"Reading is the island of safety where you can remain hidden." Researches prove that continuous stimulation of the brain by reading can slow down or even prevent memory loss in the elderly. So books keep our brain’s healthy It is also evidenced that: • books make us better communicators • books educate us • books reduce stress • books encourage us never to give up, keep moving forward, and stay positive • books stimulate creativity Stories and fairy tales are part of every culture and can be used as teaching tools in order to develop critical thinking, imagination, creativity, empathy, appreciation, collaboration and communication. The objectives of the project are: - to popularize reading and storytelling as a form of entertainment – to develop literacy and the students’ creativity in five European schools - to improve creativity in different art forms – to discover similarities and diversity in five European countries - to develop the participating students’ and teachers’ language skills – to teach the students how to express themselves - to include different generations (parents and grandparents; students through the whole K-12 [from kindergarten to 12th grade]). - to strengthen volunteering and charity work - to develop self-esteem, self-expression and self-evaluation of the participating students by the means of storytelling and performing plays. - to develop the students reasoning skills, the ability to cooperate and to manage conflicts. - to encourage teachers to find out whether there is an existing practice of using tales as a therapeutic method in their own countries. - to encourage teachers of the partner countries to find or organize competitions based on performing stories. The partner schools identified the following similar needs: -to emphasize the multiculturalism and diversity -to extend the school curriculum -to stop students' aggressive and antisocial patterns of behaviour -to improve cultural knowledge and free thinking The results of the project are: - working in partnership - questionnaires (initial and final to measure the impact of the project) - logo and motto of the project - e-brochure about the project for parents (in all the participants’ languages and English as well) - web page of the project (the official page and the pages using the e-Twinning and Erasmus Plus Platforms) - an exhibition to promote the products of the Arts & Crafts workshops - two e-magazines - five scripts and recording of five plays (one for each country) -five thematic carnivals (using characters from stories, fairytales, myths, etc.) - promotional materials: flyers, wrist bands, bookmarks - Erasmus+ project corners - An illustrated e-book containing two well-known national tales/myth and a short story written by the students themselves from each partner country (15 altogether) - online quiz about the events of two years of partnership The students will be motivated to acquire higher degrees of competence by digital and non-digital skills, which are useful within a multicultural society. The main aim of the project is to raise awareness and shape the attitudes towards book reading and storytelling. The organization of book reading activities throughout the two year project period will involve the families (different generations). We think that this will help to start a positive change in this area and reading will become an internal demand for the participants (parents, grandparents, students). These effects will continue in the long-term.
"Reading is the island of safety where you can remain hidden." Researches prove that continuous stimulation of the brain by reading can slow down or even prevent memory loss in the elderly. So books keep our brain’s healthy. It is also proved that: • books make us better communicators • books educate us • books reduce stress • books encourage us never to give up, keep moving forward, and stay positive • books stimulate creativity Stories and fairy tales are part of every culture and can be used as teaching tools in order to develop critical thinking, imagination, creativity, empathy, appreciation, collaboration and communication. The objectives of the project were: - to popularize reading and storytelling as a form of entertainment – to develop literacy and the students’ creativity in five European schools - to improve creativity in different art forms – to discover similarities and diversity in five European countries - to develop the participating students’ and teachers’ language skills – to teach the students how to express themselves - to include different generations (parents and grandparents; students through the whole K-12 [from kindergarten to 12th grade]). - to strengthen volunteering and charity work - to develop self-esteem, self-expression and self-evaluation of the participating students by the means of storytelling and performing plays. - to develop the students reasoning skills, the ability to cooperate and to manage conflicts. - to encourage teachers to find out whether there is an existing practice of using tales as a therapeutic method in their own countries. - to encourage teachers of the partner countries to find or organize competitions based on performing stories. The partner schools identified the following similar needs: -to emphasize the multiculturalism and diversity -to extend the school curriculum -to stop students' aggressive and antisocial patterns of behaviour -to improve cultural knowledge and free thinking The results of the project are: - We were effectively working in partnership. - The questionnaires showed that the popularity of reading increased among the target population. - The participating students designed the logo and chose the motto of the project. The Turkish logo plan became the winner and the Hungarian motto idea turned to be the official motto of the cooperation. "Fabulous words make fabulous worlds". - We produced e-brochures about the project for the parents in all the participants’ languages and in English as well. - We created the web page of the project. - We compiled two e-magazines that present and summerize our cooperation mainly by photos. - Each participating partner prepared a script and produced a recording of a play or a local tale. - Each participating school organized thematic carnivals using characters from stories, fairytales or myths. - All the mobilities involved different Arts & Crafts programmes. - All the participating schools made Erasmus+ project corners for the students and visitors of the schools. - We prepared an illustrated e-book containing two well-known national tales or myths and a short story written by the students themselves from each partner country (15 altogether) illustrated by students drawings. Turkey: The Tale of the Red Stone with Keloğlan; The Tale Of Three Apples Falling From The Sky; A Red Kite Romania: The Master Builder Manole; The Legend of Old Dochia; Tablets Town North Macedonia: Justice Never Dies; The Girl and the Twelve Months; The Three Riddles Italy: The Legend of Colapesce; The Breath of the Sea; The Jar Hungary: The Three Wishes; The Little Bladder; The Wizard and the Magic Seed The students were motivated to acquire higher degrees of competence by digital and non-digital skills, which are useful within a multicultural society. The main aim of the project was to raise awareness and shape the attitudes towards book reading and storytelling. The organization of book reading activities throughout the two year project period involved the families (different generations). We think that this helped to start a positive change in this area and reading became an internal demand for the participants (parents, grandparents, students). These effects will continue in the long-term.