Why is reading so important?
Millions of adults struggle to read English, which can have a big impact on quality of life. Everyday activities such as food shopping, using a smartphone or helping children with homework can seem impossible without the ability to read. Here at Reading Coach we want to change that and open up the exciting world of opportunities that reading brings.
Who is Reading Coach for?
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Adults who are fluent English speakers but for whatever reason cannot read.
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Absolute beginners with no or very limited reading skills.
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Adults who live in Bristol.
Why you'll love learning with Reading Coach
Regular one-to-one or group reading sessions in Bristol with a friendly reading coach.
Access to beginner reading materials that are suitable for adults.
Coaching sessions that take place in a quiet, comfortable space away from others.
What does a Reading Coach session look like?
Each session is 45 minutes long and will be in a public place in Central Bristol, like the Library, at a time that suits both the learner and reading coach.
Reading Coach is affiliated with YWAM Bristol, a registered charity, and all coaching sessions are free of charge.
Why is Reading Coach unique?
We use a new way of learning to read called UniSkript. UniSkript is a symbol-based alphabet that is quick and easy to learn. In the UniSkript alphabet, each symbol represents how the sound is made in your mouth so you can associate or link the symbol with the sound. This makes it faster and easier to learn with less memorising.
Think of UniSkript as an easy way to speed up the journey to reading in English.
The key to learning to read is understanding that sounds are separated and represented by letters (or symbols), which can be put together to make syllables and words. UniSkript helps to quickly learn this principle, which makes it easier to then associate and memorise which sounds go with which Roman letters. This is because the hardest part of acquiring the system and understanding how reading works has already been done.
Learning the UniSkript alphabet is the first step to reading English. Step two is transitioning to reading the Roman alphabet.
The advantages of learning to read
What can you do once you’ve learnt to read?
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Read food labels in the supermarket to make healthier choices
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Take advantage of special offers in shops to save money
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Read signposts and public transport information to get around easily
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Help children with their homework
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Read a magazine or book for fun
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Book a holiday online to get the best deal
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Read a newspaper to stay up-to-date with the latest news
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Read medicine labels to take the right amount of medication
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Search the internet for useful information
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Read and reply to text messages or emails from friends and family
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Read job applications and apply for higher paid, more interesting jobs
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Read and follow a recipe to cook new or healthier meals
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Read customer reviews to help choose the best products to buy
Meet Matt & Charlie - your Reading Coaches
Contact Us
Fill in the form below and we'll be in touch
We're a married couple from Bristol and we're passionate about helping adults learn to read. In 2015 when we were volunteering for a charity in America, we were introduced to UniSkript and have been helping to develop this unique way of learning to read ever since.
With backgrounds in adult education and design, we’ve been able to create learning resources that are interactive, quick to learn and suitable for adult learners. To contact us about learning to read or to ask any questions about Reading Coach, please fill out the contact form below.