Reading reform in Egypt: Do the second-grade textbooks reflect the new direction?

Abstract

In light of disappointing scores on the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), Arabic-speaking countries have begun to reexamine, and in some case reform, how they teach reading in the early grades. Egypt was one of the first countries to initiate early-grade reading reforms in 2010. This article presents a single case study from Egypt, examining whether the grade 2 Arabic-language textbook supports its reform goals. Data were collected through detailed content analysis of the textbook and coded using a “best practices” framework. While the textbook has strengths, it is not consistently in alignment with current research on reading in Arabic. We contend that modest textbook reform could be the easiest and fastest way to improve the teaching and learning of reading in Egypt and the region, in part because teachers depend so heavily on textbooks for lesson structure and because textbooks are generally available.