A RECENTLY launched charity is looking for volunteers to help children with their reading.

Schoolreaders is a charity which aims to improve childhood literacy by providing one-to-one reading practice to children in primary schools.

In launched across the county in September last year, and is now looking for volunteers to get involved in the service which is provided to schools for free.

Across the county, 43 primary schools have signed up.

Jane Whitbread, founder of Schoolreaders, said:“Reading is fundamental to a child’s development, education and subsequent opportunities in life. Children learn to read and then read to learn. However, in this country one in four children are not reading to the expected standard by the time they leave primary school.

"With poor reading skills, these children are starting their secondary education at a huge disadvantage and many have difficulty in keeping up with the curriculum.

“One of the reasons that many children are not learning to read well enough is that there is insufficient opportunity for them to read with an adult at home.

"We hope to encourage people living in Somerset, to sign up with Schoolreaders and help children at a local primary school who may not be getting the reading support they need.

"Our volunteers tell us that they are hugely rewarded by going into their local school and knowing that just a few hours helping a child learn to read each week can have such a great impact on their life outcome.”

To become a Schoolreader volunteer or to register a school for the scheme, visit the website www.schoolreaders.org or for more information contact 01234 924111 or admin@schoolreaders.org.