PIRLS 2006 provides countries with the unique opportunity to obtain internationally comparative data about how well their children can read. Countries also will obtain detailed information about home supports for literacy as well as school instruction. For the 35 countries that participated in PIRLS 2001, PIRLS 2006 will provide information on changes in students' reading achievement. Since PIRLS will continue on a five-year cycle into the future, new participants can collect important baseline information for monitoring trends in reading literacy. The PIRLS 2006 Assessment Framework and Specifications is intended as a blueprint for IEA's 2006 assessment of reading literacy. Adapted from the widely-accepted PIRLS 2001 framework, the 2006 framework resulted from a collaborative process involving many individuals and groups--notably the PIRLS Reading Development Group (RDG) and the National Research Coordinators (NRCs) of the more than 40 countries participating in PIRLS. All told, the framework underwent several iterations in response to the comments and interests of the PIRLS countries and the reading research community, and embodies the ideas and interests of many individuals and organizations around the world. After the Preface, this book is divided into four parts: (1) Overview of IEA's PIRLS Assessment; (2) PIRLS Reading Purposes and Processes of Reading Comprehension; (3) Contexts for Learning to Read; and Part (4) Assessment Design and Specifications. The following are appended: (1) PIRLS National Research Coordinators Contributors to PIRLS Development; (2) Sample Passages, Questions, and Scoring Guides; and (3) Comparison of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). [This book was published by TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center.]