Denmark

Language/Reading Curriculum in the Third and Fourth Grades

Reading Policy

In PIRLS 2016, Denmark assessed students in Grades 3 and 4. Since the general reading policy is similar for both grades, only one reading policy is presented. The current national reading policy is published in the Ministryʼs Simplified Common Objectives.^22,23 Since the introduction of the Common Objectives in 2003, the teaching of every subject in public school has been aligned to specific national goals. Following the revision of the Common Objectives in 2009, a new reform of the Folkeskole became effective in 2014.²⁴ The Simplified Common Objectives were introduced in 2015, with changed national language and reading curriculum guidelines. The new curriculum elaborates the Simplified Common Objectives for the subjects and themes to be taught, and describes learning progress as it relates to the skills and knowledge objectives. The curriculum is formulated as a guideline that must receive approval from municipal boards. It has been common practice for local schools and municipalities to develop their own reading policies based on the national curriculum guidelines. The Simplified Common Objectives do not define or prescribe specific content and teaching materials; rather, a variety of school practices exist across the country. The establishment of locally anchored reading policies is important for the development of the reading level in the municipality. The Simplified Common Objectives were in effect when both grades of PIRLS students were assessed in 2016.

Danish Instruction

Danish reading instruction includes four competency areas: Reading, Oral and Written Language Proficiency, Comprehension, and Communication. Instruction in these areas follows intermediate goals and optional guidelines structured as two courses for primary school, covering Grades 1 to 2 and Grades 3 to 4. The primary goal of Danish instruction is to cultivate students’ experience of language as a source of developing a personal and cultural identity based on aesthetic, ethical, and historical understanding.

To fulfill the Reading competency area, students should be able to read simple texts with confidence and use them in everyday life by the end of Grade 2. By the end of Grade 4, students should be able to read multimodal texts for the purposes of literary experience and acquiring and using information.²⁵

The curriculum describes the minimum level within the skills and knowledge objectives that a student must reach to be able to follow instruction in class (so-called points of attention). By the end of Grades 2 and 4, the acquisition of decoding skills is in focus.

Summary of National Curriculum

Curriculum for Preprimary Education

Kindergarten classes have been a part of the Folkeskole for more than 60 years. The first kindergarten class started in 1912, and in the 1960s classes at this level became more common in the municipalities. Since 2009, one year of kindergarten (renamed Grade 0 in 2014) is compulsory. Preprimary education is not divided into subjects; rather, since 2003, instruction in kindergarten refers to six interconnected competency areas and, since 2014, to the competency objectives and the skills and knowledge objectives that prepare students for school. These competency areas are: Language, Mathematical Awareness, Scientific Phenomena, Creativity and Musical Forms of Expression, Body and Movement, and Commitment and Solidarity. For the Language area, by the end of Grade 0 students should be aware of different ways to use language. Students should, according to the skills and knowledge objectives for reading, be able to experiment with reading small texts on different media and learn about reading direction and simple word reading strategies. The point of attention in Grade 0 regarding language is recognizing the shapes, names, and sounds of letters (except q, w, x, and z).²⁶

Emphasis is on learning through play and play-related activities as means of stimulating students’ love of learning and of other school-like activities. In this way, Grade 0 maintains its character of an intermediate year that bridges themes in the daycare curriculum with the teaching of separate subjects at school.^27,28

The curriculum for Grade 0 does not require structured instruction in reading and writing; however, reading is one of the skills and knowledge objectives for this grade. The aim to strengthen the linguistic skills that are crucial for student reading development was put forward in 2009 and is still a focus today. The curriculum for Grade 0 emphasizes building students’ general language awareness through dialogue and practicing communication roles such as telling structured stories, listening to and engaging in the teacher’s reading, and learning about the narrative structure of factual and fictional texts. Furthermore, the curriculum focuses on systematically developing and increasing student vocabulary and studentsʼ awareness of rhymes, phonemes, and word formation, as well as introducing the names, shapes, and sounds of the letters. Students are encouraged to experiment with reading and writing on paper and computer, and with different everyday texts such as wish lists and recipes. Reading activities should be implemented in a playful manner while encouraging the development of a basic mastery of the alphabetical principle that enables students to read simple words with standard pronunciation. Language stimulating activities also form part of all other competency areas (e.g., learning of mathematical vocabulary).²⁹

The curriculum for Grade 0 is based on studentsʼ preliminary experience and knowledge of digital media prior to enrollment in school. Digital media is thus included in instruction in both a playing and didactic context, in which students acquire basic Information Technology (IT) skills (e.g., by experimental writing and reading or by recording and editing short films). Motivation and interest in reading and writing should be encouraged, and digital texts such as those on webpages, in computer games, and in ebooks should be available for students and included in instruction.³⁰

Danish Instruction in Grades 1 and 2

In the curriculum guidelines, the development of elementary reading, writing, and spelling skills is seen as multiple, parallel processes that supplement each other. The curriculum emphasizes the importance of direct instruction in the names, shapes, and sounds of letters and their combination to form words. Because the development of basic reading comprehension is based on literary experience and enjoyment of reading is central at this stage, students are presented with a variety of simple literary and informational texts in print and on the computer to read alone, aloud in class, with a partner, or in a small group.³¹ Instruction in basic spelling and reading strategies should enable students gradually to read age appropriate texts on their own.

Since the introduction of the Common Objectives in 2009, students in Grades 1 and 2 are expected to learn the names, shapes, and sounds of letters in preschool; the curriculum guidelines for the first few grades of primary education emphasize further reading development by teaching students how to apply these skills in basic decoding strategies. Additionally, students should be instructed in the use of simple reading comprehension strategies (e.g., using headings and pictures to enhance the understanding of the text) to gain knowledge.

At the end of Grade 2, students should be able to do the following: apply the shapes, sounds, and combinations of letters with a confident and automatized use of decoding strategies (for standard pronunciation and context determined pronunciation); retrieve appropriate texts on paper and online; read simple, age appropriate literary and informational texts; learn and use simple prereading strategies (e.g., ask questions about personal expectations from the text); use basic comprehension strategies; begin to monitor their language and reading comprehension (e.g., by identifying unknown words); and demonstrate an understanding of what they have read and present it orally.³² Students who by the end of Grade 2 present major decoding difficulties despite good reading initiatives receive support in order to get access to age appropriate knowledge and literary experience.

The use of IT and media in Grades 1 to 9 falls under four themes: information seeking and data collection; production and presentation; analysis and communication; and knowledge sharing and collaboration.

Exhibit 1 shows the reading skills and knowledge objectives based on the Simplified Common Objectives for students at the end of Grade 2.³³

Exhibit 1: Reading Skills and Knowledge Objectives by the End of Grade 2

Phase 1	Phase 2
Text Retrieval
Choose a text from a minor selection based on knowledge about the difficulty of texts	Find texts by navigating on age appropriate home pages by learning about webpage structure
Preparation for Reading
Prepare reading by classroom conversations by learning about ways to gain prior understanding	Learn and use simple prereading strategies
Decoding Skills
Read words in Grade 2 texts confidently by learning about context-determined pronunciation of letters and the spelling and meaning of words
Language Comprehension
Identify unknown words in text and speech by learning about words and expressions in instructions and tasks	Understand the meaning of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in context by learning about differences and similarities in the meanings of words
Reading Comprehension
Reproduce the content of a Grade 2 text by learning about the structure of literary and informational texts	Combine text and background knowledge to gain coherent understanding by learning about the interaction between text and reader
Context and Coherence
Compare the subject of a text with personal knowledge, experiences, and ideas	Relate to the subject of a text by learning about simple reflection questions

Danish Instruction in Grades 3 and 4

The curriculum for Danish in Grades 3 and 4 focuses on reading purposes and comprehension. By reading literary and informational texts, students at these levels are steeped in different reading purposes. Reading as a tool for gaining knowledge is emphasized and in this context, more and more multimodal texts are used. Students also work on building decoding skills and adjusting reading speed and technique to the type of text. Developing studentsʼ ability to read and understand expository texts across subjects is the responsibility of the entire teaching staff.³⁴ Thus, students learn skills to use before, during, and after reading and how to monitor their understanding of unknown words. Students also write original texts based on what they have read in order to communicate their own ideas and feelings.

At the end of Grade 4, students should be able to read print and digital literary and informational texts with good comprehension, master different decoding and comprehension strategies, and adjust search strategies based on reading purpose, genre, text difficulty, and text type (e.g., print and digital formats). They also should be able to find relevant information on age appropriate websites and assess the relevance and credibility of the information. Students are expected to organize their background knowledge (e.g., by using templates), distinguish between different reading purposes, draw on prior knowledge, and search for definitions of key words they do not understand.³⁵ Students learn to monitor their reading comprehension by making inferences and revising previous knowledge, and they work with interpretation of a textʼs content, purpose, or message. Students also should develop and sustain appropriate reading habits and should be able to read simple Swedish and Norwegian texts. During their school time, students should become acquainted with the Danish literature canon, which consists of Danish folk songs and 14 Danish writings. Exhibit 2 shows the reading skills and knowledge objectives for students at the end of the Grade 4.

Exhibit 2: Reading Skills and Knowledge Objectives by the End of Grade 4

Phase 1	Phase 2
Text Retrieval
Navigate on age appropriate webpages and library resources by learning about search criteria and webpage structure	Evaluate webpage relevance based on search criteria by learning about simple source-critical methods
Preparation for Reading
Organize background knowledge by learning about relevant methods	Formulate simple reading purposes, such as reading for literary experience and reading for acquiring information
Decoding Skills
Read Grade 4 texts fast and confidently by learning about composite words, word classes, and inflection of words
Language Comprehension
Clarify word meanings by learning about the structure and function of dictionaries and encyclopedias	Create coherent text understanding by learning about and applying wider and narrower terms
Reading Comprehension
Identify the elements that create text coherence by learning about cohesive ties	Cope with comprehension difficulties by learning about reading comprehension strategies
Context and Coherence
Discuss the content and meaning of a text by learning about its communicational function	Report and reproduce personal ideas about the situations and context of a text by learning about visualization methods