Timor-Leste Grade 3 Curriculum - Tetum

The Timor-Leste education system uses Tetum as the primary language of instruction in early grades, with Portuguese gradually introduced. Tetum is used for literacy in grades 1 and 2, with Portuguese introduced orally. There is a 3:1 ratio of Tetum to Portuguese instruction time in these grades.

Curriculum

The Timor-Leste Ministry of Education developed a national curriculum. New Tetum teaching materials were created, including early readers linking letters and syllables to sounds, and language and grammar books. A curriculum reform process began in 2003, focusing on reconstructing the primary school curriculum. A new curriculum for grades 1-6 was implemented between 2006 and 2008. A project to create a new syllabus and unit-organized lesson plans was undertaken.

Grade 3 Specifics

Grade 3 Science Unit Lesson Plans are available in Tetum. A bilingual (Portuguese/Tetum) anthology for Grade 3 exists. Classroom observation data of grade 3 Tetum literacy lessons were collected across four municipalities.

Teacher Resources

Teachers can access various resources, including children's books in Tetum and other local languages. USAID's All Children Reading project provides teacher training and Tetun-language materials. A portal for sharing resources related to teaching and learning about Timor-Leste is also available. An EGRA program assessed reading skills in primary schools.