It can be difficult to get children to concentrate in class, especially if the topic is unfamiliar. But what if there was a way to make learning both fun and educational? In collaboration with local librarians, teachers across Czechia have introduced an innovative solution that encourages students to learn through stories. 

Funded through the European Social Fund (ESF), the Učíme se příběhem (‘Learning through a story’) project introduces an element of fun – giving the project a unique edge. Using stories of adventure and intrigue to hold children’s attention, the project has allowed teachers to motivate their students to learn. 

Students who wouldn’t usually pick up and read books are now being empowered to read exciting stories that boost their learning. ‘I’m glad I met the librarian’, says Jakub, a student from Hlučín Primary School, ‘I would never go to the library myself Now I know what to expect’. 

Librarians like Jana are also noticing a shift in students’ attitudes towards books and education. ‘We and the students see tangible results of our work. The work has a concrete meaning.’ 

‘Children learn but do not feel they are learning – this is very beneficial for the greater impact of their learning’, observes primary school director Jarka from the village of Vrdy. 

It is not only students who are benefiting from this project. Teachers are now being exposed to new ways of teaching. 

‘I got to know the current books’, reflects Veronika, a teacher from Liberec. ‘I read completely differently – I automatically search for different types of texts showing different phenomena and categories.’ 

Lessons typically take place in a public library and are led by a librarian together with a teacher. Students can explore a topic through the medium of a story and then work with their teachers and librarians to further develop their learning and reading. 

Through the immersion of the students in both the library environment and the world of the stories, the learning through a story project presents a new and innovative way to boost learning in a fun, motivating, and educational way.