6th grade Reading #2, Education in Middle Ages

Education: After the fall of Rome in 476 CE, the ability to read and write began to disappear. Soon, the only people left with these skills were the clergy, and not even all of them had these abilities.

To effectively rule his kingdom, and to successfully convert people to Christianity, Charlemagne wanted his officials to be able to read and write. If he sent them a note, giving them some instruction, he wanted to make sure they could read it. 

To accomplish this, he turned his own palace into a center for learning. Scholars came from all over Europe to teach in the palace school. 

Charlemagne knew how to read, but he did not know how to write. He attempted to learn, but his hands were too scared from battle to write legibly. Charlemagne tried to talk other nobles into joining him in his educational pursuits, but they were quite resistant. It was not the Frankish way. The Frankish nobles thought reading and writing was a waste of time. They were warriors.