Making a difference: how school readers volunteers boost literacy in Wigan

Every year, one in four children leave primary school unable to read to the expected standard. Schoolreaders recruits volunteers to listen to children read in primary schools, focusing on schools where children require the most support. Volunteers are asked to listen to children read once a week in term time and to commit to an academic year.

In total, 95 per cent of children supported by a volunteer improve their reading age. Partner schools also reported that volunteers had a positive impact on pupils with 95 per cent improving their reading confidence and 87 per cent their reading enjoyment. Additionally, children benefit enormously from the volunteers as positive role models in the classroom.

Jane Whitbread, founder of Schoolreaders, comments “Children who leave primary school unable to read well can’t access their secondary schooling fully which will compromise their life opportunities. One in seven adults in England (7.1 million) are functionally illiterate and cannot read instructions on a medicine label, sit a driving theory test or fill in a job application form. Working together we can change this".

“Our Schoolreaders volunteers provide a crucial supplement to classroom teaching and are welcomed by schools and the children. If more children gain pleasure from reading from an early age and their reading fluency and confidence improves too, communities and society will reap the benefits.”

The network of dedicated volunteers provide free weekly one-to-one reading support for children in primary schools and schools are supported by finding, interviewing and matching volunteers to partner schools locally. Our volunteers provide 1-1 reading time that some children require to help improve their literacy and provide additional support to the schools. These sessions have been proven to help children’s reading fluency, comprehension, and enjoyment, providing a crucial supplement to classroom teaching.

A 2019 University of Bedfordshire Institute for Research in Education study showed that in six months over half (58 per cent) gained between three and six months in their reading age and over a third (37 per cent) gained between one and three months improvement.

The programme also supports communities by raising awareness of low educational attainment and potential lifelong outcomes, engaging with local authorities and respected organisations in addition to connecting local volunteers with schools in their community.

To find out more about Schoolreaders visit www.schoolreaders.org or call 01234 924111. By applying now new volunteers will be matched as quickly as possible to a partner school and be ready to start in the autumn once they have completed a mandatory DBS check and virtual safeguarding training.

Sheena, a Schoolreaders volunteer said: “For me, establishing a rapport with each child and recognising their uniqueness by making the sessions relevant and fun is what counts and the earlier we can do this the better.

“Reading skills and developing a love of books from the earliest age will hopefully aid children to become confident, interested and engaged readers who read for pleasure, I thoroughly enjoy my time listening to readers and look forward to returning to school after half term.”