Innovations for Learning (IFL UK) is a UK registered charity which believes in the power of literacy to transform lives. We know that the ability to read is the fundamental skill that underpins every child’s future educational attainment and helps them to realise their potential. Too many disadvantaged children simply do not have consistent, encouraging, reading practice at home. With the disruption to schooling due to Covid-19 many of these children have fallen even further behind with their reading.
Our core programme, TutorMate, plugs this ‘literacy gap’ by using technology to help more volunteers read with children from disadvantaged backgrounds, more easily. We aim to improve the literacy outcomes and reading enjoyment of these young children and set them up to succeed.
Imagine a child who's struggling with reading who is disheartened and lacks confidence. TutorMate matches them with an adult reading volunteer from a company like John Lewis or KPMG who provides vital reading practice and encouragement. Using a bespoke online platform the adult-child pair connect for 30-minute weekly reading support sessions over an entire year. At the end of that year, the child is not only reading at the same level as their peers but does so confidently, enjoys what they read and sees themselves as a learner.
