Grade 2 students in schools across the province, benefit from a program that is run in both the Anglophone and Francophone School Districts.
It is called the Elementary Literacy Friends program.
Program Officer Laura Morrell says it promotes a love for reading in the students, while ensuring they don’t struggle with it in future grades, “We’re hyper focused on students in grade 2, for students so that they get extra time on literacy development. If children aren’t reading well by the end of grade 2, it becomes exceedingly difficult year after year, it kind of compounds. What we are trying to do is stop that problem before it starts, and really get them to appropriate achievement level by the end of grade 2.”
The ELF program could not be successful without the help of volunteers. They are currently being recruited, and training programs will be held later this month..
Morrell adds, this program helps a child, while making a volunteer feel pretty good at the same time, “Our volunteer satisfaction is 90 per cent and upwards. I actually have a really nice quote from a lady who took part last year. She said that she received a far greater blessing from each interaction from my student than any effort I could have put in, and thanks for the opportunity.”