Lire et Faire Lire fosters a love of reading

The findings

So-called “basic” skills form the bedrock of teaching during primary education (from preschool to 10 years old). It’s here that pupils learn reading, writing, maths and respect for others. But in 20% of cases, pupils starting junior school haven’t mastered these basic skills sufficiently, creating difficulties which will remain with them for the rest of their school years.

Fully aware of the problems related to inequality which this skills gap can cause, in 2017 the Ministry of Education launched a campaign to promote books and reading with the “Ensemble, pour un pays de lecteurs” programme (Working together for a country of readers). The idea is to give everyone the same chance of success by encouraging pupils to read and to improve their French language skills. With this in mind, this programme subsidises associations working in this field, such as Lire et Écrire, launched in 2000 by the writer Alexandre Jardin.

Lire et faire lire's mission

The Lire et Faire Lire association organises reading sessions for young children in the education system to familiarise them with the written language and help them grow and develop thanks to simple stories dealing with essential life themes.

A distinctive characteristic of this initiative is that it encourages inter-generational dialogue as the volunteers are adults aged over 50. These adults act as role models for children, encouraging them to persevere as they learn to read. The pupils are encouraged by the presence of the kindly volunteers and build up their self-confidence.