Beyond the numbers: the power of one-to-one reading support

At Bookmark, we’re proud of the difference our volunteers make each and every day. As we celebrate our Annual Report for the 2024 – 25 academic year, we’re proud to have benefitted 180,979 children across the year. Behind these numbers lies hours of shared stories, lots of newfound confidence and a rediscovered love of reading

But while the numbers show the scale of what we’ve achieved, they don’t always capture the heart of the story – the individual journey of each child that makes our work so impactful and important. To truly understand what our impact looks like, it helps to zoom in.

Let’s meet Emily*, a child in Year 3 at Trent CE Primary School who benefited from our One-to-one Reading Programme this year. Her story shows how dedicated reading time transforms, not only a child’s reading skills, but their confidence and enjoyment in learning.

Rewriting the narrative

When Emily first started her One-to-one Reading Programme, she was struggling with her reading. ​“Because of her reading attainment, Emily felt very separate from the class,” explains Senior Teacher, Amy Lynn. ​“But she doesn’t feel that anymore.”

Like many children across the country, Emily didn’t have as much reading support at home as some of her peers. At the start of the school year, she was reading below the attainment level of her peers. Without extra help, she risked falling further behind during the crucial transition from small group reading in Key Stage 1 to whole-class reading sessions in Key Stage 2.

Through regular one-to-one sessions with her Bookmark volunteer, Emily began to build confidence and momentum. In the autumn term, she could read 68 words correctly per minute. By spring, that had risen to 80. This improvement meant she could move up to the correct reading band for her age and start exploring more challenging books.

Now, Emily is being assessed at the same standard as her classmates and is ​‘working towards’ the expected level.

A joy for reading – and for learning

Amy has seen a noticeable change in Emily’s confidence and engagement: ​“She engages in the reading lesson,” she says. ​“She’s happy to read aloud. She’s taking more books from the book corner and reading a bit more.”

Our One-to-one Reading Programme doesn’t just improve fluency; it also helps children rediscover the joy of reading. ​“When they’re taking part in Bookmark, I can hear the confidence in their reading,” Amy adds. ​“Often, they’re quite shy, but then I hear them engaged in their reading and talking about what they’re reading as well. I can also see them engaging more in choosing books and having a bit more independence in doing that too.”

For children like Emily, that sense of ownership – of being able to choose a book, read aloud proudly and talk about what she’s read – makes all the difference.

Finding confidence through connection

Amy comments on the importance of the individual relationship formed between pupils and volunteers in driving the programme’s success:

‘The children are enthusiastic to engage with the volunteers, and good relationships have formed,” she says. ​“The kids feel like they’re being listened to. That’s hard [to do] when you’re teaching the whole class, reading all at once, because you’re moving on very quickly. They’re given [that time] through that relationship.”

That dedicated one-to-one time helps children feel seen and valued – turning reading from a challenge into a moment of connection and confidence.

One story among thousands

Emily’s progress represents just one of thousands of success stories made possible by our volunteers. We delivered 40,239 session over the 2024 – 25 academic year, and each of these adds up to something powerful: a child who feels more confident, more capable and more excited to learn.

As Amy puts it, Emily no longer feels separate from the class – she feels part of it.

And that’s the real impact behind every number.

*Name changed to protect the child’s identity.