Page 83 - Štremfel, Urška, ed., 2016. Student (Under)achievement: Perspectives, Approaches, Challenges. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. Digital Library, Documenta 11.
P. 83
important in forming a broad understanding of the text, when the reader 83
grasps the text as a coherent whole. Both of these two processes are also in-
volved in developing an interpretation, where individuals develop a deeper
understanding of what they have read. Integrating and interpreting are thus
in continuous interaction (ibid).
Reflecting on and evaluating the content of a text requires readers to con-
nect information in a text to knowledge previously gained from outside sourc-
es. Readers must also assess the claims made in the text against their own
knowledge of the world. They are often asked to articulate and defend their
own points of view. To do so they must be able to understand what is said
and intended in the text. They must then analyse that mental representation
against what they know and believe on the basis of prior information found in
other texts. They must call on supporting claims from within the text and con-
trast them with other sources of information, using both general and specific
knowledge, and show the ability to reason abstractly (Repež and Štraus, 2007).
Reading literacy is therefore an important component of our daily lives.
Successful retrieval of information, a broad understanding and efficient inte-
grating and interpreting in different everyday real-life situations, as well as re-
flecting on and critically evaluating information are competencies that are also
the foundation of academic achievement in other areas of learning and school
lessons. These are of key importance in young individuals’ active participation
in peer and wider societies and their efficient integration in the future labour
market.
Achieving Basic Levels of Reading Literacy in Slovenia
The PISA 2009 reading literacy scale is divided into seven levels, with Level 1b
being the lowest level of reading literacy and Level 6 the highest. In Slovenia,
the two highest levels of reading literacy (Levels 5 and 6) are achieved by 5
and 0.3% of students respectively, which is below the average for OECD coun-
tries (8% and 0.8%) (OECD, 2010). Students that are placed into reading litera-
cy Levels 5 and 6 at the average level of OECD countries are ranked among the
top readers. These students excel in any type of texts, including those that are
unfamiliar, regardless of the text content or form. They are able to retrieve in-
formation in the text, they exhibit a deep understanding and are efficient at
identifying information that is relevant to the solution of a certain problem.
An important competency that distinguishes these readers from others is that
they can think outside familiar and defined concepts, even when information
given in the text is in contrast to what was expected. They are also able to de-
cipher the hidden meaning of a text and discern its essence, and are at the
same time able to adopt a critical stance on the content and the understand-
ing that goes beyond the text with defined boundaries. So they are able to ab-
reading literacy and motivation in the context of social changes
grasps the text as a coherent whole. Both of these two processes are also in-
volved in developing an interpretation, where individuals develop a deeper
understanding of what they have read. Integrating and interpreting are thus
in continuous interaction (ibid).
Reflecting on and evaluating the content of a text requires readers to con-
nect information in a text to knowledge previously gained from outside sourc-
es. Readers must also assess the claims made in the text against their own
knowledge of the world. They are often asked to articulate and defend their
own points of view. To do so they must be able to understand what is said
and intended in the text. They must then analyse that mental representation
against what they know and believe on the basis of prior information found in
other texts. They must call on supporting claims from within the text and con-
trast them with other sources of information, using both general and specific
knowledge, and show the ability to reason abstractly (Repež and Štraus, 2007).
Reading literacy is therefore an important component of our daily lives.
Successful retrieval of information, a broad understanding and efficient inte-
grating and interpreting in different everyday real-life situations, as well as re-
flecting on and critically evaluating information are competencies that are also
the foundation of academic achievement in other areas of learning and school
lessons. These are of key importance in young individuals’ active participation
in peer and wider societies and their efficient integration in the future labour
market.
Achieving Basic Levels of Reading Literacy in Slovenia
The PISA 2009 reading literacy scale is divided into seven levels, with Level 1b
being the lowest level of reading literacy and Level 6 the highest. In Slovenia,
the two highest levels of reading literacy (Levels 5 and 6) are achieved by 5
and 0.3% of students respectively, which is below the average for OECD coun-
tries (8% and 0.8%) (OECD, 2010). Students that are placed into reading litera-
cy Levels 5 and 6 at the average level of OECD countries are ranked among the
top readers. These students excel in any type of texts, including those that are
unfamiliar, regardless of the text content or form. They are able to retrieve in-
formation in the text, they exhibit a deep understanding and are efficient at
identifying information that is relevant to the solution of a certain problem.
An important competency that distinguishes these readers from others is that
they can think outside familiar and defined concepts, even when information
given in the text is in contrast to what was expected. They are also able to de-
cipher the hidden meaning of a text and discern its essence, and are at the
same time able to adopt a critical stance on the content and the understand-
ing that goes beyond the text with defined boundaries. So they are able to ab-
reading literacy and motivation in the context of social changes
