05/10/12…..Poet & author to support marathon read to inspire children

CHILDREN?S writers will be joining forces with an Oxfordshire charity for a six-hour Readathon in a bid to encourage more children to enjoy books.

Performance poe,t John Foster, and children?s author, Shen Roddie, will both be taking part in the marathon event at Oxford Central Library, where volunteers will take turns reading aloud to entertain youngsters.

The event, which runs from 10am until 4pm on Saturday October 20, is being organised for the local charity, Assisted Reading for Children (ARCh), which recruits and trains volunteers who work one-to-one with children in primary schools across the county, inspiring them to develop a love of books and reading. It is being backed by Oxfordshire County Council, which is working to improve literacy throughout the area.

Oxfordshire County Council Chief Executive, Joanna Simons, and council leader, Ian Hudspeth, have signed up for 15 minute slots with their favourite children?s literature. Nicola Blackwood, MP for Oxford West & Abingdon, will also be taking part.

Event organiser, Vikki Evans, said: ?We hope the day will help us to raise funds for our vital work in schools, but more importantly, we hope it will encourage adults to read with their children at home.
Reading with children is so important. It increases their vocabulary, sparks their imagination, gives them valuable one-to-one time with grown-ups, and ? probably most importantly ? it is a springboard towards helping them read themselves.

?If the Readathon inspires just one adult to pick up a book and read it with a child, then it will have been worth it! ARCh supports any initiative which encourages children to gain a love of reading and we are pleased that our event is running while there is so much enthusiasm generated by the Oxfordshire Reading Campaign.?

Anyone who would like to support the Readathon or become an ARCh volunteer should contact the ARCh office by calling 01869 320380 or visit: www.archoxfordshire.org.uk

MORE ABOUT ARCh

ARCh is based in Bicester and supports more than 200 volunteers across Oxfordshire. The charity?s work helps 700+ children in around 100 county primary schools.

Each volunteer completes the ARCh application, interview and checking process and a two day initial training course before being assigned to a school which they visit twice a week, for 90 minutes, sharing books with three children on a one-to-one basis.

The volunteer works with the same three children for an entire year allowing a strong mentoring relationship to build and to give each child sustained support.

PHOTO: Courtesy of PBSparents.org