Collaborative Teaching, Reading and Literacy

Abstract

In Portugal, students read very little and a significant part of them has great difficulties in dealing with written information. The national and international student assessments regularly situate Portugal at the lowest levels of students’ performances. This means that in Portugal everything is still to be done in what concerns reading and literacy. The problem doesn’t have an easy answer but two of the main reasons are in the poor investment in school libraries and the absence of collaborative teaching. In fighting illiteracy and promoting reading habits, school libraries should take the lead and try to evolve three distinct groups: teachers, students and families. Organising regular reading sessions with students and parents, making books and
reading a constant presence in the classroom and at home, using e-technologies to promote reading and writing or publishing a school newspaper are only some examples of what school libraries, teachers, students and families can do together in
order to develop literacy and reading in Portugal.