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The “reading crisis” among Dutch youth is a major concern of language experts | Book & Culture

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15 sep 2022 om 05:00Update: een uur geleden


  • Zie ook‘Leesvaardigheid van Nederlandse jongeren daalt steeds harder’

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    ‘The effect of a poor reading cannot be underestimated’

    The consequences of poor or no reading should not be underestimated, says Jan-Willem Heijkoop of Reading and Writing. Since 2014, this foundation has drawn attention to the growing low literacy in the Netherlands.

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    More than 2.5 million adult Dutch people cannot read and write well – one in six citizens. But there is a good chance that this number will increase if reading among young people is not tackled quickly, Heijkoop warns.

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    “Those who can’t read well don’t keep up with this company on so many fronts,” he explains. “You are less able to manage a computer or a smartphone. But it is also much more difficult, for example, to read job offers or write an application letter. And think about reading the mail, for example, of the general practitioner or tax authorities, or information brochures for medicines. They can have far-reaching consequences if you don’t understand things like that because you can’t read well. “

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    “Making low literacy and dereading a topic of discussion”

    It is very difficult to pinpoint a cause of low literacy in the Netherlands, Heijkoop says. “For example, the aging of the population plays a role: as we get older, our language skills decline. But it is also a big problem that the language deficit of students when they leave school is not bridged. People are ashamed not to knowing how to read well and I prefer not to ask for help “.

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    The Dutch Competence Center, which will present one of the studies in December, agrees with the statement that it is of great importance that the topic be discussed. “There is a sense of urgency, both in education itself and in the government,” says Nicole Swart.

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    The ministry also recently released money for the so-called ‘basic skills of the masterplan‘that Education Minister Dennis Wiersma launched in May. “You notice that teachers come up with all sorts of initiatives to get students to read. Everyone understands that things have to be different and better. But that doesn’t happen overnight. It takes years to see the effect of the plans that are made. now they are being implemented. launched. “

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    The book industry encourages young people to read games

    The book industry is doing its best to get young people to read again with all kinds of new initiatives. Book dome CPNB recently launched tales set in the world of the popular video game Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. The project, which included writer Ronald Giphart, was developed in collaboration with game producer Ubisoft.

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    “We hear from parents that children primarily associate reading with school,” explains CPNB director Eveline Aendekerk. “Reading is therefore seen less and less as a leisure activity. Also, there is a lot of competition from other things that children can do. Play is on top of that.”

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    The initiative had an effect: almost half of the young gamers then indicated that they wanted to know more. CPNB will launch a partnership with the digital platform in two weeks Minecraft around the series of children’s books The crazy tree house.

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    “We have seen in recent years that ‘our’ apparent enemies like social media and games can also help young people find their way back to the book,” notes Aendekerk proudly. “And if children enjoy picking up a book in their free time, their academic performance also benefits.”

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    “Dare to discuss the subject with friends”

    The Foundation for Reading and Writing emphasizes that it is important to look beyond education. “It is good to address the problem among young people,” says Heijkoop. “But it’s even harder to reach low-literate adults. There’s a taboo about that. You can only break it if society recognizes the signs across the board and dares to name them.”

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    The foundation recommends that people discuss the topic with friends who may not be literate. “Many low-literate people think they are the only ones with this problem, which is not the case. And there are many ways to brush up on your language skills in an accessible way. For example, most municipalities and libraries have contacts with volunteers who understand the lessons read “.

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