The Reading & Writing Foundation believes that the low literacy issue in the Netherlands should be recognised by all layers of society, and that it also deserves a place on the international agenda. The foundation supports a multiple, rather than an individual, approach. The latter is aimed at special target groups who are isolated and therefore approached without taking the wider situation into account, e.g. education programs geared solely to adults. The foundation supports an approach that begins with the first “link” in the “chain”, i.e. encouraging an interest in reading for children by reading to them. Then, reading skills in elementary school children must be stimulated. An additional link in the chain is the promotion of the use of proper language among teachers, as well as in literacy training for native Dutch-speakers and non-native Dutch speakers. Finally, companies, governmental institutions, trade unions and general practitioners must, whenever possible, take responsibility for the prevention and reduction of low literacy.
