Help impart your enthusiasm, joy and knowledge onto the children you work with and encourage them to want to read, enjoy books and to read for pleasure. You can make a real difference to the children you help and also make a difference in yourself knowing what valuable help you are giving.
Daphne White, Stanhome Gedling
“Feeling loved by the children”
Jenny Logan, Huntingdon Primary
“I always leave with a smile or a story to tell”
Sue Paton, Pierrepont Gamston
“Recently retired so sense of purpose to my week and a new challenge”
Hazel Eaton-Knight, Jesse Grey
“I feel I’ve done a good job seeing the progress the children make”
Elaine Hobson, Carnavon
“Makes you feel young, being with the lovely children”
Marilyn Sackman, West Bridgford juniors
“Seeing the children and being appreciated by them , so makes something worthwhile”
Jo Smith, Keyworth Primary
“I look forward to my sessions , from a retirement position – gives me some purpose in life”
Sue Fenton, St Johns Colwick
“Having a stake in the future of children”
I was lucky to come across Literacy Volunteers when I did. I had finished volunteering at another Charity and was free, and looking for voluntary work that was rewarding, involved direct human contact, and allowed me time to pursue my other interests. Literacy Volunteers ticked all those boxes. And as a parent, grandparent and avid reader, I was very much on board with the aim of fostering a love of books.
The training was useful, providing us with a basic structure for our 30-minute sessions – chat, read, play a game – and a clear aim of making reading fun. I initially thought the safeguarding training was a bit of a tick-box exercise but in practice that too has proved to be relevant and helpful.
I’ve been working couple of years now at Killisick Junior School, mostly with Year 3 children. Another Literacy Volunteer has been working there for many years who sees Years 4 and 5. Not every session goes to plan – children are children and some have difficult lives – but it’s a joy. The children look forward to their sessions, and their classmates pester the teacher to be one of the five we see every week. The teachers are very supportive and value our input, even though we’re taking children out of numeracy and literacy lessons. And it’s immensely satisfying when you see progress. At Easter, I said a reluctant goodbye to a delightful girl, who in September was reading picture books that my grandchildren liked when they were 3. After some time with me she was reading, and enjoying, chapter books at home. Mission accomplished! An 8-year-old boy who had been struggling with reading fluency for months, recently made a sudden breakthrough. We as Literacy Volunteers can’t take all the credit for these moments – there are teachers and parents and other volunteers who read with children – but it doesn’t stop you from enjoying these moments.
I commenced volunteering at Rosslyn School last October. I have a good friend of many years who has been a Volunteer for several years and would talk about the work she did in school. We would meet up from time to time, to catch up over coffee and she would often say how much she was enjoying volunteering and how she could see the difference that she was making. I did not think much more about it.
With retirement however I found that I did have some time that I could offer.
The training was by Zoom as we were in the middle of lockdown. It was full and comprehensive and there was space to ask any questions. Nothing was too trivial to ask as we were all at the same stage.
It had been a long time since I had been in a primary school as both our children are adults. The school was quietly organised. All the children seemed so purposeful about their work and so well behaved. I have enjoyed having the same children each week and getting to know them. It has been such a delight to see hesitant readers at the start of my time with them and everyone becoming so much confident now in their reading. The children are really enjoying the books we are sharing. It has been good to get teacher feedback on the progress made. It is lovely to know that I have played a part in this (together with their teachers, parents and carers).
