EU Read

Research by Stiftung Lesen

Volunteer Readers

Testing and evaluating regional projects for promoting reading: The example of volunteer readers

Within early years education, reading out aloud and storytelling constitute an important opportunity for motivating children to (learn to) read. Considering that in 42 percent of the households with pre-school aged children in Germany, reading aloud is practised too little, the active contribution of volunteer readers becomes increasingly significant. However, voluntary engagement is in many cases not recognised. Despite its relevance for society as a whole, this is hardly researched in a systematic way.

In how far voluntary reading initiatives contribute to early years reading education, in what ways they are successful but even more: what potential should be established and kindled for improvement:  Stiftung Lesen intends to find answers to these questions in a project supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Knowledge about the kinds of activities that are under way and their effects allows for modifications and for fostering the desired effects. Fundamentally, the project aims at “Professionalising” voluntary engagement in the field of reading aloud and storytelling, thus sustaining and further developing the promotion of young children and assuring far-reaching educational opportunities.

The project was kick-started in January 2010 and will develop until April 2013 according to the following stages:
1. Basic research;
2. participating observation of read-out aloud situations and qualitative and quantitative interviews of children, volunteer readers and carers;
3. development of training modules suited to the respective needs
4. conducting and evaluating prototypical seminars and
5. deducting a qualification programme.

Results will probably be published in Spring 2013!