In Japanese language education, the standard method of teaching critical reading lacks the concept of reading texts within a social and cultural context. As a result, reading cannot be a social practice. Under these circumstances, this research newly introduces a teaching method and a curriculum of critical reading in Japanese language education (hereinafter referred to as “Japanese CR” ), discusses Japanese textbooks currently used in primary schools, and proposes the reform of teaching materials and the teaching guide. The reformed materials and guide were piloted in primary schools to develop recommendations for further revision.
The results imply that primary school learners fundamentally understood the reading comprehension process, but were not proficient in deduction. Furthermore, learners did not provide satisfactory answers to questions based on the framework of Japanese CR. Further research is still needed to refine the teaching method, allowing learners to learn Japanese language within a social and cultural context.