Reading competition: Successful regional competition for fourth-graders

Last week, Bocholt City Library hosted the regional reading competition for fourth-graders at the media centre (Futura). A total of nine pupils from primary schools had qualified and competed against each other to qualify for the regional competition.

The reading competition in the Borken district has been running for over 20 years. A long time in which many children have discovered the world of books and reading for themselves. The participants from back then have long since grown up and are now probably reading to their own children. Last Friday, they had the chance to listen to a new generation of readers who were able to demonstrate their skills in the Borken district's regional competition.

A competition with favourite books, new challenges and lots of fun

Independently choosing their own book, selecting an exciting passage and experimenting with their own reading voice - all this made up the first part of the competition, in which the children first read from their prepared favourite text for three minutes. "I've been taking part in the reading competition for a few years now and every year I'm still curious to see what books the children bring along for the first part of the competition", says Claudia Alders, librarian and organiser of the competition. "I am of course delighted that some of the book characters from my childhood are still there", says Alders.

After a short break, the competition continued with the foreign text, the selection of which was kept secret as usual and was unknown to all participants. The children therefore had to face the challenge of reading aloud for two minutes from a text that was completely new to them. The jury, consisting of representatives from local libraries, schools, the media and the book trade, then decided on the winners, taking into account the specified competition criteria.

Who made it to the regional competition this year?

Nine Bocholt primary school pupils qualified for the regional competition this year. The best three were honoured by the mayor Thomas Kerkhoff and received book vouchers. They will now go on to the district competition in Borken, where they can prove their reading talent once again.

The reading competition is an initiative of the Bildungskreis Borken with the kind support of the LionsClub Hamaland and Sparkasse Westmünsterland.

The pupils who took part in the regional competition in 2025 are

• Marieke Heller / KG Piusschule Krechtingen
• Julia Jacobs / GSV Liebfrauen Stenern
• Greta Klein-Hitpaß / Ludgerusschule
• Helene Pferdekemper / Biemenhorster School
• Felix Rügamer / St Bernhard School
• Johann Sittartz / GSV Isselschule Isselburg site
• Paul Stoverink / Josefschule
• Lukas Theling / GSV Ludgerus main site
• Marieke Weidemann / Clemens-August-School

The pupils who qualified for the district competition are (without ranking)

• Helene Pferdekemper / Biemenhorster School
• Felix Rügamer / St Bernhard School
• Lukas Theling / GSV Ludgerus main site