Introducing Group Reading

In June 2010 GVI volunteers identified that a large amount of the children had either no reading skills or a very limited reading level, so we introduced the One-To-One reading programme which ran alongside the classroom teaching.

After GVI re-tested the children in January 2012 we saw from the results that some children no longer required one to one support, however additional tuition would still be beneficial to them. Therefore we introduced group reading as a new initiative. These lessons are designed for groups of up to six children all with the same reading level, aiming to improve their reading skills, but also to develop their vocabulary, comprehension and understanding through discussion and drama. The reading groups have been running for three months, and reading levels are continuing to rise, and most importantly the children’s communication skills and confidence are growing. The GVI volunteers find the lessons really rewarding and entertaining as working with smaller groups allows for more interaction with the children.

In May GVI volunteers will be extending this programme to Olives, and although we recognise it will be a big challenge due to the large number of children per class, we do believe it will have a positive impact on the reading levels of the children. Thank you to former volunteers Mary and Paul Toomey who supplied 30 sets of reading books and related materials specifically designed for group reading. Michele Comber, Project Manager.

Introducing Group Reading