A Lack of Arabic Reading in Children of the Emirates of Abu Dhabi - Dissertation Example

The Abu Dhabi Education Council decided to shift the curriculum in public schools to the Finnish Curriculum in the 2006 region (Statistics Center-Abu Dhabi (SCAD) 2012). This syllabus is Australian based which was part of a deal between ADEC and EduCluster, a Finnish firm. This system as defined by the Finnish National Board of Education is one that focuses on different subjects and their fundamental concepts as well as student assessment. The curriculum also focuses on the welfare of the students, caters to those with special needs, and offers educational guidelines to teachers.

The students are allowed to do a few class hours weekly. The curriculum dictates that there are no mandatory exams for students under the age of 17-19 (Statistics Center-Abu Dhabi (SCAD) 2012). The assessments carried out by teachers to determine the retention of knowledge in subjects are not graded or compared. They are used as a form of feedback stating the areas that should be improved and focused on. It also emphasizes outdoor activities that are meant to strengthen the body and mind as well as enhancing stamina.

The reading level skills in the United Arab Emirates have been deteriorating. This is due to the addiction to the use of technology; lack of a tradition in reading literature and homes lacking reading materials. Teachers face a lot of struggle in persuading the students to allocate time in reading (Emirates, 2012). The excuse usually forwarded by the pupils is the lack of time for a reading exercise. According to a conducted research by the Trends in International Mathematics and Science (TIMMS) in 2007, the findings showed 44% of students possessed less than 25 books at home whereas only 12% of them owned an approximated 100 books.

Students in Abu Dhabi are finding it hard to concentrate on Arabic reading because of technology and media. Today, many of them watch television for a few or several hours a day, use the internet and computers amongst other devices. The majority of the technology comes in English. This has had a western influence on the children, leading them to think that English is the better language to learn as it allows them to enjoy the outside world.

Furthermore, technology has reduced the time children have for reading. The United Nations also conducted a research where they ranked the nation with the highest reading rates. America topped the list with an average of 11 books per year with Britain trailing behind with 8 books. An average Arab living in the Middle East reads four pages yearly. During an assessment carried out by the Program for International Student Assessment in 2010, Dubai was ranked at the 42nd place out of a possible 65 nations in terms of literacy (Ahmed 2011).

The director of this Program, Andreas Schleider reiterated that the fact that Emirati children do not reach a third of the reading performance is a reason to worry. The parents should get involved more in trying to instill the reading culture in their children, their involvement encourages them at home, which in turn makes it easier for teachers to do the same in school (Ahmed 2011). Reading Improvement Programs There are several programs provided in UAE which assist in improving the reading and writing skills in students.

The first program is provided by the Tutoring Center. The program is known as the Geniuses in Training Reading Program that drastically improves the reading capabilities of students and in other areas such as vocabulary, phonics and sight words. The program is also focused on writing and establishing a reading culture in children as young as nursery school. The Abu Dhabi reads is a program designed by Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC). The sole aim of the program is similar to Geniuses in Training Reading Program.

It involves all students from both private and public educational system. The Campaign runs all through the years and supports reading of both English and Arabic languages. The program is sensitive to the specials needs of the students participating. It offers reading enrichment programs for students who are talented in reading literature. The techniques applied by the program are effective and updated ensuring they receive the best experience while undertaking the program (Low, 2012). Improving Reading Abilities in Children Several literature books and scholarly articles describe the means through which the reading capabilities of children can be improved.

These methods can be used by teachers and parents to help their students and children by honing their reading skills. According to Logsdon Ann, there are various methods proposed that offer the needed assistance. The first method is performing pre reading skills (Logsdon Ann 2012). The skills involve the student questioning themselves on their knowledge of the topic. Recalling and relating the ideas perceived about the topic allows the student to have an overview of what is to be expected when reading the subject.

Noting down the ideas and discussing with other students retains the relevant details of the topic. Secondly, a student should learn how to research the subject (Logsdon 2012). The process of research acts as a tool through which a student can access information and learn vital data such as the objectives of the book. Thirdly, learning new vocabulary greatly assists in improving reading and comprehension of the material (Logsdon 2012). The new words learnt not only improve the reader’s proficiency in a language but also allows them to represent their ideas cohesively.

Kaufmann also provides pointers on how one can improve a child’s reading ability. He suggests strategies on achieving reading skills and increasing comprehension. The first strategy is allowing the child to read what interests them (Kaufmann 2008). An interesting book motivates the child to read as they are captivated by the information and pictures that they view. The reading experience becomes satisfactory and enjoyable thus the child associates reading to happiness. Prior to reading, a teacher can conduct an oral lesson where they read out the contents of the study book (Kaufmann 2008).

This listening activity allows the children understand the material before reading it and makes it easier when they read through.