Elementary Literacy Friends program in need of volunteers

A love of reading is the only requirement for people interested in volunteering with Elementary Literacy Friends (ELF), according to executive director Erin Schryer.

The New Brunswick-based reading program, now in the middle of a recruitment drive for literacy tutors, will handle the rest she said Tuesday on Information Morning Saint John.

"You don't need a background in education or teaching reading, we provide formal training with our volunteers," Schryer said.

"Volunteers report feeling very satisfied and that they're well equipped to work with their children after the the training session."

The ELF program matches community volunteers with grade 2 students who would benefit from one-on-one help to improve their reading skills.

"As an organization we are here every step of the way for volunteers to reach out for any type of support they might need."

Participating schools are requesting significant volunteer support this year, said Schryer.

The program is also expected to add 25 more schools, reinforcing the need for 30 more volunteers in Saint John, and 10 more volunteers in the Kennebecasis Valley.

"You need to be interested in children, be willing to sit down with a child twice a week for 10 weeks after school, that's the commitment, and just a love of reading and helping a community member," Schryer said.

"We have a role to play, and we want to support children in their learning and teachers in their classrooms, and we're seeing a movement towards that in New Brunswick … It's really important, and will be a way for us to strengthen education in New Brunswick."

Elementary Literacy Inc. offers the reading program in 107 Anglophone schools across New Brunswick.

A separate program, Communautés Littératie Enfants Francophones (CLEF) is offered in Francophone schools.

ELF and CLEF are supplementary reading achievement programs that strengthen and build upon classroom teaching.