Supporting residents' basic skills
In our community, there are residents who struggle with basic skills such as reading, writing, and math, or with using digital tools. While someone with limited basic skills can often read simple texts, understanding or applying complex information is difficult.
Identifying limited basic skills
Your organization likely also deals with residents who have limited basic skills. Often, people have become skilled at hiding their limited basic skills, but there are usually signs. Consider, for example, someone who:
- Not filling out a (digital) form completely
- Does not fully understand the information
- Does not respond to letters or emails
- Forgets or fails to keep appointments, or shows up too early for an appointment
- Would you rather call or stop by?
- Keeping running into (the same) problems
- Excuses used to avoid reading or writing
- Doesn't read to the children, doesn't help with their homework, or doesn't seem involved in their school life
- Doesn't know what's healthy and what's unhealthy
Better service for everyone
By paying attention to how you communicate, your organization can better reach people who struggle with basic skills.
Examples of mindful communication include:
- Use clear and understandable language
- Writing short sentences
- Explain difficult words or replace them with easier ones
- Using comic strips
Ultimately, everyone benefits from clear and understandable communication.
The Rivierenland Innovation Hub can help you with this. The Innovation Hub is part of the ABC Foundation, an organization run by and for people with low literacy skills throughout the Netherlands.
Grant for a structured focus on basic skills within your organization
In 2026, the municipality will provide grants to organizations that wish to focus on basic skills on an ongoing basis. With this grant, organizations will implement a structured approach to reach and assist residents who struggle with basic skills.
Would you like to join us?
You can find more information at " Grant: Structural Focus on Basic Skills" on your organization's website
More information
Do you have any questions, or would you like more information? Please contact Dagmar van Heerde at dvheerde@westmaasenwaal.nl or by phone at 06 1997 3273.