A package of early literacy interventions has been found to improve significantly the reading and writing skills of young children who struggle to learn to read. As currently implemented, the policy is arguably expensive, costing over £3,000 per child in the first year and £2,600 per child thereafter. Even so, it could still offer good value for money, but that judgement will depend on the extent to these improvements are maintained throughout children's school careers.

These are the main findings of new research funded by the Department for Education, and carried out by IFS researchers in collaboration with the National Centre for Social Research. This work assessed the impact of the Every Child a Reader (ECaR) programme of initiatives, which targets low-attaining children aged 6 or 7 and attempts to raise their attainment to the expected level. The core initiative within ECaR is Reading Recovery, which provides children in the greatest difficulty with daily one-to-one tuition for up to 20 weeks.

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