In a primary school in Easterhouse, one of Glasgow's most disadvantaged areas, 8-year-old *Haniya sat quietly at the back of her Primary 3 classroom. When it came to reading time, her voice would drop to barely a whisper, her words coming out in stilted bursts that made her hard to understand. For Haniya, English reading felt like an insurmountable mountain. "Her reading was very harsh-sounding, not very fluent, lacking expression," recalls her teacher, Roisin Faulke. "She was almost uncomfortable when reading aloud - very timid about it all."

English isn't the primary language spoken in Haniya’s home, making her journey with reading even more challenging. In class, she would rush through reading activities just to get them finished, showing little enthusiasm for books or stories. During group activities, she remained reserved, rarely volunteering answers or asserting herself amongst her peers.

A new chapter begins
Recognising that Haniya needed extra support, Ms Faulke enrolled her in Chapter One's Online Reading Volunteers Programme. Soon, Haniya was paired with Julia Mosharova, a volunteer from Sodexo, who had committed to joining her for weekly 30-minute online reading sessions throughout Haniya’s Primary 3 year.

At first, Haniya was apprehensive about these sessions. Like many children facing reading difficulties, she felt uncertain about this new experience. But something special was about to unfold.

Building Connection and Confidence
Week by week, Julia's patient, encouraging presence started to work its magic. The innovative blend of technology and human connection that defines Chapter One's approach meant that Haniya could access Julia’s support from the safety of her classroom, but still build a genuine relationship with someone who cared about her progress. "In the beginning, she wasn't really confident to talk much or say what she wanted to do," Julia remembers. "But now she is. I can hear it in her voice."

The transformation wasn't just about reading mechanics - it was about how Haniya saw herself. The consistent, one-to-one relationship with Julia, built over months of shared stories and gentle encouragement, began to shift something fundamental in Haniya's confidence.

Finding her voice
As autumn turned to winter and winter to spring, the changes in Haniya became increasingly apparent. Her once stilted reading began to flow more naturally. She started experimenting with expression and tone, bringing characters to life in ways that were more captivating than before for her listening classmates.

"She's definitely more fluent now," Ms Faulke observes. "The class is able to follow along [when she reads aloud] because it's no longer that low, painful sound. She's able to respond to comprehension questions too."

The evidence of Haniya's growing abilities was perhaps most striking during a Chapter One reading session on World Book Day in early March, when Julia suggested to Haniya that they read together a special World Book Day themed purple-level story - significantly more challenging than Haniya's usual reading level. Despite the story's length and complexity, Haniya not only read it but remembered the entire plot and answered questions about it.

"I was quite amazed," Julia recalls. "There were quite a lot of pages, and she could answer questions - [and] that was quite a long story!"

The ripple effect
But perhaps the most remarkable change is in Haniya's enjoyment of reading. The child who once rushed through reading activities now approaches them with genuine enthusiasm.

"She seems to really enjoy it, and you can hear her sort of giggling away with her volunteer at the [Chapter One laptop], and they're having a good time," Ms Faulke notes with a smile.

This newfound joy has extended beyond the Chapter One sessions. Friday trips to the school library have become highlights of Haniya's week.

"She's really enthusiastic about that [trips to the school library]," Ms Faulke explains. "Some children aren't - you have to really try and motivate them - but she's able to go in, browse the books, and choose ones that she likes."

Sharing the gift of reading
The confidence Haniya has gained through reading has begun to spill over into other areas of her life. She has become more communicative, more willing to participate in group discussions, and more confident in asserting herself amongst her peers.

"It's not just her reading confidence that's improved," Ms Faulke observes. "It's across the board. She's not shy about what she might say. She's just giving it a go. She seems way more comfortable just hearing her own voice."

This transformation is even inspiring Haniya to share her love of reading with others. In a moment that perfectly captures her journey, she enthusiastically read a story to a child in the youngest year group at school - the shy, reluctant reader has herself become a reading role model.

Beyond reading
The changes have extended to Haniya's writing as well. Where she once struggled to write more than a line or two, she now fills two pages with enthusiasm, her ideas flowing freely without being held back by concern for spelling errors.

"She used to write maybe a line or two, and it would take forever," Ms Faulke explains. "Now she'll write like two pages. You can decode what the words are. She's really just lost that disbelief in herself."

A recognition of self-growth
Perhaps most tellingly, Haniya herself recognises her transformation. When asked about her reading, she confidently told Ms Faulke that "she thinks she's better at reading" - a simple statement that represents a profound shift in self-perception.

Promise of a brighter future
Haniya's story is particularly significant given the context of her community. In Glasgow, where approximately one quarter of children live in poverty and where only 72.9% of Primary 4 pupils meet the Curriculum for Excellence Level in reading, success stories like Haniya's demonstrate the power of targeted, relationship-based support.

For Haniya, what began as weekly sessions with a caring volunteer has blossomed into a genuine love of reading, improved confidence across all areas of learning, and a fundamental shift in how she sees herself as a learner.

As Julia puts it simply: "Now she is confident. I can hear it in her voice."

And in that confident voice lies the promise of a brighter future - one where reading opens doors to endless possibilities.

* Haniya is not the child's real name

Haniya reads with Julia Mosharova, supported by our Platinum corporate partner the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation

Literacy and poverty rates in Glasgow

Glasgow is the Scottish city with the highest numbers of people living in deprived communities. The Child Poverty Report 2023 found that approximately one quarter of children in Glasgow are living in poverty.

According to the Scottish Government school education statistics, during 2023-24, 72.9% of Primary 4 pupils in Glasgow City compared to 79% across Scotland met the Curriculum for Excellence Level in reading.

The annual literacy survey conducted by the National Literacy Trust in collaboration with Scottish Book Trust (2023) showed that only 2 in 5 (41.5%) children and young people in Scotland enjoyed reading in their free time, meaning that nearly 3 in 5 (58.5%) did not enjoy reading. In addition, only approximately 1 in 4 (27.1%) reported reading daily (or almost daily) in their free time, meaning that 3 in 4 do not.

How can companies get involved in Chapter One?

Chapter One’s virtual, time-efficient, flexible model for volunteering will enhance your company’s employee value proposition, whilst fulfilling CSR or social value commitments around education, social mobility and inclusion. Employees can:

- volunteer online directly from their desks with no travel

- make a direct impact on the lives of children from disadvantaged communities

- support local communities across the UK

- improve their own well-being by helping others

- reconnect with your company’s social purpose

If you’re interested in joining us, we’d love to hear from you! You’ll find out who we currently work with on our partners’ page. You can contact us here or email sarah.taylor@chapterone.org.