The Reading Badge
The Slovenian Reading Badge Society is the NGO heading the Reading Badge movement in terms of professional guidance and organization. The Society implements various programmes that encourage children and young people – as well as adults – to read in their free time.
The mission of the Reading Badge, supported by schools, libraries and similar organizations, is to promote lifelong development of reading culture and reading literacy.
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Initially a mentoring practice at the Prevalje* primary school, the movement was founded in 1960/61 by Slovenian language professor Stanko Kotnik and author Leopold Suhodolčan. The movement’s initiatives today bring together about 140,000 readers each year. Reading is supported by numerous mentors – librarians, teachers and other experts, as well as authors and publishers; children are also encouraged to read by their families. Some Reading Badge programmes even transcend Slovenian borders to reach Slovenian communities abroad. Due to its significant role in the national culture the Reading Badge is listed by the national Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
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Slovenian Reading Badge Society
• Provides guidelines for the selection of reading materials and develops the tools needed for their use.
• Shares expert knowledge for the development of modern strategies for encouraging reading.
• Informs about the development of reading, writing and literary culture.
• Ensures efficient and quick integration of the network of participants and an unimpeded flow of information.
• Organizes programmes of specialized education and exchanges.
• Coordinates visits of Slovenian authors.
• Provides motivational book gifts and works to improve the quality of youth literature.
• Prepares motivational materials and certificates.
• Develops various pilot programmes and projects for different age groups (e.g. a programme of intergenerational reading).
• Collaborates with similar organizations in Slovenia and elsewhere (being one of the initiators of the National Month of Reading Together network; heading the Reading Together promotion programme, etc.).
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Slovenian Reading Badge Society is a member of Slovenian Association of Friends of Youth and is internationally active as a member of the Slovenian Section of IBBY and the Federation of European Literacy Associations (FELA).
In addition to numerous national awards and prizes, in 2022 the Society received an award for innovative practice in the field of promoting reading culture, awarded every two years by FELA.
Društvo Bralna značka Slovenije – ZPMS
Slovenian Reading Badge Society
Trg prekomorskih brigad 1
SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija
info@bralnaznacka.si
https://www.bralnaznacka.si/sl/
https://www.bralnaznacka.si/en/
* A small city in the north of Slovenia.
Source: Slovenia Loves Reading Publication (The Slovenian Section of IBBY)
Further reading:
ENGLISH
Ivan Mitrevski - A Brief History of Reading Badge (short comic)
Manca Perko - Slovenian Reading Badge Society: With a Book into the World,
22nd European Conference on Literacy, Dublin, Ireland, 2022
Petra Potočnik - Online Environment of The Reading Badge: New Trends and Tendencies,
22nd European Conference on Literacy, Dublin, Ireland, 2022
Petra Potočnik - The Golden Reader Project (Presentation) / The List of Books
38th International IBBY Congress, Putrajaya, Malaysia, 2022
Petra Potočnik - The Golden Reader Project (Article) / The List of Books
38th International IBBY Congress, Putrajaya, Malaysia, 2022
Tilka Jamnik - Intergenerational Reading Project (Article) ,
38th International IBBY Congress, Putrajaya, Malaysia, 2022
Petra Potočnik - Poster – Online ventures of Slovenian Reading Badge Society,
37th IBBY International Congress, Moscow, Russia, 2021
Petra Potočnik - Development of Slovenian National Network for Literacy and Reading Culture,
Latvian Book Fair, Riga, Latvia, 2020
Miha Mohor - The Reading Badge, The Movement for the Development of Youth Reading Culture in Slovenia, Reading AdVentures Conference, 19-21 February 2007, Jeruzalem, Izrael
OTHER LANGUAGES
La Slovenia ama leggere - Associazioni, istituzioni e progetti legati alla promozione della lettura e della letteratura di qualità per bambini e ragazzi in Slovenia
Ivan Mitrevski: La storia del Reading Badge (il fumetto)
Slowenien liest gern - Verbände, Institutionen und Projekte in Slowenien, die sich für die Förderung der Lesekultur und hochwertiger Kinderliteratur einsetzen
Ivan Mitrevski: Kurze geschichte des Leseabzeichens (der comic)
Photos:
Photo 1: Firstgraders with Author Andrej Rozman Roza: Livada Primary School (Photo: Reading Badge Archives)
Photo 2: Author and President of The Reading Badge Marko Kravos with Young Readers, Slovene Minority in Italy
(Photo: Reading Badge Archives)
Photo 3: First-graders: Golder Reader Project (Photo: Reading Badge Archives)
Photo 4: Golden Readers: Golden Reader Project (Photo Jaka Fefer)
Photo 5: Mentors and Gift Books (Photo: Jure Drakskobler)
Photo 6: Family Reading in Slovene communities abroad: Schwitzerland (Photo: Reading Badge Archives)