Inclusion team’s peer mentoring initiative brings great results

The Rushall Inclusion Advisory Service in Walsall invited Reading Matters to deliver Reading Leaders training to local primary schools, in an initiative to raise reading attainment, last July.  A total of 72 year four and five pupils from 12 different primaries took part in the training to equip them with the skills to become effective peer mentors and support younger pupils in school with reading.

Beccie Hawes, Head of Inclusion at Rushall, who had the idea of making the Reading Leaders training available to the schools in her area said, “The training was fabulous. It was fun, engaging, inspiring and helped the children to further develop their passion and commitment to reading”.

One of the schools that took part in the training was Pool Hayes Primary School. They selected 7 older pupils to take part in the training and support children in years 2 and 3 with their reading. The school also purchased a Reading Matters’ resource box, full of fun and engaging reading materials aimed at reluctant readers, which can be used to enhance one to one reading sessions.

Speaking about the impact on the younger children, the school coordinator, Louise Snape said, “All of them have benefited from their time with the Reading Leaders. These are children who probably don’t read at home, so having the opportunity to read with older pupils is crucial for developing their skills and confidence”.

“The Reading Leaders all absolutely love it too. They have gone way beyond what we expected of them, setting up a lunchtime reading club on their own and inventing games to play with their reading partners. They have become champions of reading in school”.

Danielle Cook, who coordinates the Reading Leaders at Rushall Primary, another school which took part in the training, agreed that the scheme was great for developing the confidence of children on both sides of the partnership.

“One little girl in particular has formed a really lovely bond with her Reading Leader and her reading has improved so much that she has been taken off the Read Write Ink programme. She’s asking to take books home and it’s like she has now got a purpose for reading. We will definitely be training more year 4 children again later this year so they are ready to start in the Autumn term”.

Commenting on the overall success of the training, Beccie concluded,“When I visit these schools I am constantly told about measurable positive impact in terms of reading accuracy, comprehension and fluency.”

Reading Matters is currently running an offer on all Reading Leaders training booked and delivered during this Spring term. Click here to find out more.

Help us to celebrate 20 years of Reading Matters at our Charity Ball

We’re just one month away from our fundraising Charity Ball at The Midland Hotel in Bradford on Saturday March the 11th. Put on your glad rags and join us for this special occasion as we celebrate two decades of Reading Matters with our host, Andrew Edwards of BBC Radio Leeds. Full details here. 

Reading Matters at Christeyns UK

Jayne Talbot and Nick Garthwaite of Christeyns with Rachel Kelly of Reading Matters

We would like to thank all the staff at Christeyns UK Ltd, a Bradford-based company, for their fantastic fundraising efforts over the last year which have raised a grand total of £1303.05 for Reading Matters. Contact us today to find out how your business could get involved with improving skills and changing lives.

Teaching Cave is a treasure trove of primary resources

Teaching Cave is a teaching and learning resource website designed around the primary curriculum. Their aim is to enhance learning in classrooms by providing teachers with inspiring resources and creative lesson ideas, including many to support literacy. Have a look at www.teachingcave.com or follow them on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TeachingCave and Twitter:@TeachingCave.

Huddersfield Literature Festival

Reading Matters is proud to be a supporter of Huddersfield Literature Festival, which is back from the 4th to the 19th of March with an eclectic programme of events for book lovers of every genre. Highlights of this year’s festival include Ian Rankin, Jenni Murray and Alan Johnson. Reading Matters are also sponsoring the Lemn Sissy and Kit de Waal ‘in conversation’ event on the 14th of March.

Happy Reading!
From the team at Reading Matters

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