Manuals for Studying Ukrainian as the State Language by National Communities have been Developed

The Learning Together project has developed a set of learning materials for studying Ukrainian as the state language in the first grades of general secondary education institutions where the instruction is carried out in languages of national minorities.

The set consists of a student manual, a workbook and a teacher manual.

«The development of such set is one of the priorities of the Language Component of the Learning Together project. All its materials are in line with the requirements of the State Standard for Primary Education and have a mark “Approved for use in the educational process” – it is therefore an important step in implementing the NUS reform, the evidence of the invincibility of Ukraine,» says Ihor Hvorostianyi, Language Adviser of the project. 

The set is based on the principles that help master Ukrainian as the state language efficiently:

• involvement of students in performing meaningful tasks, connected with their life;
• maximum interaction with students, cooperative learning;
• reliance on pre-existing knowledge, a feasible beginning;
• consideration of a socio-cultural component.

The functional approach, where the «starting point» is not the micro-level of the language (alphabet, sounds, some words, etc.), but holistic situations where the language is used, is becoming incomparably important. Such communicative situations are authentic and support cognitive processes during interaction – observation, imitation, creation of own variations of speech constructions, etc.

Visualization and interaction – pictures to be discussed, charts, small dialogues, drama and language games, etc. are of a great help.

A significant advantage of the set is the interactive digital content offered on the e-platform. It includes tests, games, songs and other forms of speech practice.

The manual author team includes:

• Andrii Panchenkov, co-author of New Ukrainian School state standards and programs, author of textbooks and manuals, creative director of the site «Освіта.ua»;
• Iryna Starahina, PhD in Psychological Sciences, co-author of NUS state standards and programs, author of textbooks and manuals, expert in developmental education;
• Olha Romaniuk, co-author of textbooks and manuals, methodologist of the Kyiv Regional In-Service Teacher Training Institute;
• Olha Pitiur, co-author of textbooks and manuals, teacher of the Novopecherska School. 

A wide range of experts was also involved in the development of the materials – teachers from educational institutions with Hungarian and Romanian languages of instruction, an expert in inclusion and non-discrimination as well as international experts from Finland and Canada.

The bright design of the materials is the result of the cooperation between the Learning Together project, the Ukrainian creative agency «Bulanov Büro» and the publishing house «Ranok».

The Learning Together project and its partners are not going to rest on their laurels as the development of similar sets for grades 2, 3 and 4 is ahead.