The problem of poor reading levels among South African students is still prevalent at all levels of education. Attempts to eradicate the problem through various means, for example, Foundations for Learning Campaign, Readathon Campaign, National Strategy for Reading, and many more have been made, yet to date no observable improvements have been noted. The purpose of this study is to explore the teaching of reading in isiZulu home language classrooms. The study aimed to answer three research questions: (i) What do foundation phase teachers say about teaching reading in isiZulu home language classes? (ii) How do foundation phase teachers teach reading in isiZulu home languages classes?, and (iii) Why do foundation phase teachers teach reading in isiZulu home language classes in the way they do? The study is conducted at Umlazi, an African Township, where isiZulu is the language spoken in the community and is the language of learning and teaching in all foundation phase classrooms. The research sites are two schools, in the same area. The participants of the study are eight teachers, all mother tongue speakers of isiZulu. There are six teachers in one school, and two from the other school. The children taught are also speakers of isiZulu. The study is a qualitative case study, situated in the constructivist paradigm. Semi-structured interviews; observations as well as document analysis are used as data collection methods. The study uses qualitative methods for the analysis of data. Vygotsky’s (1978) social-constructivist theory is used as a theoretical framework, and a conceptual framework is also developed for data analysis. Eight themes emerge from the findings. The first theme; content taught, is found to focus on the teaching of sounds and words, taught in isolation. The second one; ways of teaching, seem to be the phonic and look and say methods, which are due to beliefs that teachers have about them. The third one; reading resources is seen to be lacking in both schools, and teachers are seen to rely on traditional resources for the teaching of reading. The fourth one; context in which reading is taught, appears to be not conducive to the children’s reading development. Fifth; assessment of reading; is indirect. This means that teachers use written tasks, and not reading activities to assess reading. The sixth; aims of reading; is found to be on writing accuracy and not on reading for comprehension. The seventh; teachers’ beliefs; are the reasons for teachers’ actions and sayings. The last one; teachers’ attitudes towards isiZulu, are found to be the most dominant predicament, as teachers themselves see isiZulu as a problem, and prefer English rather than isiZulu. Findings of the study indicate that, teachers are highly influenced by their beliefs, the aspect which impacts on the ways they teach reading in isiZulu home language classrooms. Secondly, teachers do not adequately encourage children to read in isiZulu because of their bias towards the English language. The third finding is the lack of resources for the teaching of reading in isiZulu home language. It is concluded that isiZulu home language learners in such schools are not able to read because the problem starts at a very elementary level, in the foundation phase, and the problem is carried over into their whole academic life. Inkinga yamazinga aphansi okufunda okubhaliwe kubafundi baseNingizimu Afrika yinto ekhungethe onke amazinga emfundo. Nakuba iminingi imizamo esizanyiwe ukulwa nale nkinga, kuze kube manje bekungakabi bikho mibiko ebika ubungcono. Lapha ngingabala imizamo yaseNingizimu-Afrika efana ne-Foundations for Learning Campaign, Readathon Campaign, National Strategy for Reading. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo ukubheka ukufundiswa kokufunda okubhaliwe olimini lwasekhaya lwesiZulu emabangeni aphansi. Ucwaningo luhlose ukuphendula imibuzongqangi emithathu elandelayo: (i) Othisha bamabanga aphansi bathini ngokufundisa ukufunda okubhaliwe emabangeni aphansi esiZulu njengolimi lwasekhaya? (ii) Othisha bamabanga aphansi bakufundisa kanjani ukufunda okubhaliwe emabangeni esibili nelesithathu emakilasini esiZulu njengolimi lwasekhaya? (iii) Kungani othisha bamabanga aphansi befundisa ukufunda okubhaliwe ngendlela abakwenza ngayo? Ucwaningo lwenziwe elokishini lama-Afrika laseMlazi, lapho isiZulu siwulimi olukhulunywa emphakathini, kanti nasezikoleni zamabanga aphansi kusetshenziswa sona njengolimi lokufundisa. Ucwaningo lwenziwe ezikoleni ezimbili ezisesigcemeni esisodwa. Bayisishiyagalombili othisha ababe yingxenye yocwaningo, bayisithupha kwesinye isikole, kanti kwesinye babili. Ucwaningo lulucwaningo lobunjalo besimo (qualitative case study), ngaphansi kwe-social constuctivist paradigm. Kusetshenziswa izingxoxo ezisakuhleleka (semi-structured interviews), ukubukela othisha befundisa (observations), kanye nendlela yokuhlaziya imibhalo njengezindlela zokuqoqa ulwazi locwaningo. Ucwaningo luphinde lusebenzise izindlela zocwaningo lobunjalo besimo ukuhlaziya ulwazi olutholakele. Kusetshenziswa insizakuhlaziya kaVygotsky (1978) njengohlaka lwenjulalwazi kanye nohlaka lwemicabango ukuhlaziya ulwazi olutholakele. Kugqama izindikimba eziyisishiyagalombili olwazini olutholakalayo. Kukhona emayelana nokufundiswayo lapho kufundiswa ukufunda okubhaliwe. Lapha kuvela ukuthi othisha bafundisa imisindo namagama nemisho emifushane, okufundiswa kuzihambela kodwa; ngamanye amazwi kungasukeli embhalweni. Enye imayelana nezindlela namasu okufundisa ukufunda okubhaliwe. Lapha kuvela ukuthi othisha bafundisa ngendlela yokufundisa ngemisindo, bayihlanganise nendlela yokubuka-usho (look-and–say method). Enye imayelana nezinsizakufundisa zokufunda okubhaliwe, okubonakala ziyindlala kuzo zombili izikole, kanti futhi ukusetshenziswa kwazo kuncikene nezinkolelo othisha abanazo. Enye imayelana nendawo okufundelwa kuyo ukufunda okubhaliwe, okutholakala kungagqugquzeli kangako ukuthuthuka kwengane ekufundeni imibhalo yesiZulu. Enye imayelana nokuhlolwa kokufundiswa kokufunda okubhaliwe. Lapha kuvela ukuthi ukuhlola kwenzeka ngendlela engaqondene nokufunda okubhaliwe, ngoba ukuhlola ukufunda okubhaliwe kwenzeka ngokuthi abafundi benze imisebenzi ebhalwayo, efana nesibizelo nokunye. Enye yezindikimba imayelana nenhloso yokufunda okubhaliwe. Lapha kubonakala ukufunda okubhaliwe kungenanhloso yokufunda ngokuqondisisa umbhalo ofundwayo, kodwa kunalokho kube ukubhala ngokucophelela, ‘ngendlela enembayo’ (writing accuracy). Enye indikimba imayelana nezinkolelo othisha abanazo ngokufundisa ukufunda okubhaliwe. Lokhu kubonakala kuyisona sizathu kwabakwenzayo nabakushoyo othisha ngokufundisa ukufunda okubhaliwe. Kanti enye imayelana nokuzenyeza kothisha ngolimi abalufundisayo lwesiZulu. Lapha othisha babonakala besibukela phansi isiZulu kodwa bencamela isiNgisi. Imiphumela yocwaningo ikhombisa ukuthi abakushoyo nabakwenzayo othisha kungenxa yezinkolelo abanamathele kuzo, okuyizona ezinomthelela ezindleleni abazisebenzisayo lapho befundisa ukufunda okubhaliwe. Okwesibili ukuthi othisha abazilekeleli ngokwanele izingane ukuba zithuthuke ekufundeni okubhaliwe olimini lwesiZulu, ngenxa yokuchema nesiNgisi. Okwesithathu ukuthi izinsizakufundisa zolimi lwesiZulu ziyindlala kuzo zombili izikole. Ngakho-ke ucwaningo lusonga ngokuthi kusho ukuthi abafundi bakulezi zikole banenkinga yokufunda okubhaliwe olimini lwesiZulu nje yingoba inkinga iqala emabangeni aphansi, besebancane, bakhule baqhubeke nayo impilo yabo yonke emfundweni. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2011.

The advent of technology, especially the electronic media, heralded a new era of communication. Together with this boom came a host of reading challenges that has affected the learner and learner performance in the classroom. In the PIRLS report (2006) an emergence of a “non-reading” culture was noted as a result of poor performance by learners in South Africa. This research aims to explore the reading choices of grade 4 learners and why they choose to read what they read. The research was conducted at a public primary school in the Chatsworth region in KwaZulu Natal. This research used the qualitative case study approach which is set within the interpretivist paradigm. The main source of data generation was the semi-structured interviews of five learners and their respective parents. In addition to this method, two structured observations were conducted: observations of the reading- for- pleasure lessons and the LRE lessons. To conclude the data collection, a case scenario, where the learners created their own reading room, was used. This multi-pronged approach was adopted to fill in the information gaps and omissions that arose from the interviews. The analysis of the data indicates the following: girls read more frequently than boys, newspapers form the bulk of the reading at home, billboards are an interesting addition to their reading list, girls are intrinsically motivated. Findings show that the electronic media require higher levels of literacy skills to access the highly- textual society of the workplace. It becomes imperative that reading be motivated, taught and encouraged. The definition of literacy by the school and the home should be revisited and reviewed so that learners are not disadvantaged. Furthermore, the teachers and the librarians will thus have a greater degree of flexibility in selecting reading materials for the classroom and the library respectively. It becomes vitally important that we heed the warning of Alvermann (2001, p. 680) who argues that “the possibility that as a culture we are making struggling readers out of some adolescents who for any number of reasons have turned their backs on a version of literacy called school literacy is a sobering thought” / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

This study aims to investigate how Grade One isiZulu teachers teach reading in the Foundation Phase of Schooling. History of teaching can be traced back as far as the 1800s up until the introduction of the Outcome Based Education (OBE) that came into being after the first South African democratic elections in 1994. Data for this study was collected from the three Grade One isiZulu teachers of my school. This was a qualitative study and data was collected through semi-structured interviews, observation and document analysis. Interviews were taped, transcribed and analysed, and data was categorized into themes. The study revealed that there were some social conditions that did hinder the progress of reading in the school. There was a lack of motivation from parents. It was found out from the study that, in spite of all the Department of Education’s attempts to provide teachers with handbooks with strategies on how to tackle reading lessons, some teachers still have problems in putting these into practice. It also became clear that reading involves role players which are learners, teachers, parents and the community as well as the Department of Education. The study has also revealed that the best way to teach reading is through a variety of methods. It is recommended that Grade One classes should not consist of more than fifty learners. Policies implemented by both the Department of Education and various schools should be reinforced. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

The study aimed to investigate the reading life histories of two educators, focusing on how they were taught to read and came to understand reading, and how this understanding has shaped their teaching of reading in the classroom. Two language educators teaching English in the Intermediate and Senior Phase in a rural primary school in KwaZulu-Natal were chosen for this research. A life history approach was undertaken to gather rich data which was analysed and presented in a life history narrative. The research revealed that the participants’ educational development was severely affected by poverty, violence and the repercussions of apartheid, which all had a negative impact on their education. In spite of this, the participants’ were taught to value reading from an early age by concerned adults in their lives. These adults, although not highly educated themselves, actively instilled early reading habits in the participants, and tried to ensure that they were given the opportunity to be educated so that they could aspire to a better life. The participants’ experiences of learning to read and reading in primary school and high school gave them only a limited understanding of reading and reading practices. The tertiary institutions where they trained as teachers failed to equip them with adequate skills and strategies to teach reading well in their own classrooms. As a result, although both educators believe that they were well trained, they lack adequate strategies for truly effective development of reading in their classrooms. Consequently, they fail to facilitate sound reading skills in their learners, yet are not fully aware of the shortcomings in their own practice. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

The South African Language in Education Policy (LiEP) of 1997 and the Department of Education National Curriculum Statement (2002) require that learners‘ mother tongue is maintained and developed and used as a language of learning and teaching (LOLT) for the first three years of the Foundation Phase. English is recommended as the (LOLT) from Grade 4 upwards. This sudden change presents enormous language challenges especially in Grade 4 as teachers and their learners negotiate transition from isiZulu as first language (L1) to English as LOLT. This study investigates language challenges that Grade 4 learners and their teachers encounter in three South African mainstream schools as they negotiate transition from isiZulu to English as Language of Learning and Teaching (LOLT) and the implication of these challenges on language policy development. The study adopted a qualitative-interpretative methodology. Six Grade 4 teachers were purposively selected from three mainstream schools in KwaZulu-Natal for interviews three of which were observed and interviewed after the classroom observations. Data was generated through pre-observation interviews, video-recorded lesson observations, and post-observation interviews. The data collected was analysed and interpreted using an open coding in order to answer the study‘s critical questions. The findings revealed that serious language challenges occur whilst teaching Grade 4 learners in English as a FAL due to learners‘ limited knowledge of grammar and vocabulary in the LOLT. The study also revealed limited understanding ability, (s)low articulation, poor performance and participation, and psychological distress emanating from learners‘ social problems as part of the challenges. The study further showed that teachers frequently switched to the mother tongue to ensure sufficient meaningful communication in their classrooms. Additionally, the study revealed teachers‘ exclusion in policy formulation and development process and lack of adequate training which exacerbates teachers‘ ignorance of the policy contents leading to the teachers‘ indiscriminate use of code-switching. These worsen learners‘ language difficulties, thus under-develop the learners, and create unequal opportunities for effective learning by all learners through English as LOLT. They widen the gap and hinder education when teachers are not able to negotiate the transition from the foundation phase to Grade 4. Teachers were convinced that the study by EFAL learners of English in the Foundation Phase would go a long way in alleviating the language and learning challenges encountered by learners in Grade 4 and thus improve the quality of communication and interaction that needs to take place in the classroom between the learners and their teachers as they negotiate transition to English as LOLT. The study recommends a review of language policy that will integrate quality in the learning of English in the Foundation Phase, in addition to learning the mother tongue throughout high school education. It also recommends an increased participation of teachers in policy-making processes and intensification of teacher professional development in language teaching in relation to the language in education policy. / Thesis (M.Ed)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

This study is an exploration of teaching methods used by Grade One educators whilst developing reading skills at a school in Durban. The researcher has positioned herself within an Interpretivist paradigm in order to approach this study. It is a case study which has been conducted specifically at one primary school in Durban with three Grade One educators as participants. The researcher targeted this group in the full knowledge that it does not represent the wider population and there is no attempt to generalise the findings (Cohen, Manion & Morrison 2000). Purposive sampling has been used because it focusses on participants who are information-rich, based on the purpose of the study (Maree, 2007). Cohen et al (2000) argues that purposive sampling is mostly suitable for small scale research and it is less complicated to set up and is considerably less expensive. This study aims to gain an in-depth knowlegde and greater understanding of teaching methods used by Grade One educators to develop reading skills. It has been conducted within the qualitative framework (Denzin & Lincoln, 2003) with interviews, observations and document analysis as research instruments for data collection. This study attempts to understand the activities, actions and operations performed by participants and to reveal their motives, goals and instrumental conditions respectively on teaching methods of developing reading skills (Mwanza & Engestrom, 2003). The study has employed an Activity Theory as a theoretical frame work. The main issues which are discussed are the teaching methods used by Grade One educators in developing reading skills as well as the manner in which these methods are used in developing the reading skills. The findings of this study could be used to guide the school management team, school governing body and the educators to compile a set of guidelines on the effective methods of teaching to develop reading skills within the context of this study. It is a case study which has been conducted specifically at one primary school in Durban with three Grade One educators as participants. The researcher targeted this group in the full knowledge that it does not represent the wider population and there is no attempt to generalise the findings (Cohen, Manion & Morrison 2000). Purposive sampling has been used because it focusses on participants who are information-rich, based on the purpose of the study (Maree, 2007). Cohen et al (2000) argues that purposive sampling is mostly suitable for small scale research and it is less complicated to set up and is considerably less expensive. This study aims to gain an in-depth knowlegde and greater understanding of teaching methods used by Grade One educators to develop reading skills. It has been conducted within the qualitative framework (Denzin & Lincoln, 2003) with interviews, observations and document analysis as research instruments for data collection. This study attempts to understand the activities, actions and operations performed by participants and to reveal their motives, goals and instrumental conditions respectively on teaching methods of developing reading skills (Mwanza & Engestrom, 2003). The study has employed an Activity Theory as a theoretical frame work. The main issues which are discussed are the teaching methods used by Grade One educators in developing reading skills as well as the manner in which these methods are used in developing the reading skills. The findings of this study could be used to guide the school management team, school governing body and the educators to compile a set of guidelines on the effective methods of teaching to develop reading skills within the context of this study. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of learning to read on developing phonemic awareness. The study was designed to determine whether a relationship exists between the development of the five levels of phonemic awareness identified by Adams (1991), and the phases of reading acquisition described by Biemiller (1970). Data pertaining to phonemic awareness and oral readings were collected in December, February, and April for 71 first grade children. Measures of phonemic awareness included five instruments; one for each level of phonemic awareness. Students were determined to be in one of the three phases of reading acquisition, described by Biemiller (1970), on the basis of their approaches to graphic and contextual cues in text.The analysis of data consisted of two procedures. The first, a series of one-way analyses of variance, examined the relationship between performance on measures of phonemic awareness and membership in one of the three phases of reading acquisition. The second procedure, a series of two-way repeated measures analyses of variance, were computed to examine differences in phonemic awareness between students who experienced a change in phases and those who did not.Results of the one-way analyses found significant group effects for each of the measures except the Rhyming task. However, when means and standard error were examined, it was determined that the Word Analysis task (measuring the ability to manipulate phonemes) was the only instrument that revealed both practically and statistically significant differences. Therefore, the ability to manipulate phonemes appeared to be the distinguishing factor between children in the phases of reading acquisition.Results of the two-way analyses of variance found that only performance on the Word Analysis task revealed significance for group membership. The performance of those students who had changed phases was found to have improved significantly, and at a more rapid pace, than those students who had remained in the same phase throughout the study. The findings indicate that it is during that period of time when children are actively attending to the graphic cues in text that they are also learning to manipulate phonemes. / Department of Elementary Education

This thesis is a theoretical exploration of critical reading in the primary school. It interrogates the term 'critical reading', examines and conceptualises the thinking processes by which readers make texts mean and proposes a description of critical reading as it is evidenced in young children. At the heart of this thesis is an ethnographic study of the reading practices of classes in three contrasting primary schools. It follows and records the reading experiences of one class of children from each school, beginning in the middle of Year Two and continuing until the children near the end of Year Three. The resulting empirical data is reflected in and measured against theoretical understandings of learning and of reading derived from a number of sources. Vygotskian and Bakhtinian theories of the interdependency of thought and language are considered, critical pedagogy is explored and literary theory, especially the ideas of reader response theorists and postmodernists, is examined. From this process of reflection and assimilation, three theoretical positions are achieved: • that the interactions that take place between children, between children and teachers and between children, teachers and texts are of vital importance in the development of children as critical readers. The thesis stresses the central role of the teacher in controlling the possibilities of dialogue in the classroom. It argues that children who are exposed to the heteroglossia (Bakhtin 1981) of Mennipean dialogue and rich and varied textual experiences are better equipped to read critically than those who are not. • that the process of reading can be modelled to show the nature of these interactions. The thesis proposes a series of theoretical models that attempt to map out the dynamic, interactive process by which readers make texts mean. The models chart the pushes and pulls of thinking that a reader must employ during the act of reading in order to shape meaning from an indeterminate text. • that a description of critical reading activity in young readers can be postulated. The thesis proposes a sequence of indicators that seem to be characteristic of the behaviour of children who are developing the ability to read critically. Finally, the thesis stresses the necessity of reading widely to children if they are to take on the heteroglossia that will enable them to read critically, and the need to empower them by encouraging and honouring their own interpretive voices.

In recent years, professional development programmes that have been made available to teachers in New Zealand and other western countries have not often achieved the desired outcomes of improved teacher practice and decision making, or increased student achievement. The professional development research literature implies that the reason for this situation, is the inadequacy of programmes that do not acknowledge the teacher as a learner with individual knowledge, experience and priorities for their learning. As resources and attention continue to be focused on improving curriculum policies and classroom decision making to enhance student literacy achievement and reduce disparities, it is important to continue the search for teacher learning opportunities that achieve the desired goals. While teachers have often been viewed as knowledge recipients, the research literature alerts readers to the dearth of knowledge to inform the decision making in classrooms and in the wider realms of schooling and education. Moreover, teachers have often been positioned simply as the subject of research that once published appears to have little bearing in their work. Developing Teachers� Theory and Practice in Literacy Teaching is a study of four teachers and a facilitator, who is also the researcher, engaging in four teacher researcher partnership projects. The aim of these projects was to provide the teachers with professional learning opportunities while simultaneously producing knowledge about literacy teaching and learning. This alternative approach to professional development sought to investigate the outcomes of teacher researcher partnership projects, each designed by individual teachers who worked with the facilitator to address their self-identified �questions about practice�. The facilitator and the teachers worked together over a fifteen month period during which time they had individual and group meetings to learn about the research process and to design and implement their individual projects. The facilitator as researcher, gathered data from the teachers using qualitative methods and the teachers in turn gathered their own data to inform the progress and outcomes of their projects. While there were a number of factors that contributed to the outcomes of each project, the way in which the facilitator and the teachers conducted their projects and managed the partnership was central to the success of the teacher learning and their ability to produce findings to inform curriculum decision making. The teachers� and facilitator�s knowledge of the theory and practice of research, literacy and professional learning were shown to be important. It is argued that in order to produce and disseminate knowledge, a body of prerequisite knowledge that transcended that which would previously be expected of the teachers and of the facilitator, had to be acquired. The study recommends that further attention be given to such partnership projects as a means to increment the knowledge about teaching and learning, at the same time that teachers learn and improve their curriculum decision making. The teacher researcher partnership project approach that was implemented is discussed and analysed and an alternative �four tier� approach is advocated as more likely to result in the production and dissemination of information to enhance the curriculum of the classroom.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1997. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 298-315). Also available on the Internet.