Reading Partnerships
Children have a voice that demands to be heard but, for many, this voice is muffled by cultural, social, and economic barriers. As part of our 'promoting the rights of children and young people' Just Purpose focus area, our colleagues engage in reading partners schemes to help close the literacy gap.
Our Partnerships
In the five years from 2016 to 2021, children's literacy levels dropped, on average, with lower achievement across European education systems. Combined with gender gaps and socioeconomic barriers, our goal is to tackle some of these issues and help generate greater equity for children's reading ability. But it's not just about developing literacy skills, it's about raising aspirations and fostering a love for reading as well.
Some of our civil society partners that enable us to contribute to literacy skills action include: Business in the Community Northern Ireland and Chapter One, as well as local schools in our communities.
I wanted to volunteer with Chapter One because, as a parent of two children, I know first-hand how crucial the ability to read is. I thought I could use my reading experience to help others too. My paired reader is always happy to hear my voice and his confidence in attempting "tricky words" has increased rapidly since September. I love knowing that our weekly session is going to help spur him on to greater things in the future!