Language/Reading Curriculum in the Fourth Grade

Reading Policy

National regulations on the state preschool education guidelines for language development state that by the end of preprimary education, students should be able to:

Understand the relationship between sounds and letters
Recognize printed and written letters; write letters, words, and simple sentences according to one’s abilities
Read words and simple sentences according to one’s abilities
Understand what one has read, answer questions about the text, and express an attitude toward the text⁷

According to regulations on the state basic education guidelines, subject standards, and curriculum, one of the main tasks of primary education programs is to provide an opportunity for students to learn basic knowledge and skills in language.⁸ The Language domain is composed of four main subjects: Latvian language for schools with Latvian as a language of instruction, Latvian language and literature for minority schools, minority language for minority schools, and foreign language. Students begin studying literature as a separate subject in Grade 4 as part of the arts subject group.

Summary of National Curriculum

For Grades 1 to 9, the goals of the Language domain are to:

Develop language competence (i.e., understand the spoken and written text) and creatively express thoughts orally and in writing
Improve understanding of the language system, including its regularities and peculiarities
Develop a culture of language and communication
Teach language as the human and national cultural component and build personal responsibility for one’s own language culture
Improve independent learning skills⁹

Reading in the primary grades mainly is taught in Latvian but also may be taught in a minority language if applicable. In basic education, the goal of the reading curriculum is to develop students’ communication skills in Latvian, awareness of the importance of language in the creation of personality, preservation of a national identity, and intercultural dialogue.¹⁰

The objectives of the Language domain are to provide students with the opportunity to:

Develop communication skills
Learn the rules and specifics of language function
Develop an understanding of language as part of a nation’s culture and national identity
Apply language skills in the learning process and in self-expression
Develop skills to improve speech culture¹¹

While it does not explicitly include reading, the Language domain contains general linguistics, texts, and sentences. As part of the texts competency, students are expected to learn about the characteristics of texts (e.g., purposefulness, entirety, coherency, and completeness), themes, main ideas, titles, paragraphs, text types, language styles, and editing.

At the end of Grade 3, students are expected to:

Retell a story that has been read or heard
Read and understand text that is appropriate to personal learning needs and interests
Comprehend the ideas expressed in a given text, identify the theme, and understand the connection between the title and theme
Recognize lines and paragraphs in a given text
Find concrete information in a given text and use it in daily activities
Write about oneself and what one has seen, heard, read, or experienced
Retell, in writing, a story that has been read or heard and is appropriate to personal learning needs and interests
Recognize the topic of a given text and the connection between the title and the topic
Recognize the significance of word choice, sentence structure, and the use of punctuation marks in the comprehension and creation of a text
Understand that some words have multiple meanings
Identify information about Latvia’s history and culture in a given text ¹²

At the end of Grade 6, students are expected to:

Read a text out loud with accuracy and expression
Identify a topic and the main idea of a given text
Understand the systematic character of a given text and the meaning of paragraphs in the creation of a text
Evaluate the information in a given text (whether new or known, important or not significant) and use it in daily activities
Develop reading skills purposefully
Retell in written form (e.g., write a short summary about) a story that has been read or heard
Identify the theme, main idea, and parts (e.g., introduction, conclusion) of a given text and understand the role of each part
Know the features of the functional styles of language
Recognize the role of the use of words, syntactic constructions, and punctuation marks in the comprehension and creation of a text
Distinguish sentences from other language units based on their characteristics
Identify ambiguous words and distinguish direct and figurative meanings of words
Identify information pertaining to culture in a text¹³

Students begin studying literature as a separate subject in Grade 4. The National Centre for Education, under the direction of the Ministry of Education and Science, has established two model literature programs. Schools or individual teachers can choose between these programs or develop their own as long as it includes the content required by the national standard for the subject.

The first model program describes topics and content, determines the timing of literature instruction, and gives expected outcomes for knowledge and skills, and for creativity and attitude. At the end of Grade 4, students in this program should be able to:

Perceive fictional works as “word artˮ and understand literary theory (e.g., plot, image, lyrics, heroes, bound and unbound language, and imaginative means of expression including personification and comparison)
Have a basic understanding of the two essential features of “word artˮ: humanism and the connection of the writersʼ life experiences to their fictional works
Have a grasp of the content of a literary work of fiction
Discuss aspects of artistic expression (depiction—imagery and characters and artistic means of expression) and the author’s attitude toward the depicted
Compare and contrast texts based on their features
Develop an interest in fiction based on enjoyment of reading (e.g., attracted by intense storyline or intriguing events)
Read clearly and smoothly
Understand that every reader of “word art” can perceive and evaluate the text differently, with varying attitudes and judgment
Become contributors by associating their life experiences with what was captured in narration (oral or written), and express their emotions about and criticisms of the work; share thoughts with other learners about their discoveries and what they find familiar and important¹⁴

The second model literature program additionally includes works of art from various fields (e.g., architecture, fine art, music, cinematography). According to this model program, at the end of Grade 4 students should be able to:

Understand the most important features of a poem, story, and literary tale
Evaluate verses and language sonority in poetry
Perceive and identify a plot of a literary work
Explain the action of a hero in a literary work
Evaluate illustrations in a literary work
Express views on a plot and a hero’s actions in a literary work
Read and recite literary text with expression
Unfold events of folktale, literary tales, and other stories in a logical sequence
Use proverbs to describe situations in a literary work
Assess Latvian folktales and evaluate the use of folk elements in a literary work
Use dictionaries to supplement one’s vocabulary¹⁵