Teaching Strategies for Reading: The Case of Sweden and the United Kingdom - Essay Example

Comparison and Contrast of Teaching Strategies for Reading: The Case of Sweden and the UK Identifying Number: Poster Presentation: Theaim of this poster is to compare and contrast the primary education in the United Kingdom and Sweden focusing in particular on the methods used by teachers to encourage students to learn and the extent to which the schools have to adhere to the curriculum in each of these countries. The poster also details the aspects that the United Kingdom can find beneficial from the Swedish curriculum which can be incorporated into the United Kingdom learning strategies of reading. Both the United Kingdom and Sweden agree that the ability to effectively read is a core educational achievement since without this basic foundation in the area of literacy, it is impossible for these children to gain any type of access to a curriculum that is both rich and diverse(Department for Education, 2013). In addition, both of these countries are aware that inspiring children to become fluent in reading is more effective when it is done using phonics which encourages children to decode words using sounds (Parliament.uk, 2009). Pic 1: In both countries, the need to enhance on the reading efficiency of children is a source of much debate Both Sweden and the United Kingdom have set out curriculums that are based on achieving a balance between a using phonics and a number of other word reading strategies as well as a focus on children experiencing a comprehensive range of texts both digital and moving image which are made available to them from the beginning of their time in school (Holmlund & McNally, 2010). In Sweden, the curriculum dealing with reading in pre-school places heavy focus on the importance of integrating play into the development of the child which is the reason why the curriculum aims at catering to the unique needs and interests of the child(Bohlmark & Lindahl, 2008). In much the same way, the United Kingdom school curriculum based on the Primary National Strategy Framework places a distinct emphasis on ensuring that children were constantly engaged in pre-reading activities that were both interesting and worthwhile created a strong foundation for a systematic work on phonics to begin by the age of five. In this regard, teachers are encouraged to present options between either topics or texts for instance choosing a novel that could be used for group reading (Riggall & Sharp, 2008). Pic 2: in both countries, children are taught essential reading skills through activities that are based on play Similar to Sweden, teachers in the United Kingdom have adhered to the new teaching methods that revolve around discussions as well as answering enquiries from children as a way of encouraging them to read and essentially making learning much more personalized as opposed to simply telling them what they should be knowing. This relaxed form of teaching is characterized by little formal learning (DFES, 2002). Pic 3: Strategies of discussion encourage children to learn how to read in a more relaxed environment As opposed to more structured strategies of learning, both the United Kingdom and Swedish curriculums place heavy reliance on the fact that even while they are sitting and listening, children are also engaged in the process of internalizing exactly what they are being taught (Martin et al, 2000). There are however some distinct differences in the manner in which teachers in the United Kingdom and those in Sweden teach children how to read. For example, as compared to Sweden, English pupils find themselves learning to read at a much earlier age (O’Donnell et al, 2007). Children in United Kingdom schools have to adhere to a fixed curriculum at ages as young as 5 while children in Sweden are being taught using play. in English schools, formal teaching begins when children reach the age of five however there are also plans to put in place a foundation stage which will cater for three as well as four year olds(Sanders et al, 2005). Another distinct difference is that the Swedish national curriculum is far less burdensome than it is in the United Kingdom. While the Swedish government does set out the objectives that pupils should know by a certain age, but unlike in the United Kingdom, it does not stipulate exactly how these objectives should be achieved. In this regard, teachers of United Kingdom schools will have to set in place new goals for learning including a specific one that sets out the time at which children begin school, they should at least be in a position to use the phonic knowledge they have to write simple words(Sharp, 2002). In Sweden, teachers are encouraged to place significant focus on the use of play to create opportunities for reading. Each activity is done through play with a special consideration on the fact that boys need care when learning to read since as a whole boys are more attracted to physical activities (Department for Education, 2012). Pic 4: Role playing is one of the strategies incorporated in Swedish schools to teach reading The United Kingdom on the other hand integrated the Early Years Foundation Stage which essentially demands that teachers must monitor the progress of children and ensure that they achieve no less than 69 goals and over 500 milestones for development each of which will be scored by the Department of Education (Ruddock & Sainsbury, 2008). This framework has been criticized as being too rigid since it places a significant amount of burden on early childhood practitioners. Children in Sweden are put into a class that brings together the pedagogical elements of the pre-school and the formal structure of the compulsory school (Cowen, 2008). Pic 4: The EYFS strategy that incorporates a reading test has often been criticized as being a wrong way to determine the reading efficiency of a child. What Can the United Kingdom Learn From the Swedish Strategies of Teaching Reading? Even though children from the Swedish system begin formal learning much later, they show consistently high scores in learning and reading tests at a much later stage which is in direct contrast to the United Kingdom (Smithers, 2007). The United Kingdom school system can benefit from placing more focus on ensuring that learning to read is a process that is characterized by less formality. In this way, children will be far more receptive to learning; in this regard, the scrapping of the government reading test could also go a long way towards improving the ability of children to read since it will provide teachers with a more relaxed atmosphere to determine the unique needs of each child (Twist et al, 2007). Consider a more active incorporation of play into the entire process of reading; role playing in particular could be helpful as it puts the child in the mind of the teacher and enables him to learn in a manner that is fun but also cultivates his reading skills (de Waal & Cowen, 2007). By reading out loud to his classmates, the child is better able to integrate phonics were the child will be in a position to strengthen his oral skills and subsequently his reading skills (Engdahl, 2004). Pic 6: UK Educators would benefit from the Swedish practice of encouraging children to take on the role of a teacher and read out loud to the class as this will help to develop children’s reading skills Conclusion Sweden and The United Kingdom place a heavy reliance on the cultivation of proficient reading skills among their children since this is seen as a core foundation towards ensuring better literacy skills at a later stage. This is one of the similarities with the other being that both countries encourage the use of discussion as a strategy to teach reading to their children. There are however a number of differences with the most distinct being that The United Kingdom has a more structured and formal approach to teaching reading with children as young as five having to adhere to a set out curriculum. This is far different than Sweden which encourages a more relaxed environment until the children reach seven where more formal learning comes in. this formal nature is what needs to change in the United Kingdom as the country needs to adopt more play strategies such as role play into the reading process. References Bohlmark , A., Lindahl, M. (2008). ‘Does School Privatization Improve Educational Achievement? Evidence from Sweden’s Voucher Reform’, IZA Discussion Paper No. 3691. Cowen, N. (2008). Swedish Lessons: How Schools with More Freedom Can Deliver Better Education. Civitas: Institute for the Study of Civil Society. Trowbridge, Wiltshire: The Cromwell Press. Department for Education. (2013). The National Curriculum in England: Key Stages 1 and 2 framework document. Retrieved from: Department for Education. (2012). A Comparison of International Childcare Systems. Center for Research in Early Childhood. Available at: < https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/212564/DFE-RR269.pdf> Department for Education and Skills (DfES) (2002) Provision for Children Under Five Years of Age in England: January 2002 (National Statistics First Release 09/2002). London: Department for Education and Skills. Available: de Waal, A. and Cowen, N. (2007). Ready to Read?, London: Civitas. Retrieved from: http://www.civitas.org.uk/pdf/readytoread.pdf   > Engdahl, I. (2004). Implementing a National Curriculum in Swedish Preschools, Korean Society for Early Childhood Education, 10(2), 53-78 Holmlund, H., McNally, S. (2010). In Brief: A Swedish Model for UK Schools. Retrieved from: < http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/cp306.pdf> Martin, M.O., Mullis, I.V.S., Gregory, K.D., Hoyle, C., and Shen, C. (2000) Effective Schools in Science and Mathematics: IEA‘s third international mathematics and science study. 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Available: http://www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/other-publications/conference-papers/pdf_do cs/PaperSSF.pdf Ruddock , G., Sainsbury, M. (2008). Comparison of the Core Primary Curriculum in England to those of Other High Performing Countries. Department for Children, Schools and Families. Retrieved from: Smithers, A., ‘Blair’s Education: an international perspective’, Centre for Education and Employment Research, University of Buckingham, 2007: http://www.suttontrust.com/reports/ SuttonTrust_BlairsEd19June.pdf  > Twist, L., Schagen, I. and Hodgson, C., Readers and Reading: the National Report for England 2006 (PIRLS: Progress in International Reading Literacy Study), National Foundation for Educational Research, Slough, 2007: < http://www.nfer.ac.uk/ publications/ pdfs/downloadable/PIRLSreport.pdf> Read More