A SCHEME for youngsters struggling to pick up the basics of reading has proved a massive success.

Hundreds of Manchester pupils falling behind their classmates have been targeted with intensive one-on-one tuition in a bid to stamp out illiteracy.

Children at 27 city primaries spend four mornings a week with a specially-trained teacher, going over key skills such as recognising letters and sentences and reading out loud.

Around 200 Manchester pupils aged five and six, some with conditions such as mild dyslexia, have already taken part in the project.

Education bosses say that nearly three-quarters have now caught up under the programme, which can last up to 16 weeks.

The Every Child A Reader project, piloted in Manchester, will now spread to the rest of the country.

Jayne Kennedy, headteacher of Barlow Hall primary school, in Chorlton, said she had seen dramatic improvements in the dozen pupils from her school who received the tuition, which costs £2,400 for each child.

She said: "It is so important that children do not slip behind in reading. The support we were able to offer pupils who needed help led to some very quick improvements.

"On the face of it, the individual sessions might seem to costly but it is much easier to help children get back on track at this age than later on in their school life. We have also got families involved and reading with them at home.

"Before, it was very easy for them to feel frustrated but now they can follow what goes on in the class."

During the project, the 240-pupil school was hailed as one of the most improved for its English results.

The scheme is being backed by £10m from the government and the KPMG Foundation, a charity set up by a global accountancy firm.

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