ONE TO ONE is proud to be celebrating 35 years of joyful reading for children across British Columbia! Through our programs, we have been taking the struggle out of reading and instilling joy and confidence since 1989. To mark this milestone, from December 3rd to 10th, all gifts of $35 or more will be matched thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor. This allows you to double the impact you can make on children’s literacy in your community.
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WHY IS CHILDREN’S LITERACY IMPORTANT TODAY?
Literacy is more than just the ability to read and write. It’s a human right and the foundation for learning, social well-being, health, active citizenship, and economic opportunity. Low literacy is a serious public health concern in Canada. Recent studies have shown that 48% of adults have literacy skills below what is typically required to complete high school and do most jobs in Canada. In addition, Canada’s overall reading scores declined 13 points between 2018 and 2022. And since research has shown that a child’s reading proficiency by the end of grade 3 indicates their likelihood to achieve these literacy levels to reach their full potential, children’s literacy is very much an urgent concern today.
In celebration of our 35 years, we would like to share some of our favourite heartwarming stories with you over the course of our winter giving campaign. These stories highlight our generous volunteers who have gifted so much of their time and passion for literacy, and the amazing students they inspired who moved from reluctance to confidence in their reading.
Meet Pooja 
Students connect with ONE TO ONE for a variety of reasons. The opportunity to connect with a caring and patient volunteer tutor to practice reading with is invaluable. Many of our students are newcomers. When Pooja immigrated to Canada from India at six years old, she wasn’t fluent in English yet. She was so excited to start Kindergarten, but within a week of arriving in Canada schools were closed due to COVID-19. Kindergarten did not happen for Pooja as she imagined, and subsequently her whole Grade One year was online. Pooja started ONE TO ONE tutoring virtually in Grade One and took to it right away.
“My tutor was super nice,” Pooja remembers. “She always encouraged me…and told me to keep up the good work.”
Her mom, Purnima, explained to us how ONE TO ONE impacted her daughter. “I could see how much Pooja enjoyed reading with her tutor. She learned new words and how to use them. Knowing the language better has helped her get the confidence to make friends.”
Meet Marie
Marie was one of our first students to participate in our virtual reading programs. Having just moved to a new city during the pandemic, the virtual literacy tutoring seemed to be a good way for Marie to develop her reading skills, connect with a trusted adult, and gain confidence. It didn’t take long for Marie to make a meaningful connection with her tutor Susan.
Her mom Pascale reported the noticeable differences in her reading skills: “she reads so well with Susan, using such emotion and emphasis in her words. They built a bond and Marie really found it so fun. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t be so eager to stop playing and exploring outside in the springtime to come inside and read.”
Meet Lauren
Lauren recalls being a creative and imaginative kid. When her mom passed away, she began quietly struggling in school and in her reading. Through spending time reading with a patient and caring tutor, Lauren felt empowered once again. As Lauren’s literacy skills grew, her confidence blossomed, and her whole world opened up.
“Learning to read was about so much more than school,” she explains. “When you can’t read, it creates isolation. It creates loneliness. I don’t want any kid to feel as alone as I felt.”
Because of her tutor, Lauren was able to build a strong and supported future. Today, she is a talented writer, enthusiastic reader, and caring ONE TO ONE tutor.
Meet Robin
Sylvia got in touch with us to share her son Robin’s reading success story. She told us, “He spent Sept to December pretending to read during silent reading time. He had no interest in reading, likely felt daunted by it as ‘everyone else’ could read and was frustrated.
“He went from only knowing his ABCs in January to reading at grade level in June (as stated in his report card). This is all due to your program in conjunction with the resource teacher. I believe the one-on-one time provided the non-judgemental, patience and support he needed to learn to read which I felt was lacking in his classroom environment. “
We recently had the chance to catch up with Robin again and he has come a long way from the Grade 1 student who had no interest in reading. Sylvia again told us how things began to change when he met his ONE TO ONE tutor: fear faded away and a new space opened up where he felt safe and encouraged
We would like to thank our community of donors who have generously supported our programs for 35 years strong! We have much work to do, and we are excited about the impact we can make in 2025 with your help.
Make a gift to ONE TO ONE this holiday season to support children’s literacy in your community
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