22 January 2022 года

“Fun-filled Classics”

Olga I. Shcherbakova and Maria V. Surova, teachers of Russian language and literature at the Alexandrinskaya monastery Orthodox school, called their new educational project “Fun-filled classical literature.” They participated in the presidential grant competition and learned at the beginning of 2022 that their project has won a grant.

The teachers were motivated to develop the “Fun-filled Classics” project as it was to deal with the recurring problem – the majority of their students aren’t interested at studying classical literature. If over thirty years ago the high school students could easily read three to four books a month, their counterparts of today can read one at best.

One of great disadvantages pointed out by teachers is the loss of the tradition of family reading, whereas those families whose children enjoy reading today typically choose to read selections from the modern authors. But it is the reading of classical literature that matters most: it becomes the first step in the formation of values, feelings and character traits as it awakens the sense of beautiful, cultivates Christian virtues and enriches the child’s spiritual world.

In September 2021, the two teachers conducted a survey among their students in grades 5-11 and it returned discouraging results: 44% of students found it difficult to name their favorite literary hero, 19% admitted that they don’t read fiction at all, 33% of the respondents prefer to watch screen versions of the literary works, 28% of students are limited to reading a brief book content, while only 24% could name the books by the Russian classical writers from the list of books they had read recently.

The Language Arts teachers wondered about the options that would stir their students’ interest in classical literature. Thus, the “Fun-filled Classics” project was born and it includes the opening of a literary club “The commonwealth of school writers,” the literary lounge, an online book trailer distance competition, literary debates, and literary quest games. Their idea found support from the Presidential Grants Fund.

The project’s win will allow the monastery school to fund the installation of the school radio station. During the school broadcasts, the students will recite excerpts from classical literature or their own compositions and exchange opinions and their views about the books they have read.

The planned family outings will have the children visit the local literary sites and theaters.

The school’s choir and theater groups will begin rehearsing the programs based on “The Minor” by D.I. Fonvisin and fairy tales by A.S. Pushkin. Children will take an active part sewing costumes and painting the play scenery, particularly during the after-hours sewing group meetings.

The teachers believe that these activities will stir the students’ interest in classical literature and avoid boredom during their literature studies.