School reading volunteers - Portsmouth area

Could you spare a small amount of time each week to help children with their reading? 

Reading is an essential life skill and children need extra time and support during school time to have some one to one reading time. 

Duties 

You will sit with children on an individual basis and listen to them read for around 10 minutes. You will encourage the children to read independently and discuss their books with them. 

Where?

Various locations in Portsmouth.

Who? 

You do not need any special qualifications for this role. All we ask is that you are reliable, good with children, you can read and speak fluent English. 

When?

We ask that you can commit to one session, per week, each term. There is flexibility around which day you can attend each week to suit your own personal commitments. Each weekly session will last approximately 2 hours. You can sign up for more shifts if you wish to.

Benefits of volunteering

Helping children to become confident, independent readers is so important, and an area of work where parents, carers and other members of the community can make a big difference. 

Benefits for the pupils

Pupils benefit by developing a positive relationship with volunteers who will support them with their reading. This helps develop their confidence, ability and increase their long term enjoyment of reading.

Benefits for the school

By becoming a school reader, you are providing the school with a valuable way of improving the attainment of underperforming pupils, offering rewarding one-to-one reading time, which schools may be unable to offer themselves.

Benefits for the volunteer

You will gain pleasure from knowing that you are making a real difference in a child’s life by helping to develop their literacy and interpersonal skills. You will also get the opportunity to see this progress first hand, as you will often work regularly with the same children. You will also add valuable skills to your CV.

Skills

- 18 years and over

- Volunteers will need to undertake a DBS check (paid for by us)

- You will need to provide two references (non family members) 

- You will enjoy working with children 

- Have good reading skills and can speak fluent English

- Patient and reliable.