Chapter One Impact Report 2022-23 - Flipbook - Page 9
OUR ONLINE READING MODEL
CHAPTER ONE’S
PROGRAMME OFFERS A
FLEXIBLE, TIME-EFFICIENT
ONLINE VOLUNTEERING
OPPORTUNITY FOR BUSY
PROFESSIONALS WHO WANT
TO MAKE A DIRECT IMPACT
ON THE LIVES OF CHILDREN
FROM DISADVANTAGED
COMMUNITIES.
To become confident readers, children need to have
regular and consistent practice - and they need to
read with as many trusted people as possible*. Having
multiple 'reading influencers' in a child’s life can have a
marked impact on their love of reading, which in turn
increases their well-being, educational prospects and
life outcomes.
However, many families struggle to read together at
home and nearly a third of children under 7 do not
regularly read or share stories with different people.
These children are missing out both on vital regular
reading practice and on the enjoyment that 'reading
influencers' bring and the crucial role they play in
shaping long-term reading habits.
The Chapter One solution to this problem is to partner
with local and national businesses which sponsor and
recruit their employees as Chapter One online reading
volunteers. We match these volunteers with children in
schools in disadvantaged areas, with teachers
selecting up to 10 children in each participating class
to join the programme. This model enables us to
achieve a reach and scale that schools rarely achieve
with parent or community reading volunteers.
Once each volunteer has cleared an enhanced
background (DBS) check and completed our
compulsory training, they are paired with a pupil.
Using our bespoke online platform and a voice
connection only, our pupil-volunteer pairs 8meet9
together for 30 minutes a week during the school day
across an entire academic year.
Together they read stories from our library of 200 texts
and play a range of word games to develop their
literacy skills and enhance their confidence and
enjoyment. For many of these children, it9s the first
time that a grown-up has been able to focus time on
them in this way, and the supportive relationships
developed provide a significant boost to their general
confidence and wellbeing.
*BookTrust, The role of multiple 8reading influencers9 in supporting
children9s reading journeys, 2022
2022-23 Impact Report: The How
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