Reading Instruction in the Primary Grades
Instructional Materials
Individual teachers have a great deal of freedom and flexibility in choosing their instructional methods and materials, as the national curriculum does not prescribe specific materials or methods for reading instruction. Danish teachers often incorporate a variety of materials into their teaching.49 Although Denmark is a small country with a population of 5.7 million people, teachers may choose from a wealth of material when planning their reading instruction. A series of textbooks typically contains readers, workbooks, teacherʼs manuals, and supplementary materials such as audiovisual material, song books, games, and apps. Some teachers use published materials such as basal readers, while others develop their own instructional materials.50 Published materials usually cover at least three successive grade levels.
Denmark does not have a central authority that assesses instructional materials; rather, it is the responsibility of school principals to evaluate the quality and usability of textbooks and other teaching materials. The Danish Ministry of Education provides sample methods and materials on its website and on EMU.dk, a collection of educational materials and online resources for the Danish educational system.51,52 This portal conveys information about best teaching practices to more than 500,000 monthly users.53
The 2014 establishment of educational learning centers (pædagogiske læringscentre) has led to further development of school libraries. Together with centers for teaching resources, educational learning centers provide access to learning resources including books, ebooks, and other digital resources. Web-based services such as www.vurdigi.dk can help users evaluate the quality of digital teaching resources.
Use of Technology
The use of computer technology is a priority in the Danish Folkeskole. The Danish Ministry of Education encourages the use of Information Technology (IT) and digital media as an integral part of the curriculum. Grants allocated from 2004 to 2007 for the purchase of computer and audiovisual equipment for third grade students resulted in a ratio of fewer than two students per computer in 2010.54 Additional funds were allocated from 2011 to 2015 to increase the use of digital media in public schools until the end of 2017.55,56 Municipalities can supplement these funds by applying for cofinancing of digital learning resources. Other technological initiatives include funds for the development and evaluation of new digital learning materials, the association of teacher networks with IT-based learning programs, and the use of computers as learning tools for students in lower grades. IT and digital media are covered as a separate skills and knowledge objective in the national curriculum for all grades.
Role of Reading Specialists
Reading consultants (læsekonsulenter) play a key role in developing the reading and literacy strategy within each municipality. These specialists develop evidence-based action plans for students with reading difficulties, provide counseling on dyslexia, and assist literacy counselors and test administrators in reporting dyslexia. Reading consultants also may assist schools with selecting methods of reading instruction, finding relevant research and learning materials, including students with reading difficulties in regular classroom activities, and monitoring the reading level of the school each year.57
Literacy counselors (læsevejledere) are employed at the school level, and are teachers with a diploma in Literacy Counseling in Basic School or a similar educational background. While their work is similar in nature to that of reading consultants, these specialists focus on individual schools rather than municipalities. With an understanding of normal and abnormal reading and writing development, literacy counselors help students with and without reading difficulties build their reading and writing skills. They additionally are involved in coordinating efforts concerning students with dyslexia, the implementation of reading assessments, and the use of compensatory IT. A national goal is to have at least one literacy counselor at every school.58,59
Second Language Instruction
In Denmark, approximately 11 percent of all students in basic school do not speak Danish as a native language.60 School principals are responsible for offering special instruction in Danish as a Second Language to these students in a way that meets their individual needs.61 The number of lessons is determined in accordance with the need of the individual child. If necessary, students may receive instruction outside the classroom by a second language specialist or be referred to small group or individual tutoring.62 A limited number of second language students from non-Western countries in primary and lower secondary school is offered “mother-tongue tuition,” with the costs defrayed by local authorities.
Accommodation Policies for Instruction and Testing
In 2012, Denmarkʼs educational policy on inclusion and special needs education was revised with the aim of including 96 percent of all students in regular classrooms by 2015. Students who need fewer than nine hours of remedial instruction per week typically remain in regular classes, where they receive supplemental instruction in specific subject areas as needed. However, students who need more than nine hours per week may attend special education classes within their regular school or in a special needs school.63 During the 2014–2015 school year, the rate of inclusion was 95.3 percent.64 Because the 2014 Folkeskole Act requires teaching to focus on the needs of individual students, the aim of 96 percent of included students in ordinary education implies that teachers must modify their classroom instruction methods to meet the goal.
The provisions of the Folkeskole Act regarding aims, curricula, evaluations, and examinations apply to all students. Adjustments to these provisions (e.g., accommodations for testing, the use of special training materials and technical resources) are made by the Ministry of Education.65 Students with reading difficulties may be granted extended time or use their schoolʼs usual IT tools during national assessments without an adjustment to the provisions. While all teachers are encouraged to implement IT in their instruction, many schools assign compensatory IT tools to students who have been identified as dyslexic, particularly from Grades 3 to 4. Students, teachers, and parents must all be educated in the use of these tools, the settings of which must be adjusted as studentsʼ skills develop.
School principals must ensure that students with physical or mental disabilities receive special accommodations enabling them to achieve test results that are indicative of their academic level. Occasionally, students are exempted from the national tests, based on a recommendation from their teacher. All special accommodations for and exemptions from testing must be made in accordance with the school principal and the studentʼs parents and teachers.