School make reading a family affair
BookwormsSt St Hilary’s Primary has become the latest school in East Kilbride to take part in a scheme designed to get children reading.
The Scotland Reads project involves mums, dads, grandparents and members of the local community who give an hour of their time each week to visit the school and read together informally on a one-to-one basis with kids outwith the classroom setting.
Head teacher Maureen Reid recognised the value of bringing together generations to help build confidence in the children – and foster a love of reading.
The school joined forces with the home school partnership and St Leonards Library to launch the initiative which now runs in St Vincent’s, Long Calderwood and Crosshouse primaries.
Liz Highet, of the home school partnership, said:“Involving the local community within the schools increases it’s capacity and has loads of positive outcomes for all involved.
“The pupils look forward to their paired reader coming in every week and is a main factor in helping pupils realise the fun and value of books and reading which also makes the parents happy.
“The volunteers look forward to their paired reading session as they can clearly see the difference their time and effort is making to the lives of the children.”
Ms Highet added:“The school loves it because it helps engage children with books and builds up their confidence in themselves and their reading ability.”
Anyone interested in volunteering for the initiative can contact Liz for more information on (01355) 235702.