Schools Where Literacy Thrives Estonian experience 20072008

1
Schools Where Literacy Thrives Estonian
experience 2007-2008

• Mare Müürsepp, PhD
• Tallinn University, Estonian Reading Association

2
Development of the project in Estonian schools

• 2006 elaboration of the directions for the
  competition
• Composing of the description of the ideal of
  school on 3 level
• pupil,
• teacher
• school as whole

3
Development of the project in Estonian schools
2007-2008

• 2007 letters by pupils, overviews by librarians
  and teachers from 14 schools
• 2008 letters from 34 schools, covering 12
  districts
• Articles in newspaper and in children's magazines
• Seminars September 2007, June 2008
• Materials on the website of EstRA
  www.lugemisyhing.ee

4
2008 - results

• Centered on the
• reading in age group 10-16
• Integration of reading activities and subject
  teaching (history, nature sciences etc)
• Growth in quantity
• School routine reading is a business on
  librarians and literature teacher
• Pupils messages
• individual mail
• essay writing organised by the literature teacher
• collective works

5
Pupils in age 10-16

• Reading of books/internet materials,
  participating in forums about reading
• What is done in my school to inspire the kids to
  read?
• What prevents you from reading, what counteracts?
• May the reading, search in internet ao reading
  activities to replace the participating in school
  lessons?

6

• Blogs are interesting too (about youth life), but
  the book is composed more professionally
• There are the groups participating in forums,
  wishing to participate, not knowing about, not
  wishing to participate (live conversation is
  better)
• In my school teachers/headmaster/parents
  introducing their favorites approving of best
  readers, presenting of books pupils' book
  recommendations for adults creative activities,
  romantic events (travels, night-reading)
• Counteractive noise, time is overloaded by
  preparing for the lessons/tests
• Reading may (partly) replace the going to the
  school, but there are important factors like live
  communication and teacher explanation at school