RISE
The RISE reading program is designed to address literacy challenges faced by students in many of our public schools. Whilst the focus of the program is on reading and comprehension, there is also a critical element of socialisation whereby reading mentors provide the opportunity for sustained adult conversations in English, encourage the student personally and act as positive adult role models.
High school students selected to participate in the program have been identified by the school as requiring assistance with reading, comprehension, confidence or self esteem. The program is designed to ensure that students feel positive about being chosen to participate in the program and are rewarded and encouraged in their reading.
What is involved
Volunteers from member companies are matched with high school students to provide one-on-one literacy support. Every week, the students visit the member companies and read with one of their mentors for 45 minutes.
Two mentors are matched with each student and attend fortnightly and students gain the benefits of weekly sessions.
Benefits to students
- increasing self-esteem, motivation and aspirations
- a positive attitude to school, their peers and elders
- improved communication and literacy skills
- higher levels of academic achievement and desire to learn
Benefits to reading mentors
- Increase awareness of issues in the broader community
- Opportunity to contribute to the community
- Improve skills and job satisfaction
- Enjoyment in spending time reading with children
The need
The links between literacy, self esteem, school performance and adult life chances have been widely documented. Research suggests that poor literacy skills are associated with lower education, employment and social outcomes as well as being linked to high rates of welfare dependence and teenage parenting. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has found that individuals with ‘very poor’ literacy skills were more likely to leave school early, had a greater chance of being unemployed and earned less than those with ‘good’ literacy skills. The most recent statistics available on literacy indicate that almost half of Australians aged 15–74 (6.2 million) have either ‘very poor’ or ‘poor’ prose literacy skills and whilst Australia’s standard of education is high when compared globally, it masks an increasing gap between high achieving schools and low achieving schools.
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