Reading Instruction in the Primary Grades
Instructional Materials
In addition to textbooks, schools frequently use books that include reading comprehension activities for instruction. Furthermore, classrooms usually contain sets of children’s literature anthologies. All books made available to teachers (e.g., textbooks, teacher’s manuals) are for illustrative purposes only and are not prescriptive.
Use of Technology
In primary education, one of the competencies specified in language and literature instruction is to use the media of everyday communication and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to obtain, understand, and value different opinions and information. The content specified in each block for all cycles includes references to relevant elements of new technologies for support or as a source of information to develop comprehension and expression.
Role of Reading Specialists
There are no reading specialists in primary education in Andalusia. The language and literature teacher, usually the classroom teacher, is responsible for reading instruction, even though other subject teachers also cover reading comprehension.
Second Language Instruction
In 2007, Andalusia created a service for immigrant students who do not know Spanish or struggle with it called Linguistic Adaptation Temporary Classrooms (LATC). Immigrants in LATC are placed in a Spanish learning program with a specialist teacher to become integrated with their school and the learning activities specific to their age and level. The main objectives of LATC are to provide specific care for immigrant students with no knowledge of Spanish using a unique program that supports the acquisition of language and communication skills and to allow the integration of these students in the school and social environment in the shortest time possible with guarantees of progress in the mainstream classroom.