Appeal for volunteers to listen to children read

A charity that wants to boost children's literacy by arranging for adults to listen to pupils read is appealing for more volunteers.

The national charity, Schoolreaders, matches volunteers to local primary schools so they can listen to children read one-on-one on a weekly basis.

It already works with about 100 primary schools across East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire.

Susan Lawrie, outreach and engagement co-ordinator at Schoolreaders, said: "It's helping children discover, or re-discover, the joy in reading. Seeing children, the volunteers and the schools get so much from that is really rewarding."

She added: "Our volunteers always tell us they learn as much from the children as the children learn from them.

"It's a great relationship, and a really unique relationship between the volunteers, the schools, and the children."

According to government statistics, 75% of year 6 pupils who took assessments in summer 2025 had reached the expected standard of reading.

Schoolreaders said this meant that one in four children who left primary school in 2025 were unable to read to the required standard.

Ms Lawrie described this as a "worrying statistic."

"Obviously that has a massive impact on [children] as they go through later childhood, and into adulthood.

"So any support we can offer to children at primary age through providing them with a volunteer to listen to them read is fantastic."

One of the schools the charity works with is Barton St Peter's C of E Primary School in North Lincolnshire.

Caroline Gooder, who has volunteered there on behalf of Schoolreaders for 15 months said: "I like the rapport you build with the children, and the fact I feel like I am actually helping them, and doing something worthwhile now I've retired.

"A couple of hours a week, that's all it is. It's really rewarding."

Robert Wilson, the school's deputy headteacher, said: "The volunteers have helped us to increase the capacity for listening to children read across school.

"They've also helped develop children's passion for reading."

Nine-year-old Albie said he liked reading out loud and sharing the story with someone else.

"I really get to express myself, and other people can understand what's happening."

Isla also nine, agreed. She said: "My mum says it helps me with my confidence.

"It definitely helps with my spelling. Some words are a bit easier to spell, and some aren't, and they might be in my book. I just like reading."

The National Literacy Trust said its research found the number of children aged eight to 18 who said they enjoyed reading in their free time was at its lowest in 20 years.

The Department for Education have designated 2026 as the The National Year of Reading, and will be working alongside The National Literacy Trust to deliver this.

The trust said the campaign aimed to "address the steep decline in reading amongst children, young people and adults".

As part of this, Schoolreaders have pledged their volunteers will deliver 1.5 million reading sessions over the year.

Ms Lawrie said "It's a 50% increase on what we did last year, so it's a huge target, but I'm really confident we can achieve it.

"We do need lots more people to give up their time to volunteer and lots more primary schools to join our free reading programme."

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