“It feels good to be part of a child’s educational journey and to encourage their enthusiasm for reading.”
Former university lecturer and NHS worker, Monica Murphy, has enjoyed a varied career, and although officially retired, takes on contract work in professional regulation from time to time. She has been an enthusiastic Schoolreaders volunteer for two years and reads with up to 30 children a week, seven miles from her home in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. She heard about Schoolreaders after reading about it at her local choral group.
“Literacy is a life skill,” she says firmly. She has clearly brought her own imagination and flair to the experience for the children. “It feels good to be part of a child’s educational journey and to encourage their enthusiasm for reading.”
Initially Monica thought she would do three hours a week, but after a fortnight, swiftly upped her hours to a full school day. “I read with year 5 classes. The school population is diverse, and English isn’t always the first language they learn. Reading ability is very mixed.”
She enjoys helping develop the pupils’ imagination, comprehension and curiosity about the origins of words as well as listening to children reading.
“Throughout the first term and mostly as an ice-breaker to get children chatting and their imaginations warmed up, I ask them what their super-power could be for the week!” She reports some imaginative and fun answers.
She also brings a box into school with her each week. “It contains various aids including an old etymological dictionary. I always ask if there are any words they don’t understand and if there’s a word that I know has its origins in another language, then we look it up together. It has become a bit of a fun feature to learn about a new word then create a sentence using it.”
Monica found the school not only welcoming but also collaborative, discussing how to use her skills and ideas most effectively. “I was with the more advanced readers who only read with an adult once a week, but I now continue to read with the (mostly) more proficient Year 5 class, but also read with children of all abilities.”
The welcoming atmosphere at the school has also extended beyond reading in the school building. “I’ve been on a few day trips with the classes and even I won a large bar of chocolate in the staff Christmas quiz, so I certainly feel part of the team!”
To find out more about becoming a Schoolreaders Volunteer, please visit: https://www.schoolreaders.org/volunteer
It’s wonderful to see such commitment to education even post-retirement. Monica’s creativity with etymology and 'super-power' discussions really adds a unique touch to her sessions!
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