Abstract
study explored the strategies applied by grade one teachers when teaching reading to grade one repeat learners. A fundamental skill of education is the acquisition of reading in the beginning stages of schooling. The South African Curriculum and Policy Statement (CAPS) introduces educators to a variety of specific strategies when teaching and assessing reading skills. However, educators experience and research indicates that teachers located in low socio-economic schools find it difficult – for a variety of reasons - to implement the strategies that are suggested for learners who repeat grades, as these learners tend to enter school with language skill deficits. The study was framed using the reading acquisition framework which gave constructs on the cognitive elements that are required to be developed in every good reader (Wren, 2000). The reading acquisition framework shows a correlation between the major cognitive capacities underlying learning to read as well as the relationship between the elements.
The study adopted a qualitative approach based on an interpretive paradigm. The qualitative method for data collection allowed deeper insight into how grade one teachers teach reading to those learners who are repeating grade one. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three grade one teachers in the Gauteng district who have repeater learners in their classroom. Findings indicate that teachers make use of strategies found in the CAPS. Some of the interventions used by teachers were guided reading, memorization, paired reading, and differentiated texts to best support the learners repeating grade one. Participants also mentioned they struggle with insufficient collaborative engagement with various stakeholders, particularly the parents of learners repeating Grade one.
To address the identified problems, it was proposed that educators be trained thoroughly on how to implement adapted strategies to teach reading. The study found that teachers teach the different aspects of language mostly in isolation, and not in the integrated manner as espoused in the CAPS. The findings suggest that support from school management is required to assist foundation phase teachers to implement targeted reading acquisition strategies with efficiency and care for grade one repeat learners.