There is such a day in Germany – Read Aloud Day, in German – Vorlesetag. It is celebrated throughout the country, always on the third Friday of November. In 2022 – November 18th. On this day, many people talk about the important role of books in the development of a child. The Reading Festival was initiated by the German foundations Zeit, Stiftung Lesen and Deutsche Bahn Stiftung and has been held since 2004. Among the well-known readers who delight children and adults, along with actors and actresses, was the former West Germany striker Thomas Müller (Thomas Müller) and the leading player of Bayern Munich. Well, how can you miss it!
Why Host a Read Aloud Day
Why do you need such a special day? “It’s an important day,” says Ulrike Schönherr, a longtime librarian. “We want to draw more attention to this topic.” Shortly before the holiday itself, the main organizers – the Zeit and Deutsche Bahn Stiftung foundations – publish a study on how often reading is read to children in Germany. The results every year are more upsetting than encouraging. If in 2019 almost 40 percent of parents read to their children several times a week, then in 2022 only 30 percent of them remained. The percentage of those who read to their children once a week has also halved. Today, only 60 percent of parents in Germany regularly read to their children, but one in five children is left without this important family ritual. And there have been significantly more such children over the past three years.
Why? Almost half of those who rarely read honestly admit that they simply do not have time and have more urgent household chores. And half say that they rely on others: in the garden or at school, children are also read.
“These studies show that parents do not have the desire or the time,” says Schönherr, an expert in children’s and youth literature. “Lack of time can certainly justify everything. And then there are families who say that they simply do not have enough books. After all, everyone has the opportunity to get literature today. Especially in the age of the internet. For example, on the website Einfachvorlesen.de for reading aloud for free offer interesting stories in German, complemented by bright pictures.
At least once a year, it is useful to remind that books must be in a child’s life, according to the organizers of the Day of Reading Aloud. Whether it’s a traditional book or digital, the format doesn’t really matter. “Reading aloud is a very important component,” says the head of the department of literature for children and youth in the city library of Delmenhorst. “It is important for the development of speech, the formation of personality, for fantasy and imagination, the development of tolerance and the acquisition of social qualities. And most importantly, for vocabulary child.” As numerous studies show, it is enough to devote 15 minutes a day to reading aloud – and you can already achieve a lot.
What is the best way to read
When is the best time to read, experienced librarian Ulrike, who also sits on the jury for the prestigious German Prize for Children’s Literature, has no golden rule: “Day or night until you fall asleep with your child, or just before bed, strictly for 15 minutes , – each family chooses its own path. The main thing is that reading aloud becomes a ritual,” emphasizes Ulrike Schönherr. The most valuable thing you can give a child is your time and attention, and reading aloud is a great opportunity to spend time with benefit and sincerely, a German expert from Delmenhorst, Lower Saxony, who in 2018 received the title of “Special city where reading aloud” is awarded. And they read aloud everywhere. Before corona, there were over 200 events a year! Readings were held on public transport, in a chapel at a cemetery, in a lingerie store (of course, we are not talking about children’s literature here).
See also:
Children’s books from German writers