Stiftung Lesen, German Reading Foundation

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Programme names Country Date of information
Lesestart and Lesen bringt uns weiter: Lesestart für Flüchtlingskinder Germany June 2019
Question Answer
About the Organisation  
Organisation name Stiftung Lesen
Organisation address Stiftung Lesen Römerwall 40 55131 Mainz
Goal/objective “Lesestart” is a national reading promotion programme for families with young children.

“Reading is our Future – The Lesestart for Refugee Children Reading Program” (Lesen bringt uns weiter – Lesestart für Flüchtlingskinder) is a national reading promotion programme for refugee families with their young children.  
Contact Person Sabine Bonewitz
(Ulrike Weber)
Position of Contact Person Head of Programme, Lesestart Project Manager
(Lesen bringt uns weiter Project Manager)
Contact email  
Contact Telephone Number  
Organisation website https://www.lesestart.de/
https://www.lesestart.de/das-lesestart-set/
https://www.lesen-bringt-uns-weiter.de
Organisation type The Programme is part of the work of the German Reading Foundation. Our foundation aims at running national and regional reading promotion programmes for every reading age.
As to the statutes of our organisation, we have a Foundation Council as consultants of our projects and a Board of Trustees.
How many staff does your organisation employ?
Lesestart Programme: 10 employees (50 percent part-time workers)
Lesen bringt uns weiter programme: 5 employees (70 percent part-time workers)
Stiftung Lesen staff: 45 employees (50 percent part-time workers)
About the Programme  
Basic details  
Programme name Lesestart (Lesestart 1–2–3)
Country/Province/City where the programme takes place Germany
Year started 2011-2019: Lesestart- Three Milestones for Reading /
new and modified in 2019: Lesestart 1–2–3
Programme goal/objective “Lesestart” is a national reading promotion programme for families with young children.  To support children in their very early literacy education.
Funding sources Lesestart is funded by the German Reading Foundation on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung [BMBF]).
Geographic coverage In this programme, we work on a national basis with several partners, i. e. paediatricians, librarians and other stakeholders, who support us on a voluntary basis.
Are you involved in any other comparable networks? In the course of the programme the cooperation between Lesestart and all Lesestart-partners have been strengthened and new networks have been established. We helped to set up new networks for our partners and stakeholders in the medical centres, in libraries, in kindergartens and in other institutions (healthcare centres, early intervention, etc.).
Purpose of the programme  
Not for profit? We work non-profit.
Religious or political purpose? Our organisation does not have any religious or political purpose.
Local consistency of model  
Is your programme model consistent across your geographic area, or are there regional differences? We offer a basic supply for our target groups. There are funders like EWR (German Electricity Supplier) who order the Lesestart sets for their region.
Book Packs  
What are the contents of your gifting pack? The set includes one age-based book and a guide for parents in 5 languages. The leaflets in different languages will be available online (download).
Is your programme offered free of charge to all families? Yes
Partnerships and Delivery  
What are your primary ‘points of contact’ with the population you serve? – Directly to the medical centre of the paediatrician. Paediatricians: 1 year, 2 years
– Directly to the library. Library: 3 years
Who gifts/hands-out your pack to families?    – The paediatrician gives the pack to the parents during the early child detection examination.
– The librarian gives the gift to visitors of the library when they loan a book or during a reading aloud event.
If your programme uses volunteers, please give some more details Prominent ambassadors support our campaign.
Audience  
Is the programme universal or targeted? The programme is for children from one to three. We support 50 to 60 percent of families with young children in Germany. The material is targeted for parents with one, two and three year old children.
How many children does your programme serve a year? 4,8 million Lesestart sets have been distributed within the period of 8 years from the first programme. As to the modified Lesestart programme, we plan to distribute 3 times 1.35 million sets (4,05 million sets) within the period of 8 years.
At what age/gifting period do children receive your programme.   Paediatricians: 1 year, 2 years
Library: 3 years
Diversity provision  
Does your program include provisions or resources for children with special needs?  As cohesive and inclusive society, in kindergartens, fairly healthcare centres and early intervention, the Lesestart sets are beneficial for all children.
What language populations does your programme serve? Our guide for parents is available in 5 languages.
Evaluation and research  
Have you conducted programme evaluation or research (including longitudinal)? If yes, has this evaluation/research been published?  “Lesestart” is under supervising researchers throughout the programme, in order to find out how parents read more at home and how they support their children in learning to read.
Evaluation details will be available at the end of the period of the first programme.
Supporting researcher of Lesestart is the Research Institute InterVal GmbH in Berlin.
Question Answer
About the Programme  
Programme name “Reading is our Future – The Lesestart for Refugee Children Reading Program” (Lesen bringt uns weiter – Lesestart für Flüchtlingskinder)
Contact Person Ulrike Weber
Position of Contact Person Project Manager
Contact email ulrike.weber@stiftunglesen.de
Contact Telephone Number  
Website https://www.lesen-bringt-uns-weiter.de,
https://www.lesestart-fuer-fluechtlingskinder.de/
How many staff on this programme? 5 employees (70 percent part-time workers)
Geographic coverage Germany
Year started 2015
Programme goal/objective  “Reading is our Future – The Lesestart for Refugee Children Reading Program” is a national reading promotion programme for refugee families with their young children
Funding sources “Reading is our Future – The Lesestart for Refugee Children Reading Program” is run by the German Reading Foundation on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research.
Networks In our expert conferences (9 symposiums in 9 different cities) we reached different partners to extend our network. We helped to set up new networks for our partners and stakeholders.
Purpose of the programme  
Not for profit? Yes
Religious or political purpose? None
Local consistency of model  
Is your programme model consistent across your geographic area, or are there regional differences? We offer a basic supply for our target groups. There is no other sponsorship.
Book Packs  
What are the contents of your gifting pack? The set includes one book for beginning readers and a small guide for parents in 12 languages.
Is your programme offered free of charge to all families? Yes
Partnerships and Delivery  
What are your primary ‘points of contact’ with the population you serve? In this project, we work together with local partners, i. e. qualified persons in arrival centres for asylum seeking people and specially trained volunteers, who practice first German words with the children.
Who gifts/hands-out your pack to families?     160 Arrival Centres for asylum seekers of the Federal States (so-called Bundesländer) in Germany are the single delivery partners in the project. Qualified persons in arrival centres and specially trained volunteers.
If your programme uses volunteers, please give some more details Gifters include specially trained reading aloud volunteers in 160 Arrival Centres.
Audience  
Is the programme universal or targeted? The programme is for young refugees and their families in Germany. The material is targeted for parents and their children who are refugees.
How many children does your programme serve a year? Roundabout 57.206,25 children annually, which makes 228.825,00 children in the report period (2015 – 2018).
At what age/gifting period do children receive your programme.   Mainly they are very young (1 to 6).
Diversity provision  
Does your program include provisions or resources for children with special needs? The sets are beneficial for all children.
What language populations does your programme serve? Our small guide for parents is available in 12 languages. For details, please see https://www.lesestart-fuer-fluechtlingskinder.de/materialien/elternflyer-in-verschiedenen-sprachen/
Evaluation and research  
Have you conducted programme evaluation or research (including longitudinal)? If yes, has this evaluation/research been published?  “Reading is our Future – The Lesestart for Refugee Children reading program” has not been evaluated.

Videos

Videos and Powerpoints

4 May 2020 meeting – Impact evaluation

Prof Dr Simone C Ehmig: Stiftung Lesen, Germany – Impact Evaluation of the 3 Milestones Project 2011-19

17 Nov 2020 meeting – Progress of new programmes

Sabine Bonewitz, German Reading Foundation, Stiftung Lesen, Germany 

17 May 2022 – Research updates on programmes

Sabine Bonewitz: German Reading Foundation, Stiftung Lesen, Germany