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Reading competition: Radebeul student Mats inspires with sports and literature!
Discover Mats, the talented reader from Radebeul, who is fighting for the title in the 2025 reading competition.
Reading competition: Radebeul student Mats inspires with sports and literature!
In the heart of Radebeul, the students' talent for reading aloud shines, all in keeping with the nationwide reading competition. The student Mats from Lößnitzgymnasium has proven himself to be a real reading artist and has demonstrated his sporting ambition. His two big hobbies, reading and American football, fit perfectly into his everyday life. Mats also plays for the Subarbian Foxes Radebeul and has developed a feel for how to cleverly combine sport and literature. “For me, reading is an art form in which I have to use emotions and intonation well,” he says.
The sources of MDR emphasize that Mats’ favorite books are the young adult novels by the author Paluten. However, his talent is not just limited to reading: the young Radebeuler also plays theater and does magic. “We are incredibly proud of Mats’ talents,” say his parents, father Peer Zaschke, emphasizing the importance of always doing the best, while mother Halina Seidel is enthusiastic about Mats’ ability to read aloud.
A big competition
The reading competition is not only an important moment for Mats, but also one of the largest school competitions in Germany. This was launched in 1959 by Erich Kästner and has since then mobilized around 600,000 sixth grade children from around 7,000 schools every year. The competition not only promotes the joy of reading, but also the social and linguistic skills of the participants, like the site pre-reading competition.de explained.
In the current round, which has been running since October 2024, Mats has already successfully completed four qualifying rounds. The grand final will take place on June 25, 2025 and will be broadcast live, starting at 11 a.m. Each participant has the opportunity to present their favorite stories and discover new books. “This is about participating – not just about winning!” is the motto of the competition.
The competition jury is made up of experts who value the students' achievements and assess the kids' reading skills in both prepared and unprepared rounds. In another competition at the Bad Waldsee secondary school, like schwaebische.de reports, students from grades 6a and 6b also demonstrated their skills by presenting various stories. A student named Florian Gapp eventually won the school title.
Reading promotion and more
The importance of reading aloud goes far beyond competition. It is a way to promote concentration and active listening and to strengthen children's self-confidence. Mats and his peers show that literature and sport can be a wonderful combination, and they represent the next generation of talented readers in Germany. The reading competition will continue to bring many young voices to the stage next year and continue to spread the love of literature.
For anyone who would like to find out more about this exciting competition or has any questions, the service line for schools is available from Monday to Friday. Maybe your child has a talent just waiting to be discovered!