"Em học Vần, lớp Năm" (I Learn Vietnamese, Grade 5) is a primary-level reading textbook, published for the third time in 1969 by the Ministry of Culture and Education of the Republic of Vietnam. In the education system at that time, Lớp Năm (Grade 5) was equivalent to today's Grade 1 – the first year of primary school. The book was compiled by an experienced team of educators, under the guidance of both Vietnamese and international education specialists, notably with support from American advisors affiliated with the Southern Illinois University. The textbook was developed using a hybrid approach, combining the synthetic method (phonics-based spelling) and the analytic method (whole-word reading) – two widely used strategies in teaching Vietnamese literacy during that era. The authors proposed a blended methodology that moves from meaningful sentences to phonetic units, while remaining sensitive to children's cognitive development. Notably, the book features three recurring characters – Chi, Tí, and Tơ – whose daily lives at home, at school, and in society provide familiar contexts for young readers. Each lesson reflects real-life situations, fostering observation, emotional connection, and language expression among early-grade students.