Progress in International Reading Literacy Study 2006

PIRLS 2006 (2004—2008)

PIRLS 2006 was the second, after PIRLS 2001, in a cycle of internationally comparative reading assessments carried out every five years. PIRLS is designed to measure trends in children’s reading literacy achievement and policy and practices related to literacy. PIRLS assesses a range of reading comprehension strategies for two major reading purposes: literary and informational. Student test of reading comprehension addresses four processes: • retrieval of explicitly stated information • making straightforward inferences • interpreting and integrating ideas and information • examination and evaluation of content, language and textual elements. Student questionnaire collects information about students’ attitudes towards reading and their reading habits. In addition, parents, teachers and school principal questionnaires gather information about students’ home and school experiences in developing reading literacy and curriculum questionnaires provides information about national context: reading goals and curricula.
With PIRLS 2006, those countries that participated in PIRLS 2001 could obtain data about changes in children’s reading achievement. They could also collect valuable information about changes in reading instruction and how those changes relate to students’ performance in reading. Countries new to the study got baseline data about their students’ levels of reading achievement, as well as home, school, and classroom influences on that achievement.

Data collection for PIRLS 2006 took place in October–November 2005 (Southern Hemisphere) and April–May 2006 (Northern Hemisphere).

Target Population

The target grade was the grade that represents four years of schooling, counting from the first year of ISCED Level 1, which is the fourth grade in most countries. So that students will not be too young for the assessment, the minimum average age at the target grade should not fall below 9.5 years. If so, the next grade up was chosen.

Participating Educational Systems

The following educational systems participate: Austria, Belgium (Flemish), Belgium (French), Bulgaria*, Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario* and Québec*), Chinese Taipei, Denmark, England*, France*, Georgia, Germany*, Hong Kong SAR*, Hungary*, Iceland*, Indonesia, Iran*, Israel*, Italy,* Kuwait, Latvia*, Lithuania*, Luxembourg, Macedonia*, Moldova*, Morocco*, The Netherlands*, New Zealand*, Norway*, Poland, Qatar, Romania*, Russian Federation*, Scotland*, Singapore*, Slovak Republic*, Slovenia*, South Africa, Spain, Sweden*, Trinidad and Tobago, United States*.

Countries marked with asterisk participated also in PIRLS 2001.

Key Findings

Achievement Results

The Russian Federation, Hong Kong SAR, and Singapore were the three top-performing countries in PIRLS 2006. Luxembourg, Italy, Hungary, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium (Flemish), Bulgaria, and Denmark also had higher achievement than the majority of other participants.
PIRLS demonstrates that countries can make progress in improving children’s academic achievement. Most of the highest-achieving countries in 2006 showed significant improvement since 2001, including the three top-performing countries. The five other countries with significant gains in achievement were Singapore, Slovenia, the Slovak Republic, Italy, Germany, and Hungary.
In the majority of countries, relatively few students (7% or less) reached the Advanced International Benchmark, while nearly one fifth did so in Singapore and the Russian Federation. Students reading at this level could provide and support interpretations, integrate information across texts, and understand literary and organizational features.
In PIRLS 2001, and again in PIRLS 2006, girls had higher reading achievement than boys in all countries. The difference was substantial in many countries, raising concern about the educational prospects of so many low-achieving boys during their adolescent years and beyond
Countries with the highest achievement also tended to have the highest achievement in literary and informational reading, the two major purposes addressed by PIRLS. However, most countries had relatively higher achievement in one purpose than the other.

Students’ Attitudes

Only about half the students across the PIRLS 2006 countries agreed that they enjoyed reading and appreciated books, reflecting a troubling downward trend since 2001. Moreover, fewer students in PIRLS 2006 reported reading for fun. Almost one third hardly ever read for fun (twice monthly at most).

Reading Instruction and School Environment

Primary schools around the world place considerable emphasis on teaching reading. Almost three fourths of students attended schools that placed more emphasis on reading than on other school subjects. Many schools had initiatives to encourage students to read, and half had programs to help teachers improve reading instruction.
Both principals and teachers reported that textbooks were the foundation of reading instruction. In general, more students were asked to read literary than informational texts on a weekly basis.
Both teachers and students agreed that independent silent reading was a frequent classroom activity. Most often, students were asked to answer questions about what they had read, either orally or via worksheets.
The reading achievement of students in schools with few disadvantaged students was much higher than for students with a high percentage (more than 50%) of disadvantaged classmates. On average, 18 percent of students were in schools with a high percentage of disadvantaged students.

Impact of the Home

PIRLS 2006 reinforces on a worldwide basis the well-established finding that children from homes fostering literacy become better readers. Students had higher reading achievement when they were from homes where their parents enjoyed reading and read frequently, books were in abundance, and students were engaged in literacy activities – from alphabet blocks to word games – from an early age.
In both PIRLS 2001 and PIRLS 2006, parents’ assessments of their children’s early literacy skills were in alignment with how well their children could read at the fourth grade. According to parents, about one third of children, on average, entered school with basic literacy skills, which represented an increase in 17 countries since PIRLS 2001.