Thesis (MPhil (Journalism))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Do young people have any news interest? Which subjects interest them most and what is their medium of preference? In order to answer these questions, research was done on news reading trends of young people – both nationally and internationally. A questionnaire was completed by 180 grade 11 scholars from the Western Cape, the Free State and Gauteng. The results of the different provinces are compared in this study to monitor newstrends nationally. The child’s cognitive development phase has an influence on nurturing healthy (news)reading habits. In this study the correlation is explored by using Jean Piaget’s (1896-1980) theory of cognitive development stages. From interviews with the JIP supplement editors (Beeld, Burger and Volksblad), as well as the cell phone companies (MTN, Vodacom en Cell C) the biggest obstacles and possible strategies to draw young readers were identified. In this work the public’s need for media, as well as the influence of the media on the society (especially the youth) is discussed by looking at Fourie’s (2001) model of short term and long term influences of media on the society. The study showed that the majority of young people see one news bulletin (newspaper, television and/or radio) per week as sufficient. Research results indicated that the medium of preference for news headlines among young people is SMS. Just less than half of the respondents are willing to pay for such a service. The second medium of preference to receive news is noted as youth newspapers. The main news subjects amongst the youth is entertainment, followed by sport and sosial issues. Political and international news seems to be less popular amongs this group.

D.Ed. / The general preference for English as language of teaching and learning (LoLT) poses a formidable learning barrier to many English Second Language (ESL) learners in South African schools. Addressing this barrier is the responsibility of the whole-school with the support of the Department of Education. In particular, school based support teams (SBST) are tasked with the support of learners who experience reading barriers in an inclusive mainstream school. This thesis concerns the implementation of a whole-school intervention at a primary school in a disadvantaged community in Gauteng, South Africa, where ESL learners experience severe barriers to reading acquisition. The aim was to provide support to the whole-school to address reading barriers in an inclusive environment. Objectives were to identify the elements of whole-school reading; to develop and implement an integrated whole-school reading intervention; to train educators to address learners’ reading barriers; and to provide guidelines to the Inclusion and Special Schools Unit (provincial level), District Based Support Team (DBST) and the school, to address reading barriers in future. A literature study reviewed themes regarding inclusion, support structures and whole-school development. Literature dealing with essential elements of whole-school reading, approaches and strategies provided a theoretical framework for the implementation of whole-school reading. A qualitative study within an interpretive paradigm using practitioner action research was conducted. The research site was a primary school in a disadvantaged area in Gauteng, which had referred ESL learners to the local Inclusion and Special Schools Unit for support. Action research was selected because of its fundamental principle of participant empowerment through participation, collaboration, acquisition of knowledge and social change. Data was gathered from staff and learners and analysed during the phases of the action research process. Data collection included learner and educator questionnaires, discussions, observations, field notes, pre- and post baseline scholastic assessment, focus group interviews and the researcher’s reflections. Findings indicated that SBST’s need support in order to address reading barriers. ESL learners do not receive sufficient exposure to English to develop reading skills. Intermediate phase educators have not been trained to teach learners to read and improve their reading skills. Whole-school reading intervention was thus valuable in providing training and support structures for the school to address reading difficulties.

Recent research has revealed a gender gap in reading attitudes and achievement. Broadly speaking, when compared with girls, boys display a more negative attitude towards reading and perform less well on measures of reading achievement. Yet, why boys appear to have such difficulties with reading and why girls appear to have fewer difficulties with it has yet to be fully explored. This thesis examines the talk of a group of grade five and six students at a multi-cultural, multi-lingual, mixed socio-economic urban elementary school, concerning their ideas of gender normative behaviour, gendered reading practices and the consequences of non-normative gender performances or gender crossing behaviour. Using Critical Socio-Cultural theories of literacy and learning and Feminist Post-Structuralist theories of gender and identity, this year long ethnographic study reveals that students' investments in their gender identities may help to create and maintain the gender gap in reading attitudes and achievement. In particular, boys' investment in maintaining a heteronormative masculine identity may interfere with their participation in school based print literacy. The implications of these findings for bridging the gender reading gap are discussed. In addition, this thesis raises questions about the simplicity of current conceptions of the gender reading gap that depict boys as victims and girls as victors in school. This thesis adds to research that calls for a more complex understanding of issues of gender, "race" and class in .contemporary classrooms. / Education, Faculty of / Language and Literacy Education (LLED), Department of / Graduate

The purposes of this study were (1) to survey the amount of time spent by elementary educators in reading professional literature; (2) to survey elementary educators' purposes for reading professional literature; (3) to survey the availability of professional literature to elementary educators; (4) to survey the circumstances which encourage or discourage the reading of professional literature by elementary educators; (5) to survey the types of sources of professional literature used by elementary educators; (6) to compare the amount of time spent by elementary teachers, elementary administrators, and elementary teach educators in reading professional literature; (7) to compare elementary teachers', elementary administrators', and elementary teach educators' purposes for reading professional literature; (8) to compare the availability of professional literature to elementary teachers, elementary administrators, and elementary teacher educators; (9) to compare the circumstances which encourage or discourage professional reading among elementary teachers, elementary administrators, and elementary teacher educators; and (10) to compare the types of sources of professional literature used by elementary teachers, elementary administrators, and elementary teacher educators.

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"The purpose of this paper is to develop a list of printed books in the fields of fiction and biography suitable for use with blind, deaf or crippled children. The books are presented in an annotated bibliography arranged in order of readability. An attempt was made to recommend all available books for grades one to six which met the criteria established"--Introduction. / Typescript. / "June, 1952." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State university in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science under Plan II." / Advisor: Sara Krentzman Srygley, Professor Directing Paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 30-32).

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1984 S64 / Master of Science

M.A. (Afrikaans Nederlands) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

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