Literacy through Latin *INCLUDE*

A program (working with the Iris Project) which connects volunteers who know Latin with classrooms in Edinburgh Council primary schools.

The program Literacy through Latin connects volunteers who know Latin with classrooms in Edinburgh Council primary schools. We use Latin to introduce new lessons on language and culture for P5 and P6 students. Why Latin? The language of the Romans is everywhere in European languages. And Roman civilisation is a wonderful mirror for the modern world.

Our lessons benefit schools, and they are good for our volunteers. Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence aims to shape successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens, and effective contributors. For all of these, learning Latin (‘the maths of the humanities’) is incredibly efficient. Short, fun language lessons help students to unlock another side of their creativity. Cultural explorations unfold the significance and memory of the Roman world today. Our volunteers value the teaching experience and the chance to share their university experience with the broader community.  One of them even wrote a blog post about her experiences.

Autumn 2015 was the beginning of this programme from the School of History, Classics and Archaeology. We are working with the Iris Project, an educational charity that has already successfully connected volunteers with classrooms in Scotland, England, and Wales. We are teaching in Liberton

Primary School with a wonderful group of students. The outreach committee of Classics anticipates the program expanding in the coming years. If you would like to get in touch, volunteer, or find out how your school can be involved, we would love to hear from you.

For more information, please contact the project’s coordinator, Liam Gale: Liam.Gale@ed.ac.uk or the faculty advisor, Aaron Pelttari: Aaron.Pelttari@ed.ac.uk.

Dr Aaron Pelttari (BA, MA, PhD)

Senior Lecturer

Contact details

• Work: 0131 651 3004
• Email: Aaron.Pelttari@ed.ac.uk
• Web: Aaron Pelttari's staff profile

Address

Street

1M.22, William Robertson Wing, Old Medical School, Teviot Place