Book contents
- Global Variation in Literacy Development
- Global Variation in Literacy Development
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Abbreviations
- 1 Introduction
- Part I Regional Variations
- 2 Sociocultural Variation in Literacy Development in Canada and the United States
- 3 Literacy Contexts and Literacy Development in South America
- 4 Postcolonial Literacy Development in the Caribbean
- 5 Literacy Development in Europe
- 6 Literacy Education and Development in Russia
- 7 Literacy Development and Language of Instruction in Sub-Saharan Africa
- 8 Literacy and Linguistic Diversity in Multilingual India
- 9 Literacy Development in East Asia
- 10 Literacy and Linguistic Diversity in Australia
- Part II Neurobiological and Ecological Markers
- Index
- References
5 - Literacy Development in Europe
from Part I - Regional Variations
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 November 2023
- Global Variation in Literacy Development
- Global Variation in Literacy Development
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Abbreviations
- 1 Introduction
- Part I Regional Variations
- 2 Sociocultural Variation in Literacy Development in Canada and the United States
- 3 Literacy Contexts and Literacy Development in South America
- 4 Postcolonial Literacy Development in the Caribbean
- 5 Literacy Development in Europe
- 6 Literacy Education and Development in Russia
- 7 Literacy Development and Language of Instruction in Sub-Saharan Africa
- 8 Literacy and Linguistic Diversity in Multilingual India
- 9 Literacy Development in East Asia
- 10 Literacy and Linguistic Diversity in Australia
- Part II Neurobiological and Ecological Markers
- Index
- References
Summary
This chapter offers an overview of literacy development in Europe. The European Union is a political and economic union of twenty-seven Member States. Its members are industrialized nations that value inclusion and allow free movement of its citizens within the union. Good skills in reading, mathematics, and science are viewed as a prerequisite for integration in the knowledge society, but challenges remain. The chapter starts out by presenting evidence related to the spread of literacy in Europe and discusses current notions about the relationship between schooling and literacy abilities and about the role of skills for full integration in society. Furthermore, evidence is provided on the variation in reading development in different orthographies and its relationship with home and school factors. In particular, current literacy achievement levels in primary and secondary school are related to home-background factors. Finally, the chapter discusses how comparative reports on literacy development in European Member States can contribute to our understanding of reading development in Europe and inform policy decisions.
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- Information
- Global Variation in Literacy Development , pp. 90 - 117Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023