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The Literacy Hour

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Author Info
Machin, Stephen (University College London, London School of Economics and IZA Bonn)
McNally, Sandra () (London School of Economics and IZA Bonn)

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Abstract

In this paper, we evaluate the effect of the literacy hour in English primary schools on pupil attainment. The National Literacy Project (NLP) was undertaken in about 400 English primary schools in 1997 and 1998. We compare the reading and overall English attainment of children in NLP schools as compared to a set of control schools at the end of primary school education (age 11). We also compare the overall English performance of these children when they have reached the end of their compulsory education (age 16). We find a larger increase in attainment in reading and English for pupils in NLP schools as compared to pupils not exposed to the literacy hour between 1996 and 1998. We also find modest, but positive effects from exposure to the literacy hour that persist to age 16, as GCSE English performance is seen to be higher for children affected by the NLP introduction. Since there are gender gaps in English performance (in favour of girls), we consider whether the literacy hour has had a differential impact by gender. We find some evidence that at age 11, boys received a greater benefit than girls. Finally, we show the policy to be cost effective. These findings are of strong significance when placed into the wider education debate about what works best in schools for improving pupil performance. The evidence reported here suggests that public policy aimed at changing the content and structure of teaching can significantly raise pupil attainment.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 1005.

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Length: 48 pages
Date of creation: Jan 2004
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Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp1005

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Related research
Keywords: literacy hour; English; reading;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Joshua D. Angrist & Victor Lavy, 1999. "Using Maimonides' Rule To Estimate The Effect Of Class Size On Scholastic Achievement," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 114(2), pages 533-575, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Richard Blundell & Monica Costa Dias & Costas Meghir & John Van Reenen, 2004. "Evaluating the Employment Impact of a Mandatory Job Search Program," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 2(4), pages 569-606, 06. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  3. Krueger, Alan B & Whitmore, Diane M, 2001. "The Effect of Attending a Small Class in the Early Grades on College-Test Taking and Middle School Test Results: Evidence from Project STAR," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 111(468), pages 1-28, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. Heckman, James J & Ichimura, Hidehiko & Todd, Petra, 1998. "Matching as an Econometric Evaluation Estimator," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 65(2), pages 261-94, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Paul Glewwe & Michael Kremer & Sylvie Moulin & Eric Zitzewitz, 2000. "Retrospective vs. Prospective Analyses of School Inputs: The Case of Flip Charts in Kenya," NBER Working Papers 8018, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  6. Angrist, Joshua & Lavy, Victor, 2001. "New Evidence on Classroom Computers and Pupil Learning," IZA Discussion Papers 362, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  7. David Card & Alan Krueger, 1990. "Does School Quality Matter? Returns to Education and the Characteristics of Public Schools in the United States," NBER Working Papers 3358, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  8. Steven G. Rivkin & Eric A. Hanushek & John F. Kain, 2005. "Teachers, Schools, and Academic Achievement," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 73(2), pages 417-458, 03. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Stephen Machin, 2008. "The new economics of education: methods, evidence and policy," Journal of Population Economics, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 1-19, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Steve Bradley & Jim Taylor, 2008. "Diversity, choice and the quasi-market: An empirical analysis of secondary education policy in England," Working Papers 005802, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department. [Downloadable!]
  3. Sarah Brown & Steve McIntosh & Karl Taylor, 2007. "FOLLOWING IN YOUR PARENTS’ FOOTSTEPS? Empirical Analysis of Matched Parent-Offspring Test Scores," Working Papers 2007017, The University of Sheffield, Department of Economics, revised Dec 2007. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Jean Bourdon & Markus Frölich & Katharina Michaelowa, 2007. "Teacher Shortages, Teacher Contracts and their Impact on Education in Africa," IZA Discussion Papers 2844, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Lex Borghans & Hans Heijke, 2005. "The production and use of human capital: Introduction," Education Economics, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 13(2), pages 133-142, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Pedro Carneiro, 2008. "Equality of opportunity and educational achievement in Portugal," Portuguese Economic Journal, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 17-41, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Torbjørn Hægeland, Oddbjørn Raaum and Kjell G. Salvanes, 2004. "Pupil achievement, school resources and family backgr," Discussion Papers 397, Research Department of Statistics Norway. [Downloadable!]
  8. Robert Cassen & Geeta Gandhi Kingdon, 2007. "Understanding low achievement in English schools," CASE Papers /118, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, LSE. [Downloadable!]
  9. Hægeland, Torbjørn & Raaum, Oddbjørn & Salvanes, Kjell G., 2005. "Pupil Achievement, School Resources and Family Background," IZA Discussion Papers 1459, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  10. Geeta Kingdon & Francis Teal, 2008. "Teacher Unions, Teacher Pay and Student Performance in India: A Pupil Fixed Effects Approach," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
  11. Guido Schwerdt & Amelie C. Wuppermann, 2009. "Is Traditional Teaching really all that Bad? A Within-Student Between-Subject Approach," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
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