PERSONNEL from 16 Air Assault Brigade, the British Army’s largest, are helping to spread the importance of reading to children at a Colchester school.
Airborne signallers from 216 (Parachute) Signal Squadron visited King’s Ford Infant and Nursery School, which has about a third of its pupils from military families, to read with children.
Lance Corporal Benjamin Minett listening to Carter Brown read
Signaller David MacLellan said: “When I was younger I wouldn’t have had the self-confidence to read in front of adults I didn’t know, but the children were steaming through it!
“It’s nice to build our links to a local school and hopefully the children have learnt that soldiers are a friendly and approachable part of the community.”
Soldiers from 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment and 13 Air Assault Support Regiment Royal Logistic Corps are scheduled to visit in the coming weeks to read with children.
Rachel Saunders, deputy head teacher at the school, said: “Reading is a vitally important life skill, without which most day-to-day tasks cannot be undertaken. The children have really enjoyed having the soldiers come in to read with them.
“It’s nice for them to have a different audience to read to and act as role models to show the importance of reading in every profession.”
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