Reading Together: Effectiveness of an Enhanced Book-Gifting Intervention
The Project
Reading Together is a reading programme that has been co-designed by Queen’s University Belfast and the Rees Centre. It has been designed for children aged 7-9 in foster care and aims to help improve their reading skills.
Pilot phase: Sept 2018 to March 2019.
Main evaluation (Randomised controlled trial): June to December 2019.
See Reading Together project website
EXTERNAL TEAM MEMBERS: Queen’s University Belfast.
Reports and publications
Reading Together – Summary for Local Authorities
Reading Together – Summary for Foster Carers
The Effectiveness of an Enhanced Book-Gifting Intervention for Improving Reading Outcomes for Children in Care: Final Report. June 2021. Paul Connolly, Centre for Social Justice and Wellbeing in Education, Lancaster University; Karen Winter, Jennifer Roberts, Laura Neeson, Sharon Millen, Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation, Queen’s University Belfast; Judy Sebba, Priya Tah, Rees Centre, University of Oxford.
Research Team
More Projects
-
The enactment of part-time timetables in English schoolsJune 2026 - May 2027Adopting a policy enactment framing, this mixed methods research study will investigate how national policy on the use of part-time timetables is being interpreted, translated, and put into practice in England.
-
Interdisciplinary hub to promote developmental recovery for infantsNovember 2025 - December 2026This hub focuses on promoting optimal outcomes for infants who have had significant adverse early life experiences and whose cognitive, social and emotional development may have been impacted as a result.
-
The Welsh Basic Income SchemeJuly 2022The two-year pilot intends to give each eligible care leaver a monthly payment of £1,280 (net) over twelve months with the aim of giving greater financial security during the vulnerable period of leaving care.
-
Evaluation of Bright SpotsOctober 2019 - October 2020This evaluation explored how local authorities (LAs) had used the findings from the Bright Spots surveys to improve the lives of the children they look after.
-
Belonging in education: co-designing an evidence-informed model of practiceApril 2025 - March 2027Building on previous work, this project focuses on progressively working towards building more equitable and inclusive education systems, where belonging is the guiding principle.
-
Evaluation of the Pupil Premium Plus Post-16 ProgrammeSeptember 2022 - March 2025The Rees Centre is working in partnership with Cordis Bright on an evaluation for the Department for Education of its Pupil Premium Plus Post-16 programme.
More News
-
BlogUnderstanding children and families through linked data: Opportunities and evidenceJune 19, 2026 -
NewsNorham Fellow Dr Lisa Cherry awarded OBE in King’s Birthday Honours ListJune 15, 2026 -
NewsRees Centre researcher contributes to major new study on mothers involved in the justice systemJune 9, 2026 -
BlogSeeing the whole system: Data, evidence and trust in family justice by Professor Karen BroadhurstMay 28, 2026
Project Details
Research Team
More Projects
-
The enactment of part-time timetables in English schoolsJune 2026 - May 2027Adopting a policy enactment framing, this mixed methods research study will investigate how national policy on the use of part-time timetables is being interpreted, translated, and put into practice in England.
-
Interdisciplinary hub to promote developmental recovery for infantsNovember 2025 - December 2026This hub focuses on promoting optimal outcomes for infants who have had significant adverse early life experiences and whose cognitive, social and emotional development may have been impacted as a result.
-
The Welsh Basic Income SchemeJuly 2022The two-year pilot intends to give each eligible care leaver a monthly payment of £1,280 (net) over twelve months with the aim of giving greater financial security during the vulnerable period of leaving care.
-
Evaluation of Bright SpotsOctober 2019 - October 2020This evaluation explored how local authorities (LAs) had used the findings from the Bright Spots surveys to improve the lives of the children they look after.
-
Belonging in education: co-designing an evidence-informed model of practiceApril 2025 - March 2027Building on previous work, this project focuses on progressively working towards building more equitable and inclusive education systems, where belonging is the guiding principle.
-
Evaluation of the Pupil Premium Plus Post-16 ProgrammeSeptember 2022 - March 2025The Rees Centre is working in partnership with Cordis Bright on an evaluation for the Department for Education of its Pupil Premium Plus Post-16 programme.
More News
-
BlogUnderstanding children and families through linked data: Opportunities and evidenceJune 19, 2026 -
NewsNorham Fellow Dr Lisa Cherry awarded OBE in King’s Birthday Honours ListJune 15, 2026 -
NewsRees Centre researcher contributes to major new study on mothers involved in the justice systemJune 9, 2026 -
BlogSeeing the whole system: Data, evidence and trust in family justice by Professor Karen BroadhurstMay 28, 2026