Voorleesweek / Reading Week is once again being held in Flanders from 20–28 November. During this week, everyone is encouraged to read aloud for at least 15 minutes a day. Will you join Yumi Yay?

You might have read our previous blog post about 3 reasons why reading aloud is so great. And reading aloud really does bring a lot of benefits. Not only does it teach your child lots of words, it also stimulates their imagination. And admit it, wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy some time and relax with your child next to you or on your lap? It sure sounds super snuggly to us!

The idea behind Reading Week is to encourage these little moments of reading aloud. During this campaign, parents try to read aloud to each child for fifteen minutes every day. Reading aloud is both good for the development of children and strengthens the bond between parents and children. And that’s why here at Yumi Yay, we think it’s so important!

To help promote Reading Week even more, there is also a TV programme called De Voorleesclub [The Reading Club], which is being shown on Channel Eén. The author of our Yumi Yay read-aloud books, Hanne Luyten, is also featured!

Yumi Yay stories are perfect for reading to children up to 5 years old.

Up to 1 year of age babies and children enjoy the colourful pictures in the books. You don't have to tell the stories word for word. For children of this age, it’s enough to point out and name items in the pictures or imitate the sounds of the animals!

A toddler of 2 years old is already able to understand simple storylines. Children of this age have a fairly short attention span, so it's best to tell a shortened version of the story about our Yumi Yay friends.

Toddlers from 3 to 5 years old like to be challenged and learn lots of (more difficult) words. They can easily understand different storylines and love humour and recognising things.

Did you know... The Yumi Yay books each have their own character to look for? So they’re not just a fun book to read aloud, they also make a cute search-and-find book!

Tip: it’s worth remembering that these read-aloud books make a great shoe gift from Sinterklaas and the perfect Christmas present!

Reading to your children for 15 minutes a day not only relaxes and de-stresses them, but also relaxes and de-stresses mom and dad! Are you up for the challenge? Make sure you register on the De Voorleesweek website!

Would you like to learn more about Yumi Yay's recognisable stories? Discover all about Billy, Finn, Otti, and Tika in our four friendly read-aloud books!