Homer’s Odyssey, Aesop’s Myths and more international books from the school’s international library, which includes books from the students’ country of origin, were utilised. The basic methodology of Interactive Groups (IGs) was implemented in scientific classes, where older and/or more advanced students of migrant/refugee origin were brought in to assist and guide the classroom’s students. The practices were implemented two to three times each month.
52nd Elementary school of Athens
Athens, Greece
Impact and successes
Team bonding and interaction among students was substantially increased throughout the year. Older students, especially ones that were related to the classroom’s students and/or ones from the same language group were invited to participate as guests in the first stages of the project, in order to facilitate communication and persuade participation.
Lessons, learning and recommendations
It was observed that as time went by, students seemed reluctant to express opinions on family issues in the presence of older children. Overall, nevertheless, their participation in Dialogic Literary Gatherings (DLGs) and Interactive groups (IGs) helped boost the confidence of older students, as well as their overall performance since they ‘wanted to come prepared’.