The teacher‘s knowledge and instructional expertise are vital for the reading development of beginner readers. This study investigated the daily activities of teachers and learners, which promote the development of beginner reading in the Umlazi District, KwaZulu Natal. A literature study on theoretical frameworks that influence a teacher‘s reading instruction practices, policies that guide reading instruction, and the main curriculum components of beginner reading instruction within the South African context informed a classroom ethnography study conducted in a purposefully selected Grade 1 class in the Umlazi District, Kwazulu Natal. Detailed observation of the instruction of beginner reading, interviews with the teacher, the Head of Department, the parents and the learners were used to gather the data. Key findings indicated that a knowledgeable teacher who plans a variety of activities around the key components of beginner reading (reading and sight words, phonics, vocabulary, phonemic awareness and comprehension) and accommodates the diverse needs of all the learners is essential to promote beginner reading. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Comparative Education)