Teacher has found a reading trick: Now he wants Christiansborg to visit

A teacher has found a reading trick: Now he wants Christiansborg to visit

It is - perhaps not surprisingly - the screens that are the big problem, according to a teacher and librarian at a public school.

Christian Hansen, a teacher at Holmebækskolen in Herføgle, is an advocate for a much more analog teaching approach. 50 minutes ago

After the latest PISA study came out, I have long thought about writing to you in the Education Committee.

It has actually been itching in my fingers, because I want a high level among Danish school students. It is Denmark's future. The reality is just different – and I am not at all surprised by our current low level.

I would like to help change that.

This is the beginning of an invitation that recently landed at the Education Committee at Christiansborg.

Read also: 15-year-olds have never been worse at reading and math - and they skip school more than before

It is Christian Hansen who is the writer.

He is a school librarian and teacher in history, Christianity, physical education, and Danish at Holmebækskolen in Herfølge south of Køge.

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Teacher: Social media impairs reading skills

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Christian Hansen is not at all surprised that reading among school students is lagging.

Because with the entry of screens into both leisure time and teaching, concentration is challenged, and students get used to short formats, he experiences.

- It's short texts, where they just have to read, but not use their reading skills, techniques, and reading comprehension.

One of the tools that Christian Hansen uses to improve the reading ability of his 8th grade class - and which he would like to present to the Education Committee - is something as classic as reading aloud.

Social media makes it harder to concentrate on longer texts, the teacher believes. (Photo: © Steffen Ortmann, Ritzau Scanpix)

- They need to be able to sit still and concentrate when I read aloud, he says and continues:

- That's also what my students say when they evaluate: That they get a significantly greater learning outcome when I read aloud, or they read something that is relevant to them.

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Wants to inspire politicians

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Christian Hansen hopes that the politicians in the Education Committee will take the time to visit his 8th grade class.

Because with the results of the PISA study, it is clear that action needs to be taken, especially regarding reading skills, he believes.

- I would like to help change these results by giving the politicians some examples of how I motivate students to read, he says.

Christian Hansen has not yet received a response to his invitation from the school politicians. But at DR, we have spoken with several school politicians from the committee who would like to accept his visit.

This includes, among others, Leila Stockmarr, who is the education spokesperson for the Red-Green Alliance.

- I never say no to becoming wiser and being inspired by how dedicated people have cracked the code, she writes to DR.

- I am definitely a big supporter of screens having less space in teaching, especially in the early years, she continues.

Also the education spokesperson for the Moderates, Rasmus Lund-Nielsen, looks forward to a visit to the 8th grade class at Holmebækskolen.

- I am very concerned with how we, from a political side, can spread more analog teaching. The government is simultaneously trying to deregulate the public school, so we cannot dictate it, but we can inspire, he says.

The committee will officially process the invitation at a meeting on November 18th.

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