▶Watch the full documentary K Book Blind Humanity https://docuprime.ebs.co.kr/docuprime... ▶Subscribe to EBS Documentary: https://docuprime.ebs.co.kr/docuprime... ▶Participate in the Book Blind Humanity Reading Motivation Test: https://yourliteracy.co.kr/ ▶Subscribe to EBS: https://www.ebs.co.kr/package/freeticket In the September 13th broadcast of [Part 5 Literacy Textbook], we looked back at the literacy skills of teenage students and their classrooms. In a 4th grade classroom, during a social studies class, when the word 'overpass' came up, there was a moment of silence. Not a single student in a 4th grade classroom had ever heard the word 'overpass'? And that's not all. The social studies textbook is full of words we've never heard before, like sanitation worker and district office. What could possibly be going on? “The kids have never seen an overpass or been there... so I think they have a hard time with things to see in the city.” - Teacher A 70% of 4th graders in elementary school find textbooks difficult to read? Teachers in the field say that most students still have a hard time reading textbooks because they are far removed from their experiences or are full of vocabulary that is not often used in daily life. How much has the classroom changed in the three years since the issue of children not being able to read textbooks was raised? We conducted a large-scale literacy test targeting 4th graders in elementary school. The results showed that only 30% of the students were able to read and understand the currently published textbooks. How should we interpret this survey result? “If the concept is above, the children’s level is here (below), but since the textbooks are not able to fill this gap, when the children open the book, they sometimes say that it feels like a foreign language even though it is in Korean.” - High school teacher B - “Students’ literacy is gradually declining, so what kind of depth of literacy should textbooks provide? This is also weakening, so students are giving up on studying.” - Professor Song Seong-min of Kangwon National University Why literacy textbooks appeared in the US How can we foster the ability to read textbooks properly, literacy as a basic academic skill? In relation to this, there are many voices in the US about ‘Every teacher is a reading teacher.’ This was promoted under the premise that teachers in charge of all subjects other than Korean language should have interest and teaching ability in general vocabulary instruction and reading comprehension instruction as well as their major areas. We should read a lot not only in Korean language classes but also in social studies, science, math, and art classes. Reading education is not only done in Korean language classes. To this end, a new literacy textbook was published in the US. How are children reading through the literacy textbook? New textbook project In Korea, a new textbook project for new classes is also starting ahead of the 2025 revised curriculum. It is a project to develop a new social studies textbook and experiment with new classes to foster literacy. Professor Song Seong-min (Department of Social Education, Kangwon National University) and current elementary, middle, and high school social studies teachers (Hong Geun-tae, Inha Middle School, and four others) participated as writers to create a new so-called 'textbook that can be read by oneself'. The new textbook is structured so that students first learn the essential vocabulary necessary to understand the textbook, acquire subject knowledge based on this, and then read various genres of related texts. Based on this, 'Literacy-Focused Social Studies Class' will be conducted for third-year students at Inha Middle School. What changes will there be in children's achievements if the textbooks are changed?