READING WITHOUT BORDERS

Topic(s) addressed

• Increasing children's motivation to read 
• Stimulating their creativity 
• Working S.M.A.R.T.E.R. by working together
• Introducing books as the best source of autonomous lifelong learning

Target groups

Students 6– 14 years old from eight different countries

Methodologies

• The project has been written into the school programme and curriculum and its equivalent, in partner schools. 

• It provided an excellent opportunity for study in all curriculum areas. 

• It played a big role in the everyday learning process as well as during special events in the school.

• LITERATURE: discussions about books and characters

• MATHS: database and surveys

• FOREIGN LANGUAGE: supporting motivation and skills for lifelong language learning.

• GEOGRAPHY: using maps to find partner countries and research the information about them

• HISTORY: understanding the common roots of all European countries 

• ETHICS: understanding the role of personalities in society. 

Environments

• Working on European projects has been an honour for every school. Our goal was to include all teachers and students in various activities according to their interests and abilities. 

• We organized different competitions and dramatizations, which we presented to the audience and the general public. 

• We organized the activity "The Big Summer Reading", which involved also children from other schools. 

• Real contact and exchange with foreign pupils during Learning Training Teaching Activities boosted students’ motivation and enthusiasm. They find using English in their research work very challenging. 

• Participating teachers and students improved their teamwork skills.

Teachers

TEACHERS:

• were actively involved in the realization and evaluation of the project, using their creativity and teaching experience

• included the project into their schools' curriculum and their teaching methods

• supported their students’ creativity and learning.

• exchanged teaching experiences and concepts, discussing them with their colleagues and with teachers from other European countries– this gave them new ideas and insight into educational systems in other schools.

Impact

After the implementation of the project impacted the whole staff and the students on the practical level in everyday teaching and learning.

• Students developed their creativity in all areas of education and cultivated their social skills building up mutual respect and a friendly atmosphere in the school. 

• Through reading, they developed LIFELONG READING HABITS, a taste for good fiction, and motivation for getting information not only from the Internet.

• Our students' language competence has improved as they will be able to use English to communicate with their peers around Europe. 

• Students and teachers expanded their digital competence.