Letterbox Club: Carers 'can't believe the improvement' in children's progress

Find out how our Letterbox Club is helping children who are looked after in Hull and East Yorkshire.

BookTrust's Letterbox Club helps children who are looked after, previously looked after, on the edge of care and in other vulnerable groups with reading and numeracy.

Hull and East Yorkshire Children's University (HEYCU) uses BookTrust's Letterbox Club packages to support children who are looked after with their reading – many of whom have had a disruptive education.

'We assess Letterbox Club children and look at progress,' says Amy Mercer from HEYCU. 'We look at comprehension, how quickly they're reading and how well they're interpreting new words.'

Amy adds: 'Carers tell us how the children have loved Letterbox Club and that they're actively reading at home. All the feedback says how Letterbox has had a big impact on their child's reading and thus their confidence.

'We get texts from carers saying: "I hadn't heard them read for a couple of weeks and I can't believe the improvement - they're using expression and different voices." Some say: "I can't believe it, last night they brought a book down and asked to sit and read it to me."'

Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland children are enrolled for the Letterbox Club by local authorities, schools and other settings. Each child receives their own colourful parcel of books, maths games, stationery and other high-quality materials once every month for six months, usually from May to October. Letterbox Club is priced at £152 per child, including VAT.

For many children, it's the first time they have had a letter or a parcel through the post and for some it's the first time they have had books of their own.

Schools and local authorities can sign up for Letterbox Club 2024 now.