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178 chapter 5: school curriculum and organization for teaching reading
How Much Instructional Time Is Devoted to Reading?
Exhibit 5.10 shows the participants’ reports of the number of hours specified
for instruction per week overall, and the percent of the total that is designated
for language and reading instruction. This is considered the intended time
for instruction, which is typically established at the national level by the
country’s Ministry of Education, and, in some cases, represents minimum
requirements. In addition, the exhibit shows principals’ reports of the
actual or implemented instructional time spent in schools overall, as well
as teachers’ reports of the percent of classroom instructional time spent
separately for language and reading.
Four fifths of the participants specified a weekly number of hours
for instruction across subject areas. On average across these participants,
the total intended instructional time was 22 hours per week. Typically, the
total instructional time implemented in the classroom matched closely,
or exceeded the intended instructional time. Countries where principals
reported at least 30 hours of instructional time per week included Italy,
Indonesia, and the United States.
Not all participants had official policies about the percentage of the
total amount of time to be devoted to language or reading instruction. The
percentage of total instructional time devoted to language ranged from
16 to 50 percent. For the few countries specifying instructional time for
reading, it ranged from 10 percent in Trinidad and Tobago to 60 percent
in Indonesia. There is some overlap across reporting categories, because in
several countries reading was included as part of language instruction or was
taught across the curriculum.
Teachers’ reports of the percentage of total instructional time spent
on language and reading indicate that more time was spent on language
instruction than reading. On average internationally, 30 percent of total
instructional time was spent on language and 20 percent on reading.
Interestingly, the percent of time spent on reading instruction in the
classroom often was less than the intended percent of total instructional
time specified at the national level.