Becoming literate in a digital age: Adapting reading education in the Netherlands

Current reading education fails Dutch youth: many students struggle in their ability to read. Also, the gap in reading ability between privileged and less-privileged students (divided by socio-economic, ethnic and multilingual backgrounds) is widening. Yet, we still expect all of them to be able to process written language when they are adults. Understanding and reflecting upon information, upon the self and upon the culture in which one grows up is key for school and career success, health, and psychological well-being.

The development of digital media and the resulting changes in online reading behaviour of the youth are, without doubt, an important factor in the decline of reading abilities. The impact of digital media on reading education, however, has yet to be charted and incorporated in reading education. This project aims to fill this knowledge gap by answering the question: How can future education foster reading comprehension and reading behaviour among Dutch youth (age 4-18) in a digital age (cluster question 065)?

As the online reading habits of youth continue to change, we assert that reading education should be much more about actual reading behaviour than has traditionally been the case. To do so, this project unites the forces of an interdisciplinary team of researchers, teachers, students, school boards, policy makers, educational publishers, businesses, and libraries to 1) develop a multidisciplinary model and framework of (the teaching of) reading comprehension and reading behaviour in a digital age, 2) design, implement, and test effective educational interventions based on this model and framework; 3) integrate results into the model to build a comprehensive, evidence-based foundation for widespread educational improvement.

We work across primary to secondary schools, focusing on students who are most at risk for a reading delay. We implement our results in schools, methods, teacher-training and policy for lasting results.