A BOROUGH charity’s annual report shows that children improve their confidence and communication skills with the help of its reading scheme.
ABC to read says that 99% of the children who benefit from a one-to-one ABC to read mentor have improved in their confidence in reading.
The charity’s most recent annual report also highlights that 97% of the youngsters working with them have improved their written communication and 96% have improved their communication with their peers and adults.
Building on its success ABC to read is looking for more volunteers to help children to gain reading skills and confidence
The charity works with primary school children identified by their schools as struggling most with their reading, with many schools assigning their pupil premium to provide an ABC to read mentor.
Marcia Rowlinson, ABC to read CEO, said: “As we celebrate 20 years of ABC to read, I’m delighted that so many of our local children are more confident in their reading and communication skills, thanks to our incredible team of dedicated volunteers.”
The benefits of good reading and comprehension extend beyond the classroom, demonstrated by the 96% of respondents who said their children’s general self-confidence and self-esteem had increased thanks to the time spent with their ABC to read mentor.
And 86% also reported an improvement in overall concentration.
ABC to read works with schools to ensure that the time children spend with a volunteer mentor complements their work in the rest of their school life and is designed around their specific needs.
The annual statistics demonstrate that, as a result of this personalised model, children’s reading levels and general confidence can be significantly increased.
Celebrating its successes, ABC to read is calling on more volunteers and schools to work across the county.
With many vacancies that could be filled with more volunteers and increasing numbers of children who need support, ABC to read is actively looking for new volunteers to take part in training.
Schools that are in need of additional reading support are also being encouraged to sign up for ABC to read mentors.
For more information about training days or joining the scheme as a school or volunteer mentor, contact: [email protected], and visit: www.abctoread.org.uk
