Reading Instruction in the Primary Grades
Instructional Materials
Students in Malta are expected to acquire and develop competence in the four language modes—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—in both Maltese and English. Maltese and English language course books include reading as one of the language modes. The students’ books include reading comprehension passages and excerpts for reading for pleasure.
Schools use a variety of readers to teach Maltese and English. Decisions about the choice of reading materials to be used for English are college or school based. For teaching of Maltese, schools are provided with a set of graded readers, the Maltese names of which do not mean anything to the international reader. Each year group is given two readers, and teachers are expected to adapt the reading materials to suit the needs of individual students. A list of supplementary reading materials appropriate for each year group is provided to schools.
Use of Technology
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has assumed central importance in Maltese classrooms. All classrooms are supplied with interactive whiteboards and, over the last two years, efforts have been made to familiarize learners gradually with tablets so as to extend and support teaching and learning. In 2015, a pilot project was carried out with Grade 4 learners to investigate the effects of digital technology on learning outcomes. In 2016, teachers were provided with basic training about the pedagogical uses of the devices. As of January 2017, all Grade 4 students will be provided with their own personal tablet, which they will use in the following years. This initiative likely will continue on an annual basis until all learners have their own tablet.
Role of Reading Specialists
Every effort is being made to support learners with reading difficulties. In 2013, the Ministry for Education and Employment set up the National Literacy Agency with the sole purpose of improving the literacy attainment of children, youths, and adults in Maltese and English.8 Throughout the last 20 years, state primary schools have been allocated the services of complementary teachers to support students who are struggling with reading and literacy. More recently, literacy support teams have been established to coordinate and oversee the implementation of guided reading in schools, to support classroom teachers in the teaching of reading, and to implement reading programs in schools. These professionals contribute to the enhancement of the reading culture and support learners who require support in Maltese and/or English.
Second Language Instruction
Students in Malta acquire, learn, and use two languages at school: Maltese, the national language, and English, an official language. The National Minimum Curriculum established bilingualism as the basis of the educational system.9 In fact, students are expected to become proficient in both languages by the time they complete secondary school. While Maltese is used by 90 percent of the population and generally is considered to be the mother tongue, English is thought of as a second language. However, the level of English language competence varies greatly in Malta, and while some people develop both fluency and competence in written and spoken English, others continue to function at basic levels. Additionally, students who have arrived to the island recently require instruction in both languages before they are able to follow the age appropriate curriculum. For this reason, teaching hubs have been set up to support learners in developing the required competence level before they attend mainstream education.10
Accommodation Polices for Instruction and Testing
The National Literacy Agency promotes a balanced literacy approach for teaching and learning in which “the technical aspects of reading and writing are taught in the context of making meaning through text.”11 This approach promotes “shared reading, word study, guided reading, independent reading, modelled writing, shared writing, interactive writing, guided writing, independent writing, and read[ing] aloud.”12