Beanstalk tackling reading crisis among under-11s

Beanstalk is recruiting and training volunteers from the local community to go into primary schools to work with children who are failing behind with their reading

Local children’s literacy charity Beanstalk is part of a new campaign to get all children reading well by age 11 by 2025. Called Read On. Get On., the coalition is made up of teachers, parents, businesses and charities including Save the Children.

They say one and a half million children will reach the age of 11 unable to ‘read well’ by 2025 unless urgent action is taken to tackle the reading crisis.

Shockingly, in Rochdale last year, 336 pupils left primary school unable to read to the required level.

Beanstalk is working to address this issue by recruiting and training volunteers from the local community to go into primary schools to work with children who are failing behind with their reading. The charity currently supports 40 children in ten schools across Rochdale.

Read On. Get On.’s report published this week found that disadvantaged children are the worst affected, with four in ten not reading well by the age of 11 – almost double the rate of their better off peers. The report also found they are not reading enough outside school, or with their fathers.

‘Read On. Get On.’ aims to create a nation of strong readers by:

• Supporting parents to read with young children for ten minutes a day
• Urging the public to volunteer to help disadvantaged children improve their reading
• Building a powerful coalition of the county’s most influential public, private and charitable organisations to pledge to support the mission
• Urging all political parties to support the 2025 target

Sue Porto, Chief Executive of Beanstalk, said: “The one-to-one support offered by Beanstalk’s reading helpers plays a vital role in helping children to read well by age 11 and we are delighted to be a part of ‘Read On. Get On.”

Amy Lewis, Beanstalk Area Manager for the North West, added: “It is truly shocking that so many children leave primary school unable to read confidently.

“We are urgently looking for more volunteer reading helpers to provide vital one-to-one support in local schools.

“We are currently looking for volunteers to work across Rochdale.”

If you think you could give a child the gift of reading I would urge you to step forward to become a reading volunteer.”