Focus on reading promotion: Neunkirchen's students inspire elementary school students!

Focus on reading promotion: Neunkirchen's students inspire elementary school students!

As part of the “Book Buddies” project, 14 students from the Neunkirchen comprehensive school recently successfully participated in a special reading project. This committed project, which was organized by the State Working Group on Youth and Literature NRW, had the goal of building reading sponsorships and promoting reading skills of primary school children. On January 16, 2025, the final meeting and certificate handover under the direction of teacher Maren Ditzen and the teachers Renate Paßmann-Lange and Ise Dederichs took place, where the students were recognized for their commitment. ksta.de reported that the project took place on seven dates in November and December, Every Tuesday after school.

In the run -up to the project, the participating students completed one -day training as an open all -day school (OGS) in Wolperath. Equipped with pizza boxes filled with books and creative materials, the students set off to support the younger children. Among other things, the materials included radio plays, swinging towels and selected objects to match the stories that additionally enriched the fun of reading.

Young role models for elementary school students

The project gives the elementary school children the opportunity to get in touch with young people. This type of interaction not only promotes self -reading skills, but also strengthens the voluntary commitment of the young people. The positive feedback from the students, who enthusiastically recommend the project, testify to its success. Nevertheless, there was justified criticism: Some students reported that certain books were not optimally tailored to the interests of fourth graders and was found that some children were bored during the reading sessions.

Especially Renate Paßmann-Lange praised the flexibility of the group and pointed out the importance of feedback to improve the project. The students also expressed wishes for optimization, especially when it comes to preparation. Headmaster Alfred Himpeler congratulated the participants on their certificates and emphasized how valuable they could be for their future applications.

Additional reading promotion

The "Book Buddies" project is part of a broader initiative for promoting reading, which is supported by various organizations. The Reading Foundation is also committed to the reading skills of children and adolescents. She recently created a new digital volunteer area to support volunteers in reading aloud and promoting reading in schools and kindergartens. Reading patients can get involved here, which is a valuable addition in view of the often limited capacities of the teachers. Stiftungsenen.de emphasizes that every increase in reading is considered success.

Overall, the successful concept of book buddies illustrates how important the connection between young and old is for reading promotion. This type of projects not only offers a platform for joint learning, but also the opportunity to develop social skills and to inspire children sustainably for reading.