Our 16-17 year old volunteering opportunity
“Bookmark helps to connect young people in different stages of their development and allows them to help each other. Their pupils learn crucial literacy skills, and our pupils develop their ability to empathise, educate, and inspire. It has been a formative experience for everyone involved, and I hope we can continue to grow these relationships and put our wonderful pupils to good use in the community.”
Your students can help children learn to read so that they can succeed, in school and beyond. At Bookmark Reading Charity, we're dedicated to igniting the joy of reading in children.
Bookmark’s reading programme
Ignite the joy of reading in a child
Bookmark’s Reading Mentor scheme gives 16-17-year-olds the opportunity to read with children in a local primary school. Your students will spend one thirty-minute session a week reading stories and playing games with a child aged between 5 and 10 years old. The programme involves one 30-minute session a week with the same child, for 12 weeks.
Reading Mentors are given training on how to support young readers with developing a love of reading, and additional safeguarding training.
We ask all our Reading Mentors to commit to reading across a full academic term - and we'd love your students to do more - so we can continue to support as many children as possible.
Becoming a Reading Mentor will be a fantastic addition to CV’s and stand out on UCAS applications. The volunteering can also be counted towards Duke of Edinburgh volunteering hours or International Baccalaureate CAS hours.
Help them shape a better future
Your students will get to see their young reader progress, knowing that they are opening a world of opportunity for their future.
Reading schemes for schools
Joining Bookmark to volunteer reading in schools enables your students to become a vital force for change in primary school children. Join us today and play a crucial role in shaping a brighter future for a child through literacy.
Email us at readingmentors@bookmarkreading.org to register your interest for 16-17-year-olds in your school.
Want to find out more?
Drop us an email to find out more. We’ll tell you about the benefits to your students, process of signing up and provide more detail on the reading programme.
“Here at Westminster, we’ve had a huge uptake from sixth formers who want to use their talents to help other young people in the local area. From speaking to them, they’ve loved the profound personal connection that one-to-one reading creates; they tell me how exciting the children are, and how meaningful it is to help them with their education. ”
Why Volunteer in Primary Schools with Bookmark?
As a Bookmark Reading Mentor supporting local primary schools, your students will:
Help children gain the reading skills they need to progress at school and in life. You can read more about this in our Impact Report.
Help boost a child’s self-esteem and confidence by giving them one-to-one attention and being a role model.
Show learning to read can be fun! It’s amazing when you introduce a young reader to a book, comic or poem that they love – and 9 in 10 teachers said that children enjoy reading more after our programme.
Enrich your week. Taking time out of your day to read with a child can support your students well-being as they enjoy a new experience. You can read some of our volunteer experiences on our blog.
92% OF BOOKMARK VOLUNTEERS FEEL THAT THEY’VE POSITIVELY IMPACTED A CHILD
“The reading things you help us with makes us better at everything”
SAFEGUARDING
Ensuring the safety of children and volunteers is at the very heart of what we do. You can find our Safeguarding, Safer Recruitment and other policies relating to volunteering here.
