PIRLS 2006 Encyclopedia

PIRLS 2006 Encyclopedia• Understand the meanings that express respect of people, things, and objects;• Cultivate the spirit of group participation by engaging in reading activities thatenhance interactions;• Read literature that is ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign, as well as Taiwanese;• Connect reading materials to real life;• Apply the knowledge of organization structures (e.g., sequential, causal, contrast)to reading;• Enhance language ability by using computers and other technological products;• Read attentively and keep details in mind; read the content thoroughly anddevelop thoughts broadly;• Write personal feelings and reflections;• Grasp the process of problem solving in the text; and• Think and criticize the content of texts.Summary of National CurriculumThe general goal for reading at elementary grades is to cultivate students’ abilities to usethe Chinese language. Students are expected to listen, speak, read, and write effectivelyin order to think, comprehend, reason, coordinate, discuss, appreciate, and create. Hence,their experience and vision will be expanded. Moreover, students should be motivated toread extensively and to appreciate literature and Chinese culture. Also, students shouldlearn to use the Internet and other tools to encourage independent learning.Reading Instruction in the Primary GradesInstructional TimeInstructional time is regulated by the Nine-Year Integrated Curriculum. In grades 1 and2, 22–24 classes (40 minutes per class) are required per week for all subjects, which isincreased to 28–31 classes in grades 3 and 4 and 30–33 classes in grades 5 and 6. Twenty tothirty percent of all the classes should be devoted to language instruction. The languageclasses for grade 4 students are Chinese (five classes), English (two classes), and dialects(one class).Instructional MaterialsIn the Nine-Year Integrated Curriculum, the content and format of the instructionalmaterials are described as follows:Chinese Taipei• Materials should cover traditional, current, foreign, and local well-known literature,so that students have multicultural knowledge and respect for other cultures.• The vocabulary and the number of Chinese characters in each lesson should fitthe level of difficulty.• Pictures, figures, and tables should complement the text correctly and attractively.The ratio of picture to words in level one texts should be one to one.92