PIRLS 2006 Encyclopedia

help both students and teachers make the process of teaching and learning active andinteractive. The teacher becomes a constructor of knowledge and a facilitator of learning.The student becomes a partner in classroom dialogue. A free Internet connection isavailable in every Bulgarian school, and most schools have multimedia equipment.According to the educational settings and context (pair, group, and individual work)technology is used in reading instruction. Different active methods of learning havealready been applied in Bulgarian primary schools so that students can acquire autonomyin class.Role of Reading SpecialistsThe primary classroom teacher is responsible for teaching reading. There are experts inBulgarian language and literature at the Inspectorates of Education and the Ministry ofEducation and Science. These experts act as advisors and play an organizational role inreading instruction.Second-language InstructionThere are no special second-language reading programs in Bulgarian for immigrants.However, for Roma children and children who do not speak Bulgarian well, thereare additional classes to help students develop formal communication, extend theirvocabulary, learn syntax structures, and improve their handwriting, speaking, and writing.Minority students also can study their mother tongue at public schools in the form offree elective instruction.Effective PracticesPrimary teachers and specialists apply various effective practices. For example, the goalsof the program Step by Step, a nongovernmental organization, include disseminating andrealizing ideas about democratic education, introducing modern educational technologies,and facilitating family participation in education. 7 Also, the international project Readingand Writing for Critical Thinking introduces research-based, instructional methods forteachers and teacher educators. These methods are designed to help students thinkreflectively, take ownership of their personal learning, understand the logic of arguments,listen attentively, debate confidently, and become independent, lifelong learners. 8 Inaddition to these programs, teachers use role plays, school theatre, and school papers.All these practices stimulate equal access to education for Bulgarian learners.PIRLS 2006 EncyclopediaReading DisabilitiesDiagnostic ScreeningDiagnostic screening often is used to identify reading difficulties and symptoms of adisability. Students who have reading difficulties are given support such as individualinstruction from the teacher, small-group instruction, and various kinds of art therapy.If they fail to make progress while receiving such support, specialists can diagnose theirdifficulties. If the student has symptoms of a disability, he or she is taught individuallyBulgariaTIMSS & PIRLSInternational Study CenterLynch School of Education, Boston College 57