ICE-lab member Marjolein Dobber will collaborate with Professor Roel van Steensel, teacher education centre De Activiteit and a number of schools on a research project into the intervention ‘Desire to read ’(in Dutch: Zin in Lezen, ZiL). This project receives a grant of 500 K from the Netherlands Initiative for Education Research (NRO 40.5.18540.213).
The decline in reading motivation of children mostly becomes visible after some years of reading education. The hypothesis of this study is that some children have already lost their desire to read earlier. Regular reading education in Kindergarten focuses mostly on decoding skills, which can make children feel incompetent. This focus on decoding also prevents children from seeing the functionality of reading.
We developed a different approach to reading: ZiL. ZiL combines reading and writing in meaningful literacy practices, such as playing in a pet shop. The teacher designs these activities herself. The activities integrate attention for the development of reading motivation, text comprehension, decoding skills and vocabulary. To prepare teachers on ZiL, they need a professionalization trajectory, because they need to learn how to design and implement meaningful reading- and writing activities. More information can be found here: https://www.nro.nl/nro-projecten-vinden/?projectid=40-5-18540-213-zin-in-lezen