Reading instruction should not depend on individual teachers

Björg Magnúsdóttir, president of Reykjavík City Council and leader of Viðreisn in the city, says it is essential to involve parents in shaping an action plan to improve schools in Reykjavík, mbl.is reports.

The plan should examine which teaching methods work best and review projects that have received positive feedback, she said. It would be unusual, she added, if teachers’ personal interests influenced how much emphasis schools placed on reading instruction.

Reykjavík City Council approved proposals last week to strengthen education in the city and improve performance in reading comprehension, mathematics and scientific literacy in preschools and primary schools. The council also approved opening a dialogue with teachers and other staff in preschools and primary schools.

The measures follow weak PISA results showing that 44 percent of 10th-grade students do not achieve basic proficiency in reading comprehension, mathematics and natural sciences.

“What we want to do at this initial meeting, which we plan to hold at City Hall soon, is highlight the excellent projects taking place in schools across Reykjavík,” Björg told mbl.is.

She said she had heard about a well-received reading project from Ireland at a school in Grafarvogur, a Reykjavík district.

“We want to highlight the positive stories. Where are the good projects? We want to raise their profile and discuss them. We could create a better database for the city. This must be part of the dialogue: What do teachers need, what do parents need and what do children need? We need to bring this into a broader discussion,” she said.

Björg said she could not yet say whether methods that appear to work best would be introduced in all schools.

“I do not want to pretend that I am at a stage where I can answer that question, but I think the dialogue will reveal the answer,” she said. The discussion should establish whether teaching is sufficiently consistent and whether some methods should be introduced through a degree of central coordination, she added.

However, she said teachers’ individual interests should not have too much influence. She had heard from a school district she knew that the emphasis on reading depended on the teacher.

“I stopped and thought: Does it matter whether the teacher places great emphasis on this in Icelandic studies or within the class? I do not think that is necessarily appropriate. We want to place greater emphasis on this overall. This is clearly something we need to discuss further,” Björg said.