Reading and playing with children with a language delay

Aylin saw Klassen, thedocumentary series about the fight for equal opportunities in education, onTV and thought: I want to make a difference for these children. Therefore, in addition to her business administration studies, she has become a volunteer at dthe VoorleesExpress. One hour per week she visits a girl of6 years old who lives in a family that speaks little Dutch at home with each other. “One time I asked her, ‘Is that a purple apple?’ and she laughed hard and said, ‘No silly’!”We live around the corner from each other in Amsterdam Nieuw-West. We read, play games, write letters, draw, play with Barbies, and playfully engage with the Dutch language. She speaks Dutch quite well, but during this hour she learns new words and discovers how a sentence is structured. It’s super fun to help children. Every time she is happy to see me, she calls me teacher, so funny.”

From young to old

“I am a bit of an idealist and was looking for volunteer work where I can develop myself and help others move forward. I am interested in children with a migration background and their development. During an information session for new volunteers, I got very excited about the VoorleesExpress. It was good to see that the new volunteers here were very diverse, young and old, with backgrounds from all over the world. I contribute to a slightly fairer world by doing this.”

Language is the foundation

“Children should have equal opportunities, I believe. And language is very important in that regard. You can’t do anything without language. You may not be able to participate as well, which can lead to losing motivation, becoming frustrated, and dropping out. When you have a good command of the Dutch language, you can develop and use your talents. Participating in studies, part-time jobs, and understanding others well in all aspects of the language, including subtle jokes. And yes, learning the language can be done by playing with Barbies!”

What is just one hour per week?

“My friends are okay with it or sometimes surprised that I do volunteer work. But I think secretly they also quite like it. I enjoy turning the corner every week to see the little girl, next week with a Frozen book, she loves it!”

Volunteers wanted

• As a volunteer reader, you will be matched with your ‘own’ reading family with one or more children between the ages of 2-8 with (the risk of) a language delay. You agree to meet for an hour 20 times a week to read aloud and stimulate reading pleasure and language development in other ways. You can do this physically (at the family’s home or at the library), online, or a combination of both. In addition, you will be a coach for the parents/caregivers and provide them with tools to independently work on language stimulation for their child(ren).More information or sign up, check here

• Curious about other volunteer opportunities? In our online job board, there are about 1000 fun and meaningful tasks in the city. For everyone’s talent and schedule.
  Search online or schedule an appointment with one of our mediators.Sorry, but I cannot provide a translation without the text to work on. Please provide the text you need to be translated.

Text: Nettie Sterrenburg
Photo: Huub ZeemanVCA Media