What we do
For almost fifteen years Dorset Reading Partners has been providing local primary schools with trained and equipped volunteer reading partners who give regular, tailored one-to-one support to young readers.
Reading for pleasure is at the heart of what we do. Our aim is to make reading fun by sharing our love of reading, providing children with a choice of interesting materials, and allowing them to work at their own pace in a nurturing and supportive setting.
What makes us special?
Training
Our training ensures that volunteers have the skills to provide top quality, effective help, recognising the needs of each child and tailoring their sessions accordingly.
Resources
We know that children are more motivated to read when they can choose appealing resources, so our reading partners are equipped with a box full of books and literacy games to use in their sessions.
Support
Our volunteers have ongoing support from our team, who visit them in school and run training workshops and book exchanges to keep them up to date.
Celebrating success
All the children we work with receive an end of year certificate listing the books they have shared with their reading partner, to celebrate their success and inspire them to continue reading beyond their sessions.
Our service is much enjoyed by the children we work with, and greatly valued by teachers. At the same time our volunteers find being a reading partner a hugely rewarding experience, as they know that their weekly sessions have a significant positive impact on children’s confidence, skills and enjoyment of reading.
"What a wonderful organisation Dorset Reading Partners are. Full of joy and laughter which I am sure spills over when they share with kids the joys of reading."
Korky Paul, children's illustrator