The "Tiger Class" has therefore recently been joined by a very special supporter: a "reading grandma" who regularly immerses the children in the world of stories.
Connecting generations
Ida Wirnsberger is 68 years old and lives in a partially assisted invita residential community run by Caritas in Gmunden. With her calm demeanour and great love of books, she has become a fixture for the children in the 1a class. A Caritas employee came up with the idea of assigning Ida to the school as a reading mentor, and since then Tuesdays have been a very special day of the week for the senior citizen. At first she was a little nervous, but now she looks forward to her time with the "tiger children" at the weekend.
Ida is very patient when reading to the children, listens, encourages and helps them through difficult passages. She finds the moment when a child finishes a page all by themselves for the first time particularly touching. The smiles on the children's faces "go straight to her heart". Through this intergenerational exchange, the pupils not only experience progress in reading, but also appreciation for older people.
Social learning and inclusion
Reading together has much more to offer the Tiger class than just language development. The children gain confidence and experience how enriching contact with older people can be. Initially, a Caritas employee accompanied Ida, but now Caritas interns are also involved. This creates a practical learning environment for prospective social carers, where they can experience how small ideas can have a big impact.
At the end of each reading session, the class shouts out "Thank you, Ida!", a moment that touches the senior citizen deeply every time. The project has been so successful that there are already plans to extend it to other classes with the aim of facilitating even more valuable encounters between children and residents of Caritas residential communities and further strengthening inclusion in practice.
We think the Leseoma is #schongenial.
