Samenvatting

SUMMARY The Easy Reading Corner is a translation of the name of a Dutch project. This project, inside libraries in the Netherlands and Belgium (Flanders), called Makkelijk Lezen Plein (after this MLP). The aim of this project is to give children with reading difficulties, confidence in their reading and make them enjoy picking up a book. The objective of this dissertation is to investigate the conditions to bring the MLP to the U.K. I asked the question: "Which conditions are needed for the introduction of the concept MLP in U.K. Libraries?" To find the answer to this question, I started with desk research on what the characteristics are of the MLP. The current situation in the U.K shows that there are organisations already working with children with reading difficulties, like Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre (Chapter 4) and resources to help children with their reading (Chapter 5). The primary target groups for the MLP are the libraries, who are the providers. The children aged between eight and thirteen years with reading difficulties, are the users of the project and are just as important to this research. To see what the needs are of these children, I organised a group discussion. A group of seven children aged between eleven and thirteen years. The results of this discussion can be found in §6.1. During the group discussion, I focused on the problems the children have with reading and their experience within libraries. Most of the children did not like to read because they find it too difficult which makes it boring for them. Going to the library is not their favourite activity, due to the fact that they feel like people are judging them (afraid that they may do something that they should not be doing) and it is too quiet. The survey showed the children were interested in the project. The project could potentially lead to a place for themselves, which in turn could stimulate them to pick up a book. The results of the survey that I took into libraries, schools and posted online can be found in §6.2. This will explain how libraries already support the children and what their opinion is of the MLP. In the survey, I observed that the bigger libraries support children with reading difficulties with projects, reading aids and a special area with easy to read books (please see § 5.2.1 for a more detailed list). There are libraries, however, that remove the label indicating which books are designated/intended for these children even before they reach the shelf. Most of the surveyed people agree that it would be a good project, however, the budget to implement it is often lacking. Starting small and with materials already present in libraries, it would be possible to bring the MLP to the U.K. With a little help and guidance to set it up, participating libraries would be able to continue the project by themselves.