dr. M. (Mariëtte) Hingstman

Currently I am the project leader of 'Trust and connection', in which I study a targeted approach for students who experience school refusal. This approach is selected as a promising good practice by NKO.

From 2022 to 2025, I worked on the development and implementation of the program de BliksemBende (which is the Dutch version of Tutoring with the Lightning Squad (TWLS)). De BliksemBende is a digital, cooperative tutoring program, aimed to support primary school students (in Grade 1 and 2) to become better readers. De BliksemBende has been selected by NRO as a promising intervention for combating reading problems. The effect study (using an RCT design) was independently conducted by the Kohnstamm Institute; their research report can be found here. Since 2025, de BliksemBende is available via Lexima.

De BliksemBende is often used as a stand-alone intervention, but was developed as part of the broader Success for All (SfA) program, which originated in the United States. SfA is developed to prevent learning problems on the long term. The main goal of SfA is to ensure that every child has adequate reading skills. In my dissertation "Supporting struggling students" (defended June 7, 2021), I studied the implementation of the Dutch version of SfA and its effects on achievements and behavior of students with special educational needs. Furthermore, as a researcher and coach within the Werkplaats Onderwijskansen Noord-Nederland (OK-werkplaats), I supported primary schools that chose to implement one of the components of SfA. Several materials that stem from these projects are openly and freely available, via the Success for All-page at Wikiwijs.

Furthermore, I was involved in the ViTaS-project, which was targeted at enhancing intercultural competence of primary school teachers.