education

Reading the newspaper is family time

Actually, reading a newspaper is a very individual matter. The reader usually finds a quiet spot and then delves into the articles that are of most interest. There are those who read every newspaper from the editorial to the imprint and those who are content with skimming the headlines. In the district of Görlitz, however, we also find many very young reading friends who leaf through colorful newspaper pages together with their parents, grandparents and siblings. Usually they hold the “time(ung) for children and their families” in their hands. As the title already says, this is about reading time together for the whole family. “Most of the time there is little time for children. In the stress of everyday life, families often have little freedom to read, do puzzles, do handicrafts and learn together. With the time(ing) for children, we want to change that at least twice a year,” reports project manager Ariane Archner from the ENO.  

Continuous development

The first issue was published for Children's Day 2010 and the second in Advent 2010. Since then, new editions have been published every year without interruption. The layout has been adjusted again and again and the target direction has also changed. Initially, the focus was on the exchange of experiences between educators and parents. In 2018, the time(ing) for parents and educators became the time(ing) for children and their families. This also changed the orientation of the content: “We want to package current everyday topics in a way that is child-friendly and always create a connection to the district. The time(ing) for children is intended to encourage families to do handicrafts together, do puzzles, read and talk about topics such as the environment, nutrition, sports, leisure activities and dealing with friends,” explains Ariane Archner. She can rely on a dedicated editorial team. Representatives of the district administration, the youth welfare office, the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and the ENO work closely together in monthly editorial meetings. They determine the topics together, bring in ideas and take care of the coordination with external experts if expert advice is required for the respective main topic. It is important to the newspaper editors that the children also have their say. Every newspaper has a children's interview and 100 children are asked about their opinion on the newspaper's topic. The surveys of the 100 children would not be possible without the support of the day-care centers in the district. "When looking for suitable protagonists for the children's interviews, it is usually the case that someone knows someone who knows someone," smiles Ariane.  

"Sun, moon and stars"

The 22nd edition of the Zeit(ung) for children deals with what can be seen in the sky during the day and at night. The 100 children were asked why stars twinkle, whether they know what a sundial is and whether they prefer day or night. There are instructions for how to make a sundial in a flower pot and, of course, some puzzles and hands-on activities. A watchmaker talks about his work and the children learn how long it takes him to change all the clocks between summer and winter time. And two books are presented. One was published in German and Arabic and the other in German and Polish. In the run-up to Christmas, this issue of Zeit(ung) for children will again be printed with a circulation of 10,000. It will then be available free of charge in all day-care centers, paediatricians, elementary schools, libraries and district administration facilities. All families in the priceless country can already be excited and look forward to family time together. And if you didn't get the newspaper, you don't have to miss out on the fun of reading. All issues can also be found online.  

https://publikationen.zeitung-fuer-kinder.landkreis.gr

Pictured: October 12 editorial meeting. The topics for the December issue have been decided.