According to recent international comparative studies on education (PIRLS 2001, TIMSS 2003), fourth-grade pupils in Latvia have relatively very good literacy skills and a high level of education in mathematics and natural sciences. A broad range of pupils achievement means that there are pupils with a high and low level of reading literacy in Latvia. The same can be said about the average level of education - there are classes with a high and low average level of education. Reading literacy is complicated. The aim of this paper is to determine which teaching-related factors facilitate reading literacy in classes with the highest achievements. The study analyses quantitative data on literacy classes which were obtained in a survey of teachers conducted in 2006 within the framework of Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS); quantitative data were obtained from interviews with the best primary school teachers in Latvia. During the study, the authors came to the conclusion that reading literacy is a complicated phenomenon which is influenced by the following factors: the number of pupils in a class, cooperation between parents and teachers, availability of specialists, and the ability of teachers to motivate pupils to study.
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