The Facts:

1. 4 million children are living in poverty in the UK.
2. Low skilled adults often come from low income, low skilled families.
3. A child's achievement is influenced more by parental involvement in their learning than by income level and schooling.
4. The number of rhymes a child knows when they start school is significantly related to their reading ability at seven.
5. Learning together as a family helps to break the cycle of deprivation and educational underachievement.

The Sources:

1. Children in low income households. The Poverty site http://www.poverty.org.uk/16/index.shtml
2. Parsons, S. and Bynner, J. (2007) Illuminating disadvantage: profiling the experience of adults with entry level literacy or numeracy over the lifecourse. NRDC.
3. Desforges, C. and Abouchaar, A. (2003) The impact of parental involvement, parental support and family education on pupil achievement and adjustment: A literature review, (DfES research report RR433). Department for Education and Skills http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RR433.pdf
4. Goswami,U., and East, M. (2000). Rhyme and analogy in beginning reading: Conceptual and methodological issues.  Applied Psycholinguistics, 21, 63-93.)
5. Ofsted (2009) Family learning: An evaluation of the benefits of family learning for participants, their families and the wider community. Ofsted

(from http://www.niace.org.uk/thefacts)