Reading Instruction in the Primary Grades
Instructional Materials
Prior to 2005, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education published and distributed official schoolbooks to Qatari schools. Since 2005, independent schools also have used newspapers, magazines, tape recorders, and televisions in instruction.
In September 2011, the Supreme Education Council (which became the Ministry of Education and Higher Education) began providing independent schools with a list of instructional materials aligned with curriculum standards for all academic subjects and all stages, so each school could choose learning resources that best suited their students’ needs. Private publishers from other Arab countries also produce a range of reading texts, workbooks, and other learning materials for instructional use and supplementary resources for teachers. Teachers provide guidance and support in how to use books effectively, such as teaching students how to use books to obtain information and increase their knowledge, or to deduce and analyze results. Teachers also use secondary sources including electronic resources to expand students’ perceptions and enrich their knowledge.
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education expects parents to provide further support for the development of student knowledge by:
- Becoming familiar with the learning resources for each subject, reviewing them with their children, and pointing out the advantages and benefits of their use, especially in the elementary and preparatory stages
- Encouraging their children to read their textbooks at home and to complete exercises and activities included in the book, even if they were not assigned by the teacher
- Reviewing the reading passages and the pages that have been assigned as homework
- Providing an environment that encourages reading at home by reviewing texts and reading them with their children
Use of Technology
In addition to reading books in school, students have opportunities to read and view texts through modern means of communication. One of the major benefits of the educational reform in Qatar is the emphasis on schools’ provision of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) tools. Televisions and computers are available in all schools, and the Internet is used as an aid for reading instruction. Many schools have been able to make technological advances because of a project coordinated by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education that aims to make ICT an integral part of education, by organizing events that promote its integration.5 The success of this project can be attributed to Ministry support of the two councils, the dedication of schools and teachers, and students’ motivation to participate in the events.
Role of Reading Specialists
Qatari schools have no reading specialists.
Second Language Instruction
Beginning in Grade 1, English is the first foreign language taught in all schools in Qatar. Many international schools use English as the language of instruction.