To help improve children's literacy a reading for pleasure culture in primary schools, with a focus on supporting children in the most disadvantaged communities. Our volunteers provide one-to-one reading support to help children gain the confidence and fluency to read independently.
Volunteers will be matched with a primary school student whose teachers believed would would benefit from additional reading support. The volunteer would need to deliver two reading sessions a week with this student, each running for 30 minutes, with the overall programme lasting for six weeks. The volunteer would need to engage the child in interactive reading experiences, selecting appropriate reading materials from Bookmark’s online library and preparing activities that reinforce vocabulary and the child’s understanding of the text.
Volunteers should be able to communicate clearly and patiently, using active listening to understand each child's needs and progress. They should be encouraging and supportive throughout to help improve the child's experience of reading.
Volunteers need to reliable and committed to organising and attending all the sessions in their six-week programme.
There is no specific experience required for this role, however a background in education or childcare can be helpful. Overall, we value volunteers who are enthusiastic about reading so the sessions are engaging and fun!
This is an online opportunity so can be completed at home on a personal computer or laptop.
The timings of the 30-minute sessions can be selected before starting each programme, and so can be flexible from Monday to Friday and between 9:00-16:00.
All volunteers would undergo training on Bookmark's safeguarding and data protection policies. This training is all completed virtually at a time that suits you.
Support is available throughout for all our volunteers, both through their application and during their volunteering programme, and we also invite them to be members of our online discussion group.
Volunteers will develop communication, empathy, and leadership through mentoring their child reader. They will gain skills in organisation and problem-solving in the planning and adapting of reading sessions.
This is an online volunteering opportunity so is accessible for all people and requires no transport.
As part of the application we are required to obtain the following references: one reference from your current or most recent role, and one reference from a former role.
Please note that a role includes employment, education and volunteering. If you have worked with with children for a period of 3 months or more within the last 5 years, one of your referees must come from an organisation where you have worked with children.
Once your application has been reviewed, you can apply for an enhanced DBS check (and overseas check if required) online through our trusted DBS partner. We would support you through this process and pay for the completion of your DBS check.
