The 2009 PISA report shows that Chile is the most improved country of all OECD countries in reading. How has Chile achieved this success? Reading specialist Soledad Concha from the University of Diego Portales in Santiago talks about the revised curriculum, and the new emphasis on developing meaning-related competencies. At primary level, the strategy is to teach phonics and reading comprehension simultaneously ? from the very first letter; while in secondary schools, students are encouraged to engage with more sophisticated texts. Fundamental to these approaches is the desire to equip the population with the skills to engage fully in a democratic society.

Video Series: Lessons From Chile
Release Date 2010