'Good for the heart and the soul'

'I think it's good for the heart and for the soul, for both kid and adult,' says Dorota.

She's talking about volunteering for Learn to Love to Read where until schools closed, she was reading with three children at a local school.

She was inspired to start volunteering by her son who brought information on the charity home from school. It struck a chord with her as she herself loves reading:

'I just love books myself, and I have read to my children since they were tiny, actually I read to my son when he was in my belly!'

As a parent she knows it can be hard to find the time and the resources to read with your child:

'Not everybody has the time to read with their own children and lots of children don't have books at home.' 

And so she's happy 'to support the children, to give them a boost early on in life. The best thing about Learn to Love to Read is that I can help out children who need the help.'

'She's found seeing the progress made by the children she reads with immensely rewarding. 

'It's the most rewarding thing! When you come week by week, it is amazing to see how well they are doing from one week to another. I managed to move two children up two reading-levels, because their reading just improved so much.'

But she isn’t only focused on their progress in phonics. She's seen the children she reads with learn to really understand and enjoy the books they read:

'We talk about the book we are sharing - the characters, how it makes us feel and we make up different endings. I encourage them to talk about what they learn from the story and how it makes them feel. They might not get the chance to do that at other times.'

What would she say to someone thinking about volunteering for Learn to Love to Read?

'Do it! The kids are very cheeky and bubbly and for me it's lovely to see that I did something for them.'