Reading Instruction in the Primary Grades
Instructional Materials
Several textbooks, workbooks, and other instructional materials have been developed for language instruction in Latvian and minority languages. The National Centre for Education has compiled a list of recommended instructional literature for general education institutions that is available in an online library catalog to all schools and any interested parties.
Use of Technology
While the use of technology in reading instruction is up to individual teachers, a list of digital learning materials has been created by the National Centre for Education.18 Material that is available online is linked to the list, while the National Centre for Education sends material in CD or DVD format to schools.
Because more than 90 percent of Latvian educational institutions use the online student management system E-klase, classrooms usually contain at least one computer. The E-klase system was established to allow the efficient exchange of information among all parties involved, thereby enhancing the quality of education process.19,20
A new national initiative to introduce computer science as a subject starting in Grade 1 has been piloted for three years, beginning during the 2015–2016 school year, and was field tested at Grades 1, 4, and 7. There is a chance that some of the PIRLS 2016 main survey participants were involved in the field tests.
Role of Reading Specialists
Most schools in Latvia have filled a recommended speech therapist staff position for preprimary and primary students who have speaking, reading, or writing difficulties. The availability of a speech therapist depends on the number of students in a school—bigger schools and municipalities are more likely to employ a speech therapist.
Second Language Instruction
In addition to Latvian, the state provides general basic education in Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, Belarusian, English, and French.21 For these minority education programs, Latvian is taught as a separate subject beginning in Grade 1. Depending on which program a school has chosen or developed and licensed for implementation, other subjects may be taught in Latvian, a minority language, or bilingually.
Since the 2014–2015 academic year, students in Latvia begin learning their first foreign language (usually English) in Grade 1. Most students tested in PIRLS 2016 began studying a foreign language in Grade 3.
Accommodation Policies for Instruction and Testing
Special accommodations during instruction or testing usually are available to students who have a statement from the state or local government pedagogical medical commission on the need for an appropriate educational program, or from a pedagogical medical commission, speech therapist, or educational or clinical psychologist regarding their special needs. These accommodations include:22
- Extra time during testing for students with a variety of special needs
- Use of bigger fonts or availability of text magnifiers for students with visual impairments
- Use of repetition or sign language or acceptance of written rather than oral answers for students with hearing impairments
- Use of computers for giving answers, acceptance of written rather than oral answers, or movement assistance for students with physical disabilities
- Reading text aloud, use of bigger fonts, acceptance of oral rather than written answers, or distribution of memos on grammatical rules for students with language disorders
- Reading text aloud, use of bigger fonts, or distribution of memos on grammatical or mathematical rules for students with learning disorders
- Distribution of memos on organization and concentration techniques for students with mental health problems