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Volunteers directly support children who are at risk of leaving primary school unable to read well. Struggling to read can contribute to poor educational attainment, lower literacy in adulthood and has even been linked to a lower life expectancy. You'll have 30-minute one-to-one reading sessions on 2 days per week. This is across 6 weeks with a child aged between 5 and 11 years old. Sessions involve reading stories and playing literacy games on our secure online platform or face-to-face. You’ll select sessions on days and times that work with your commitments.
Bookmark Reading Volunteers bring with them a breadth of experience and represent a variety of life stages and perspectives. We aim to make volunteering accessible to as many people as possible, so we can help more children to read. To become a Bookmark Reading Volunteer, you should be: - 18 and over, and currently living in the UK. - able to provide enthusiasm, encouragement, empathy and patience. - free to commit to 30-minute one-to-one reading sessions on 2 days per week, across 6 weeks. - able to provide two references for your application (for safeguarding reasons). - prepared with access to a PC, laptop, Chromebook or iPad with a webcam and internet connection, and feel relatively comfortable using technology (for online reading programmes).
Bookmark Reading Volunteers tell us they find the role flexible, impactful and rewarding. More than 60% also say their own wellbeing has improved because of volunteering with us! In this role, you will directly help children who struggle with their reading to gain essential skills at a crucial age. This will prepare them to move up in school and be ready to tackle new challenges without falling further behind. The role is also set up for you to bring your own personality into the sessions and get to know your reader’s interests. Volunteers report they enjoy providing the child one-to-one attention and being able to introduce a book, comic or poem for the first time that they love!
One reading programme consists of 30-minute one-to-one reading sessions on 2 days per week, across 6 weeks. You can deliver more than one programme, but you can choose the frequency and timings that suit your commitments. For example, some volunteers like to deliver one reading programme per school term, and others like to deliver 3 reading programmes per school term.
