Progress in reading between years in Hafnarfjörður's primary schools
The results of reading assessments in Hafnarfjörður's primary schools in autumn 2016 show that pupils with good reading skills in years 5–10 now make up almost a quarter of the pupil body (24%), up from 16% at the same time last year. At the same time, the number of pupils in the lowest ability group is 17%, down from 22% a year ago.
The results of the reading assessments in Hafnarfjörður's primary schools in autumn 2016 show that pupils with good reading skills in years 5–10 now make up almost a quarter of the pupil body (24%), up from 16% at the same time last year. At the same time, the number of pupils in the lowest ability group is 17%, down from 22% a year ago.
In September 2016, for the second time, assessments of reading proficiency were carried out for just over 2,200 pupils in Years 5 to 10 in the primary schools of Hafnarfjörður. The tests administered to students in the autumn are new reading tests from the National Education Agency called Lesferill, which are standardised for the entire country. The tests become more difficult with increasing age, and likewise, the performance benchmarks increase. The tests used in autumn 2015 were Hafnarfjörður-specific and therefore not standardised. It is also worth bearing in mind that the reading tests in question measure pupils' reading speed rather than other aspects such as reading comprehension and vocabulary.
The results of the autumn assessments indicate progress in reading skills among pupils in the middle and senior years at Hafnarfjörður's primary schools. This raises hopes that a new reading initiative for Hafnarfjörður's nursery and primary schools, READING IS THE GAME OF LIFE, is already paying off. The results therefore suggest that the year-on-year improvement can be attributed to reading being given greater importance in and out of school by pupils. Likewise, an increased emphasis is placed on supporting teachers by providing them with benchmarks, tests and screening tools, courses, training and advice, in addition to an emphasis on collaboration between teachers within schools and between the nursery and primary school stages. A specialist teaching adviser has been appointed to provide guidance on teaching literacy in Hafnarfjörður's nursery and primary schools. It is important to continue to promote increased reading proficiency among pupils, and work is being carried out on all fronts. The pupils, school staff and parents are also thanked for their cooperation in working together to strengthen reading, in line with 'READING IS LIFE'S GAME'.