Reading Express; service for newcomers and refugees

Due to the fact that the Netherlands is a multicultural country (as many around the world) we are facing the fact that reading aloud to young children is not very common in families with an oral background or poor reading skills or even illiterate. The Reading Express is an approach which is developed on a national level and executed on city and village level. The concept on its own is simple but effective. Volunteers get a training on reading aloud and are connected to a family where they will read stories to the child or children for 20 weeks in their own home. Parents need to be present and are trained on the job as well. Halfway the program the family, parents and children, visit the public library to get acquainted and feel relaxed. At the end of the 20 weeks parents promise to continue the reading aloud sessions.