„A “literarily exciting' collaboration between students and authors in Hafnarfjörður
The LÆK reading project is the City of Hafnarfjörður's latest initiative in the important endeavour to enhance the reading and comprehension skills of pupils in its primary schools. The project is large in scale and calls for the cooperation and engagement of the entire school community. and strong support from the local council.
On International Literacy Day, it is appropriate to introduce the 2024 summer book – LIKE
Literacy is a prerequisite for active participation in society, and the staff of Hafnarfjörður's nursery and primary schools have fearlessly taken creative approaches in the important journey of promoting reading and reading comprehension among pupils. The LÆK reading project is the latest initiative, and the City of Hafnarfjörður has enlisted two of the country's foremost children's authors. The project is large in scale and calls for the cooperation and interest of the entire school community, as well as strong support from the city authorities.
The result is a book with 18 short stories of unique school districts.
Children's authors Gunnar Helgason and Bergrún Íris Sævarsdóttir will, during the 2023-2024 school year, write a total of 18 short stories in collaboration with teachers and pupils in the middle and upper years of nine primary schools in the town of Hafnarfjörður. Bergrún Íris is writing for the middle school level and Gunnar Helgason for the upper school level. The LÆK journey has already begun, and Gunnar and Bergrún have visited all of Hafnarfjörður's primary schools this week to introduce the project to the pupils.
The draw from the ideas pot will take place on 18 September.
Following this, all students will submit an idea for a story topic, which can be a single word, a name, or a complete concept, as well as suggestions for character names. The only condition is that the setting is connected to the student's school or school district. Students will, of course, evaluate the writing, choose their favourite story at each level, and also complete a project based on the story that relates to their own school district. They will then have the chance to win a prize if their idea is used in the stories. On 18th September, the authors will draw the ideas from a hat for each school and year group. Each author decides how many ideas to draw and stops when they feel they have enough for a complete story. The authors will finish writing on 1 February 2024, and the stories will be published in a beautiful book on the last day of winter 2024.
Bergrún Íris Sævarsdóttir meets the kids at Víðistaðaskóli
Gunnar Helgason presents LÆK at Hraunvallar School
A magnificent book cover has already been designed by the illustrator Sigmundur Breiðfjörð Þorgeirsson.
Book cover of the book LIKE. Designed by Sigmundur Breiðfjörð Þorgeirsson.
Reading is the game of life.
For several years, the City of Hafnarfjörður has been working purposefully according to a clear and effective literacy strategy called 'Reading is the Game of Life'. This is a major community project where nurseries and primary schools, together with parents, the health service, childminders and various municipal institutions, work in partnership to promote children's language development and literacy. The project's stated aim is for pupils to be able to read for knowledge and pleasure by the end of their primary education, and so a special emphasis is placed on creative and encouraging methods and on providing all pupils with suitable instruction. This major community collaboration in Hafnarfjörður has, among other things, resulted in increased continuity between school levels and laid the groundwork for the importance of literacy as a cornerstone of all learning.