Bringing Students Together Through Kinderboekenweek
During Kinderboekenweek (Dutch Children’s Book Week), students from across ISA came together to celebrate Dutch literature, with older and younger learners sharing stories and making connections beyond their usual classrooms.
Celebrated across the Netherlands each October, Kinderboekenweek gives our Primary School students an opportunity to discover Dutch children’s literature, as well as develop a love of reading.This year, our Early Childhood and Primary School Libraries marked the occasion with a week of activities that also encouraged students to connect with the language and culture of their host country.
One highlight of the week was a series of buddy-reading sessions that brought Dutch language students from Grades 7-10 together with Kindergarten and Grade 1 students in the Early Childhood Library.
Across three sessions, the older students read Dutch stories to their younger peers, putting their language skills into practice in a different setting. For the younger children, having older students visit their library made reading an especially exciting experience.
“The older students were really gentle and supportive reading partners, and the Kindergarten and Grade 1 students loved it so much they kept asking for ‘just one more book,'” shared Early Years Librarian Nathalie. “It went so well that a few of the older students even asked if they could come back and read to the Kindergarteners again!”
The experience gave Secondary School students an opportunity to use their Dutch for a real purpose, while taking on a supportive role with younger learners. They had to think about how to engage their reading buddies and make the stories enjoyable for them.
For the Kindergarten and Grade 1 students, the sessions offered a different way to experience Dutch literature. Having older students share stories with them helped build their excitement around books, while giving them the chance to get to know students they might not otherwise meet during the school day.
The celebrations extended across the libraries throughout the week, with lessons exploring Dutch authors and children’s literature, including stories translated into English. Teachers and staff also joined as guest readers, while Grade 12 students led interactive read-aloud sessions as part of their Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) projects.
For Nathalie, one of the most rewarding parts of bringing students together across divisions is seeing the connections continue afterwards.
“Connecting Early Childhood with Middle and High School makes our big campus feel a little smaller and more connected,” she explained. “After the sessions, the Kindergarteners love spotting ‘their’ reading buddies around school, which creates a wonderful sense of community across the whole school.”
By bringing students together across divisions, Kinderboekenweek offered opportunities for learning that went beyond their usual learning environments. Older students could apply their language skills in a meaningful way, while younger learners discovered the enjoyment of sharing books with someone new, giving all of the students a renewed sense of connection to our school community.
