Mentor - the reading helpers

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Otto Stender , co-founder and president of the Federal Association of Voluntary Mentors

Mentor - Die Leselernhelfer Bundesverband e. V. , based in Cologne , is a German non-profit association that is dedicated to promoting young people in the field of German language acquisition . The focus of the work is the development of reading skills (reading skills and comprehension) and language skills of children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 16 years.

history

The couple Otto Stender and Johanna Stender, both booksellers, found widespread support among friends for their idea of ​​“Hanover's answer to Pisa” and in 2003 founded the first MENTOR association. According to the first newspaper reports, over 100 interested volunteers registered; in the same year almost 200 schools were looked after in Hanover. The initiative became a successful model and only one year later it received the startsocial federal award from then Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder . A nationwide movement developed from the idea, and more and more volunteers founded MENTOR associations in Germany. Since 2008 they have been organized under the umbrella of the Federal Association with 73 clubs and ten groups across Germany today. MENTOR differs from other reading initiatives in that it is based on the founder's principle of success: imparting reading skills as well as providing continuous support for reading children based on defined criteria.

In 2011, 7,500 students were accompanied by around 6,000 mentors, who in turn are organized in 40 regional associations. In 2017, over 14,000 students were accompanied by around 11,000 mentors through 72 regional member associations. These figures show how successful MENTOR funding is. Historically grown, the movement spread particularly quickly in northern Germany and the west. In 2017, the federal association made greater efforts to found associations and groups in southern Germany.

Co-founder Otto Stender and his first student were invited by Prince Charles to Berlin in April 2009 to personally present the idea of ​​the mentor project to the Crown Prince.

Numerous awards for the federal association and the regional clubs followed every year.

tasks

“Our children are our future!” (“Çocular geleceğimizdir Onlari destekleyelin”); Joint information stand of the Federation of Turkish Parents' Associations in Lower Saxony ( FÖTEV-Nds ) with mentor - Die Leselernhelfer Hannover eV ;
2015 at the "Discovery Day of the Hanover Region "

A mentor only looks after one child for a period of at least one school year, once a week. MENTOR's reading promotion always takes place in cooperation with the schools . The teachers select students with individual needs. If you and your parents agree, the first meeting with a reading mentor follows. MENTOR's help for schools is necessary and welcome, because a third of parents read too little to their children. As a result, they often come to schools with considerable linguistic gaps. The reading mentors pick up on the students' skills and interests, ensure individual reading promotion and give them time and attention. In this way, the mentors help their reading children get off to a better start in life. Only those who can read and understand the meaning of texts can form an opinion, graduate from school and take control of their life.

The children and young people are supported individually and receive attention and appreciation. This means that the MENTOR idea goes far beyond actually reading. A mentoring lesson is neither remedial nor tuition. MENTOR supports all children. Experience shows that reading children and young people with this approach enjoy reading, improve their language and reading skills, become more self-confident and increase their social skills , independence and creativity.

The Federal Association sees itself as a politically independent point of contact for reading initiatives in Germany that are committed to the individual support of children and young people in the field of reading and language skills . The federal association is committed to the growth of the idea of Mentor - Die Leselernhelfer . He ensures the quality standards for the support of the children and adolescents also through further education and materials.

It serves as an organization and information platform, as a discussion and training forum for its members and also represents their interests in politics and business. Members are registered associations as well as other legal persons who can prove the status of the public benefit. Once a year, the general assembly decides on the further development of the movement.

literature

  • Petra Rückerl: When reading becomes an adventure / In times of smartphones and Netflix, reading is often neglected and many children do not even have their own book ... , in: Neue Presse from October 26, 2018, p. 17
  • Verena Koll: This is how a project from Hanover ended up in Cologne , in: Neue Presse from October 26, 2018, p. 17

Web links

Commons : Mentor - The Reading Aids  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Margret Schaaf, Huguette Morin-Hauser (responsible): Imprint according to on the website of the Federal Association, last accessed on May 3, 2017
  2. ↑ History on mentor-leselernhelfer-heidelberg.de ( Memento from October 12, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ↑ MENTOR Die Leselernhelfer Hannover (ed.): An idea makes school, the volunteer initiative MENTOR - Die Leselernhelfer . 2nd Edition. Hannover 2008, ISBN 3-934900-09-7 , pp. 115 .
  4. ↑ About the federal association. Retrieved January 18, 2018 .
  5. ↑ About MENTOR. Retrieved January 18, 2018 .
  6. ↑ Jan Sedelies : British discover “Mentor” project , in: Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung of April 23, 2009
  7. ↑ Why reading promotion is essential in Germany. Reading Foundation, January 18, 2018, accessed January 18, 2018 .
  8. ↑ MENTOR - Die Leselernhelfer Bundesverband (Ed.): MENTOR - with the 1: 1 principle to success, materials for the qualification of reading mentors . 1st edition.