“Happy, joyful and exciting”: children share why reading matters on ITV Anglia
This week, ITV Anglia visited Shortstown Primary School in Bedford to find out what reading with a Schoolreaders volunteer means to the children who take part.
Three pupils, Schoolreaders volunteers Sheena and Bruce, and the school’s headteacher were interviewed about the difference that reading together can make, and the children had some wonderful things to say.
“It gives me creativity, and sometimes I make stories by myself at home.”
“It actually feels happy and joyful and exciting.”
“It makes me feel relaxing and calm.”
For these children, reading is about much more than learning words. It is about imagination, creativity and enjoyment. It is a chance to escape into a story, discover something new or simply have a quiet moment with a book. Every child should have the chance to experience that.
At Shortstown Primary, Sheena and Bruce give an hour each week to listen to children read one-to-one. For Bruce, it is the relationships that make volunteering so rewarding:
“You start to build rapport with the children you see week in and week out. No matter what mood I'm in when I arrive, I always feel more positive after time with the children.”
That regular time matters. Children get to know their volunteer, and their volunteer gets to know them. They have time to practise, tackle difficult words, talk about the stories they are reading and build their confidence without the pressure of reading in front of a whole class.
And for Sheena, there is a bigger reason to give that time:
“Children are our future. The best feeling is that you might be, with a smidgen of hope, helping.”
This September, around 150,000 children, one in four, started secondary school unable to read to the expected standard. Often, a little extra reading time with a trusted adult could be the key to helping those chidlren close the gap.
Schoolreaders volunteers give just one hour a week, during the school day, to listen to children read in their local primary school. You do not need to be a teacher. You do not need previous experience. You just need an hour a week to spare and a love of reading to share.
Thank you to ITV Anglia for visiting Shortstown Primary and helping us share the voices of the children, volunteers and teachers who see the difference that reading support can make.
And thank you to Sheena, Bruce and every Schoolreaders volunteer giving their time to help a child read.
