Reading Instruction in the Primary Grades
Instructional Materials
The Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation annually approves the Federal List of Textbooks, including textbooks recommended for use in primary education. The textbooks and instructional materials take into account regional and ethnocultural characteristics of the subjects of the Russian Federation. In 2016, special books designed for children with disabilities expanded the Federal List of Textbooks.
The textbooks are available in print and electronic format, contain electronic format adapted visual materials, multimedia elements, and interactive links that extend and complement the textbook content. The Ministry has conducted a comprehensive review of the materials.
Teachers choose instructional materials from the Federal List of Textbooks in accordance with their professional preferences, recommendations of the regional authorities, children’s characteristics and interests, and parental opinion.
The Ministry has developed and approved sets of programs and instructional materials for use in primary education. All sets of instructional materials for literary reading include Russian classical literature, foreign children’s classics, children’s literature of different ethnic groups in Russia, and modern children’s literature, and are aimed at developing reading competency.
Use of Technology
Most key elements of a smart city have been implemented in Moscow schools: smart interactive tables instead of the usual desks, electronic register and diary, e-access to school, laptops, interactive whiteboards, etc. Schools are equipped with digital laboratories, multimedia studios, and robotics.
Moscow Electronic School is one of the most ambitious projects of Moscow education, a key element of which is a citywide platform for e-learning materials. It contains structured educational content, ready to run on interactive whiteboards and students’ tablets. The electronic content of the lesson may be displayed on the board, students’ gadgets, and teachers’ tablets. The system supports the principles of work based on “BYOD” (bring your own device)—students and teachers can use their own tablets, laptops, and mobile devices.5
Role of Reading Specialists
In primary schools, there is no specialized reading teacher. The classroom teacher usually teaches all subjects except music; an experienced teacher, such as the deputy principal, is responsible for providing instructional assistance to other teachers in all subjects including literary reading. Teachers typically work with the whole class during reading instruction, wherein students or the teacher read aloud to the class and the teacher then organizes class discussion about what was read. In Grade 1, when not all students can read, instruction may focus on individual or group activities. Sometimes students who can read when they begin Grade 1 are grouped together for advanced learning.
Second Language Instruction
The City of Moscow is working on the development of multicultural education, which has proven to be the most effective route to learners’ understanding of their culture and the understanding and acceptance of other cultures and cultural differences.
For immigrant students whose native language is not Russian, there are “schools of Russian language” in Moscow. They are based in secondary schools and implement a one year program of intensive training in Russian language and sociocultural adaptation for children of immigrants.
All participants of the educational process (i.e., children, teachers, parents) are provided psycho-pedagogical assistance (e.g., psychologists, speech therapists, speech pathologists).
Some Moscow schools teach Russian as a foreign language to immigrants in the second half of the day as additional education.