Language/Reading Curriculum in the Fourth Grade
Reading Policy
A clear statement of Taiwan’s reading policy is included in the General Guidelines of Grade 1–9 Curriculum, published and implemented in 2003 and revised in 2011 by the Ministry of Education.6 The curriculum’s section on language includes guidelines for instruction of Mandarin Chinese, other Chinese dialects, and English. Because Mandarin Chinese is the language of testing for PIRLS in Taiwan, the following summary presents a description of the Chinese reading curriculum.
Summary of National Curriculum
The Chinese reading curriculum contains general goals for students’ academic attainment and requirements for the three levels of basic education, as well as guidelines for reading materials and instruction. The goal of reading instruction in primary grades is to cultivate students’ abilities to use the Chinese language. Students are expected to listen, speak, read, and write effectively in order to think, comprehend, reason, coordinate, participate in discussions, appreciate, and create. Moreover, students should be motivated to read extensively, to appreciate literature and Chinese culture, and to use the Internet and other tools for independent learning.
Generally, students in Grades 4 to 6 are expected to develop the strategies they will need to learn from reading. Goals for these students include the following:
- Be familiar with the orthographies, sounds, and meanings of new words and use them flexibly
- Distinguish between the styles of spoken and written classical Chinese
- Form a habit of reading extracurricular books
- Regulate reading strategies to promote reading speed and efficiency
- Understand the main ideas and structure of texts
- Have a general understanding of grammar and rhetoric
- Recognize basic stylistic features of texts
- Master reading strategies for different kinds of texts
- Understand the tone and feeling of texts
- Search for information in the library to enhance self-learning
- Use reference books to gain independent problem solving abilities
- Learn to compile, abstract, and organize information
- Have a general understanding of different types of text and be able to use words and structures that are contextually appropriate
- Enjoy words and voices that communicate and express different things in different contexts
- Discuss the content of readings and share thoughts with others
- Understand expressions of respect for people, things, and objects
- Cultivate the spirit of group participation by engaging in reading activities that enhance interactions
- Read classical and modern literature from China, Taiwan, and foreign sources
- Connect reading materials to the real world
- Apply knowledge of organizational structures (e.g., sequential, causal, contrast) to reading
- Use computers and other technology to enhance language ability
- Read attentively and be mindful of details
- Read content thoroughly and develop thoughts broadly
- Grasp the process of problem solving in texts
- Think critically about the content of texts