Schoolreaders Volunteer Carolyn Jones appears on Sky News to highlight the reading gap
"The great thing about Schoolreaders is that schools are embracing it, volunteers are embracing it, and the children embrace it too!"
This week, as children across England returned to school, Schoolreaders Volunteer Carolyn Jones appeared on Sky News Breakfast to talk about the importance of children's literacy, and the lifelong impact that it has.
This September, over 150,000 children are are starting secondary school unable to read to the expected standard. And as a former County Court Judge, Carolyn knows better than most just how important strong literacy skills are beyond the classroom.
During her appearance, Carolyn spoke about the difference that being able to read makes throughout our lives. From understanding instructions and filling in forms to applying for jobs, reading is something we depend on every day. In particular given her experience, Carolyn highlighted how many families struggle to understand the legal system without the strong literacy skills required to access these systems.
Our latest research shows that 99.65% of schools report a positive impact on children’s reading age, while 94% see children becoming more confident readers and 83% report improved reading fluency.
Carolyn is one of more than 4,000 volunteers giving their time to children across England.
And last week, her appearance on Sky News helped bring the scale of the challenge, and the difference volunteers can make, to a much wider audience.
The number of children starting secondary school without the reading skills they need is a reminder that we cannot afford to wait. If you can spare an hour a week, you can help a child become a more confident reader, and give them skills they will use for the rest of their lives.
Thank you to Carolyn for speaking up for children and for representing the thousands of Schoolreaders volunteers who give their time every week, and thank you to Sky News for helping us shine a light on why reading matters.
