement

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Key Objectives

• To deliver a wide range of family learning
  programmes for offender client groups in prison
  and in the community
• Programmes aimed to enable parents / carers /
  guardians to learn how to support their
  childrens learning whilst developing their own
  language, literacy and numeracy skills
• The emphasis was on engaging families in learning
  through a variety of creative, non-threatening
  routes

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HMP Holloway Womens Prisons

• Ran a series of half-day workshops on topics such
  as Helping Children with Reading Individual
  Learning Styles Dyslexia Bilingualism in the
  Family
• Ran one day workshops on developing learning
  materials for children
• Ran family workshops on Saturday childrens days

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HMP Latchmere House Mens resettlement Prison

• Ran the accredited course Helping My Child with
  Reading twice

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Making games

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HMP Pentonville Mens Prison

• Ran Homework Club sessions for fathers and their
  children
• Pampering and advice for mothers and other carers

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Homework Club

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Main outcomes

• Engaged a total of 84 learners in prison or on
  probation in learning activities 10 visiting
  mothers two visiting grandparents provided 111
  learning opportunities for children
• Worked with 3 prisons and the probation service
• 10 men presented portfolios for accreditation for
  Helping My Child with Reading

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Comments from evaluations

• Building confidence and offenders role as
  parent/carer/guardian

Education is the one positive in her (daughter)
life at present and now I can be a part of
it. Mother Holloway
It gives them quality time sitting down, doing
something constructive. They take the stuff they
have made to their rooms and they can look back
and see theyve done something as a
family. Prison Officer Holloway
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Support Childrens Learning and promote learning
from each other

Ive enjoyed making things, the drawing and
stuff. I like working together with my mum it is
fun. I would like to do my homework with my
mum. Child visitor Holloway

• I have a better understanding (of childs
  education) and a wish to be fully involved.
• Father Latchmere

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Focus on how children learn and apply this
knowledge to themselves

• I would like to find out if I am dyslexic and
  have a diagnostic assessment.
• Grandfather Latchmere

It has renewed the enthusiasm for learning in my
whole family. Father Latchmere
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Build and strengthen parent-child relationships

• I would like to make things every time I come and
  see mum. Its nice to be able to do something
  creative with my mum. It makes us closer to each
  other sharing this time.
• Child visitor Holloway

It has been great as it has enabled us to keep a
strong relationship. The experience has been
great for myself, my partner and my kids. Father
Pentonville
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Other comments

• I have found these sessions particularly moving,
  perhaps the most valuable prison project I have
  been involved with.
• Prison Officer Pentonville

The children really enjoy these sessions
(homework club). Talking to the other mums helps
too. At home no one is in the same boat as me.
These visits are three times better than normal
visits. Visiting mum Pentonville
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Current work

• Running embedded literacy, numeracy, science and
  technology sessions for mothers and their
  children at Holloway Prison
• We have completed a Skills for Life Awareness
  course and have started a teacher training course
  at Holloway with a view to training women to run
  workshops and/or run Family Learning provision
• We are hoping to start running embedded literacy,
  numeracy, science and technology sessions for
  mothers and their children at Pentonville Prison

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How does LLU provision differ from conventional
family literacy?

• The Family workshops
• These are informal and run as one off workshops
• Literacy is covert and embedded within the
  activities
• Activities are open to all parents and children
  regardless of literacy needs
• There is no accreditation we see these as a
  first step back into learning

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How does LLU provision differ from conventional
family literacy?

• The parent only sessions
• Literacy is not overtly offered, it is embedded
  within the activities provided
• There is no accreditation
• Each session forms part of a programme but is
  also stand alone
• Sessions are open to all parents regardless of
  their literacy levels

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How does LLU provision differ from conventional
family literacy?

• The Helping My Child with Reading Course
• Literacy is the theme of the course ie we look at
  how children learn to read, why reading can be
  difficult
• The aims include enabling parents to support
  their childrens literacy development regardless
  of their own literacy level
• The context enables parents with literacy needs
  to begin to understand the reasons for their own
  literacy needs

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How does LLU provision differ from conventional
family literacy?

• The Helping My Child with Reading Course cont
• The context enables parents to begin to
  articulate their literacy needs and to move on to
  address these needs
• The activities give learners the opportunity to
  practice their literacy skills
• The course is accredited at all Open College
  levels from entry level 3

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Scheme of work Holloway Prison

• Spaghetti engineering language of maths e.g
  taller, balance, angle
• Duster dolly following written instructions
  giving instructions
• Rainbow strings telling a story, following
  diagrammatic instructions
• Making a joke book reading and writing

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Scheme of work Holloway Prison

• Making a Christmas Card writing for a specific
  purpose
• Making a board game following instructions,
  asking questions, reading, writing
• Making word searches
• Making place mats or door plates