Estyn-The school inspectorate body confirms that: 4 of 10 children leaving primary school have reading ages below their actual age (and that statistic can be higher); pupils may not develop satisfactory writing skills at any stage; boys make slower progress than girls; few more able learners reach higher literacy levels; and many adults have low levels of basic literacy.
PISA (The Programme for International Assessment) indicates that literacy levels in Wales must improve. Over 8,000 youngsters were surveyed in a report. The educational findings were that: 23% of kids did not feel that they got the right help; 28% called for more fun classes; and 22% called for more help from teachers. WOW can help with change.
Adulthood has many demands that are led by reading e.g.: Learning to drive, travel plans, form filling (insurance, TV licence, etc), buying/renting a house, using the Internet, paying bills, shopping and ‘finding employment’ (98% of jobs require reading and Wales has the highest unemployment of any UK country). Another report declares that only 1 in 15 children who fall behind at primary school will ever claw back any learning deficit and then make sufficient progress.
The South Wales Echo stated that ‘deprivation is the biggest challenge in improving education in Wales’. The South Wales valleys are one of the most deprived regions in Europe and 1 in 3 children can live in poverty. WOW successfully operates in this heartland of hard times. WOW aims to put a smile of the faces of children, and enforce the fact that good reading skills can lead to gains as regards: Education, entertainment and enjoyment.