1 in 4 children in England do not reach the expected standard of reading when leaving primary school. These children cannot fully access their secondary education, which limits their future opportunities. Schoolreaders provides volunteers to listen to children read in school on a one-to-one basis.
Categories
Beneficiaries
Situation
Without good literacy, children struggle to fully access their secondary education. This can lead to functional illiteracy: one in seven adults in England cannot read a medicine packet, a bus timetable or complete a job application. Poor literary is a major factor in many societal problems including homelessness, poor physical and mental health, and criminality. More than half of prisoners have literacy levels below those expected of an 11-year-old.
Solution
Schoolreaders recruits, places and supports volunteers to go into local primary schools for at least a year and give children one-to-one reading support every week. Schoolreaders particularly focuses on reaching schools in the most deprived areas, supporting the most disadvantaged children. We are the only nationwide charity providing this support for free to schools, ensuring that it is accessible. Last year, almost half the children supported by Schoolreaders were in receipt of pupil premium.
