ARCh Reading Mentors

Resource type: Reading support

Price band: ££

Key stage: KS1, KS2

Region(s): England - South East

ARCh only works with primary schools in Oxfordshire. They provide a volunteer reading and mentoring service designed to build up a child’s self-esteem and improve their literacy skills over the course of a year.

Mentors work with three children, providing two one-to-one sessions per week for each child. The half-hour sessions are designed to give children a positive and enjoyable experience of reading and involve sharing books, games and conversation.

All Reading Mentors hold enhanced DBS disclosure and undertake a comprehensive two-day training programme that covers:

Safeguarding.
Building a mentoring relationship.
The reading process.
Techniques to increase a child’s reading confidence.
Exploring a range of children’s books.
The importance of games.

Cost: £480 per Reading Mentor (£160 per child per year).

About ARCh: ARCh is a literacy charity that has been going since 2008. It currently supports around 800 children in Oxfordshire primary schools and has around 260 trained Reading Mentors. In 2016 ARCh won the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

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The Reading Mentors programme can be covered by Pupil Premium funding and ARCh can work with schools to deliver reports on progress for Ofsted.
Experienced ARCh fieldworkers carry out observation visits and provide ongoing support for Reading Mentors.
All Reading Mentors receive follow-up training, and refresher training on topics such as phonics, dsylexia and engaging reluctant readers is available.
Reading Mentors are provided with a box of books and games, which is updated regularly.
The latest impact report shows that 96% of supported children saw an improvement in their attitudes to reading, 94% saw an improvement in their reading performance, and 94% improved in confidence and self-esteem.