Only half of schoolchildren like to read, and girls read significantly better than boys.
Photo: Grigoriy Sobchenko
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Russian Schoolchildren Lead in Literacy
The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement has published the results of its latest study of reading level and text understanding among ten-year-olds in 45 regions of the world. Russian children were found to be the most highly literate. The results of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study are based on findings made in 2006. The study is conducted every five years and aims not only at ranking various country's schoolchildren, but at finding ways to improve the teaching of reading. The actual research for the study is conducted by the International Study Center of Boston College in the United States using the results of 215,000 schoolchildren.
The results of the study show a general decrease of interest in books in recent years, as children show a greater preference for the computer. That is especially noticeable in developed countries. Sweden, which topped the list in 2001, fell to 10th place in 2006. England fell from 3rd to 14, Scotland from 19th to 26th. The United States was close to England in 18th place.
Thirty-seven percent of schoolchildren questioned said that they spend at least three hours a day in front of the computer. Only 32 percent read assigned literature every day, and 40 percent read for entertainment. Only half of schoolchildren like to read, and girls read significantly better than boys. The researchers emphasize the role of the parents in reading habits.
Alexander Adamsky, rector of the Eureka Institute, which specializes in educational policy, commented on Russia's success that “The cause is that it has gradual come away from the practice of blunt memorization and repetition. Not so long ago, teachers mainly thought about the number of word per minute that could be read. Now the emphasis is on a developmental program.”
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Nov. 30, 2007
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