Causal Factors Of Low Reading Standards Of The Foundation Phase Learners In Vhembe District, Limpopo Province Of South Africa
Keywords:
learners, Foundation Phase, low reading standards, reading, Causal factorsAbstract
This study was carried out while observing teaching practice where the matter of
reading was addressed, and subsequent focus group discussions with teachers to
explore the possible reasons for low reading standards among learners, a concern
of the Limpopo Department of Education (LDE) as well. Teachers were also asked
what improvements they could suggest to address the problem of low reading
levels amongst the learners. Teachers themselves attribute low reading standards
to the combined effects of the National Curriculum Statement (NCS), the
Foundations for Learning Campaign (FFLC), the inappropriate use of
methodology in the teaching of reading, the multi-grade teaching approach, and
multilingualism. Various recommendations are made for interventions, such as
tailor-made training programs to enable teachers to understand OBE principles
and the reading framework, university training for reading specialists to train
other teachers, the use of a multi-method approach to allow teachers to use methods
they are already familiar with, ensuring adequate backup reading materials,
encouraging the construction of meaning from texts rather than just the decoding
of print-all without neglecting learner diversity which may need to take into account
multi-level abilities and multilingualism in schools short of resources.
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