For over 15 years I’ve been involved with the Probus Reading programme. I started with the second intake of those willing to listen to children learn to read. The programme started in the decile 1 schools of Rātā Street in Naenae, Pomare in Taita, and Epuni at Fairfield in the Hutt Valley. At the time the programme was started there were not enough volunteers to put it into more decile 1 schools. The programme is the brain child of Rotary. It is still in the original schools. Each of the schools could do with more helpers either on a regular basis or on the relieving list. We also need more men to do it.
Reading at Rata Street School (photo courtesy of Facebook)
I have listened to children at all three schools, though for me my heart is at Rātā Street with the juniors. Rātā Street normally has up to six seniors and six to eight juniors each week day. I have changed from Wednesday to Tuesday mornings although I have gone in other days to suit. At Rātā Street the pupils come each day for a six month period, Some pupils have real reading difficulties, unable to decipher the reading code for words, or might have no adult to check their reading homework, or might not have learnt at their previous school (e.g having been in a refugee camp overseas, or being from another country). Occasionally I am working hard with a pupil and end up asking for them to be checked for dyslexia. My thoughts on dyslexia are always checked up on and I’ve never been told that the child is not dyslexic, rather the opposite, and thank goodness someone worked out what was happening.
I got one of my daughter's into doing this reading while she as at home with a brand new baby 12 years ago. Then when my grandchildren were at primary school in Australia I ended up doing the same reading at the their schools, and also the times-table at the school in Singapore. Their teachers were delighted to have someone able to take either remedial reading or listening to the more capable readers who normally miss out.
Reading at Epuni School (photo courtesy of Facebook)
Epuni has one volunteer a day. Michael Jameson would be able to tell you about this school. Pomare also has one volunteer a day. I have done reading at Epuni School and I have also gone to Pomare for relieving at times.
You can do the reading programme only at only one school either weekly, monthly or as a reliever, or you can put your name down for any of the schools.
At the beginning of this year I was perturbed to see one girl in the junior programme again. At Rātā Street the pupils come for a six month period. I’d already had her all last year and now was worried that I might have missed that she might be dyslexic. I’ve been picking up one dyslexic child a year in most years and passed on my thoughts about readers with ongoing problems to the teachers concerned. Was she another one of these? Horrors! Missed by the teachers and by me! No, after a couple of weeks earlier this year suddenly her eyes flew over the words, no mistakes in reading and a gleam in her eye as she said “I like reading now”! She had got reading! A real reader! It’s been a joy in being part of her life, seeing the struggle and now the confidence of going from a book with few words to chapter books.
This is what I do on Tuesdays, in the mornings from 10:20am until I‘ve heard the last kid sometime between 11:55am and as late as 12:15pm. The only times I miss are when I’m overseas.
Are you able to help? Please let me or let Michael Jameson know. We can put you in contact with the coordinators.