The history of the practice of reading can tell us a lot about the nature and history of the society as a whole. During the Middle Ages, reading was mostly practiced aloud. Much of society was illiterate and texts could only be accessed through public readings. Today the opposite is true — the practice reading silently, and written information is widely available online and through printed text.

During this programme, post primary school students will be introduced to the history and function of reading, and explore reading as a means of understanding Medieval society. The programme draws on a variety of resources created as part of the Art of Reading in the Middle Ages project for Europeana, including an interactive game, video-based resources, blogs, galleries and workbooks.