Daisy’s story: discovering the joy of reading
MEET DAISY
Daisy* is 7 years old and in Year 3 at a primary school in South London. She is an only child who lives with her mum and dad; however, dad is ‘often absent’. Both parents are ‘supportive of the school but don’t necessarily help Daisy with the extra work which is sent home.’ The lack of a ‘culture of books’ in Daisy’s home has increased her ‘struggles with reading’.
DAISY WOULD ‘AVOID READING AT ANY OPPORTUNITY’
Prior to taking part in the Bookmark Reading Charity’s programme, Daisy had a ‘big dislike of reading’ says her Deputy Headteacher Victoria. Daisy has ‘found it hard since reception’ and this has ‘affected her self-esteem’. Daisy has told her teachers ‘It’s exhausting’, ‘it’s tough’ and ‘it makes my brain hurt’. Due to this, Victoria says, she will ‘avoid reading at any opportunity’ and ‘isn’t interested in any sort of book.’
During phonic assessments in Year 1 and Year 2 it was noted that Daisy was a ‘low ability reader’. There was a distinct ‘gap between how she was presenting with her speech and her ability to read’. Victoria says Daisy ‘had issues with her ability to decode’ and she was ‘stumbling over every word’ when reading. This ‘affected her writing’ too as she was ‘struggling with her phonics and couldn’t apply it into her spelling’. However, ‘she showed good comprehension skills’ and is ‘quite verbal and able’.
DAISY WOULD ‘TRY TO MASK’ HER STRUGGLES WITH READING
Daisy is ‘bright and sparky’ and would often ‘try to mask’ her struggles with reading. She ‘saw herself as bad at reading’ and “identified with that very strongly’ says Victoria. ‘She’s a confident young girl, so it was a shame to see’. Thanks to Bookmark, Daisy has ‘worked hard to shake that off’ and battle through this ‘mental block’.
DAISY ‘TOOK STRAIGHT TO IT’
Daisy has taken part in multiple volunteer-led reading programmes with Bookmark. Victoria says, ‘this one-to-one time is hard to give as a teacher’. Daisy was chosen for the programme as ‘she is really vocal, and we knew she would enjoy spending time with someone’.
After being ‘hesitant to start with’, Victoria says they noticed quickly that Daisy ‘took straight to it’. She could even be heard ‘laughing and giggling’ during her reading session and enjoyed the ‘good quality time’ with her volunteer.
DAISY HAS ‘DEVELOPED A LOVE OF READING’
Since taking part in the programme Daisy has ‘developed a love of reading’. The school introduced scrapbooks for the pupils and encouraged them to create a page a week on reading for pleasure. Daisy’s was ‘the strongest one out of the entire of Key Stage 2’ says Victoria. Before Bookmark she didn’t do any reading at home now ‘you can see her mum has spent time with her creating the reading scrapbook’, ‘there is no way this would’ve happened before.’ Victoria says ‘she brought the positivity for reading home as well as her love of stories’. It’s as if ‘her mum is her Bookmark volunteer at home’. Victoria says, ‘she’s much more confident’.
WHY TEACHER’S RECOMMEND BOOKMARK READING CHARITY
Victoria says Bookmark allows children to discover an ‘enjoyment in reading and sharing books which is something that’s quite alien to a lot of the children’ at the school. ‘They look forward to going because they get one-to-one time with an adult.’ ‘They connect the positive experience with the book and this therefore makings reading a positive activity for them.’
*Names have been changed for anonymity.
