Designing and Validating the Literacy Curriculum Model Based on the Criteria of PIRLS in the Elementary Course of the Educational System of Iran

1. PhD Candidate, Department of Educational Sciences, Curriculum Studies, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran 2. Associate Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran*Corresponding author email: fini2013@yahoo.com 3. Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran 4. Associate Professor in Educational Psychology, Department of Educational Sciences, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran Introduction Reading and comprehension skills are one of the most important needs for learning in students. The comprehension, interpretation, and inference abilities from textbooks and non-textbooks introduces students to new ideas and information and teach how to think and live better. To this end, various national and international institutions evaluate reading skill in students to improve the learning level within the world’s educational systems and promote educational policies and planning related to the teaching and learning process in it (Seddiq, 2008). The subject of reading has dedicated a huge amount of educational research to itself especially in the early years of education because of the importance. The most important of these studies is the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). The study of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) is an innovative program to assess children’s reading ability in the fourth Abstract: The purpose of this study was to design and validate the reading literacy curriculum model based on the criteria of progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) in the elementary course of the Iranian educational system. To this end, PIRLS test criteria have been used to explain and design the dimensions of the curriculum according to the elements of the Akker curriculum. The present research is qualitative in which an attempt has been made to develop a desirable model by adopting a systematic approach in the field of curriculum design and using valid national and international resources and documents. Some features of this model include indigenousness, attention to audience characteristics, scientificity, simplicity, novelty, and active approach to teaching and learning. The opinions of 31 experts in the field of curriculum planning and Persian language teaching were used to validate the proposed model, and these people highly approved the desired model. However, the application of this model requires attention to issues such as having a systemic approach to reading education, bilingualism, professional training of teachers, and attention to content and resources and facilities.