The reading skill is the most important skills for the 21st century. The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) found that nearly 80% of South African students haven’t mastered the basic reading skills at Grade 5 level. If the learner hasn’t mastered the skill of reading, his/her progression at school will be severely inhibited and learning problems will result. Reading consists of certain basic skills, namely receiving messages, perceptual skills, decoding the message and learning. A reading programme that stimulates the learner visually, auditory and tactually promotes learning and memory, is the key to reading success. There are a variety of reading methods, but in the scope of this study the multisensory reading approach is regarded as the most suitable reading approach for the Foundation Phase. The literacy study found that the human being is a multisensory creature that uses all senses to explore his/her environment. Multisensory approaches to learning have been applied with success to learners for longer than a century and are supported by the latest neuro images scientific research. During a multisensory approach, the emphasis is on phonological awareness, decoding, spelling and comprehension. In this study, the Orton-Gillingham approach is used where sounds are linked with the written symbol through visual, auditory and tactile stimuli. A quantitative pre-experimental two group pre-test, post-test research design was followed. 42 Grade 2 Afrikaans-speaking students participated in the intervention programme. The degree to which the students reading improved in the five week period determined to which extent the intervention programme influenced the reading abilities of the learners. The data analysis of pre-and post-reading revealed that after application of the multisensory reading programme a significant improvement regarding reading speed, word recognition and reading comprehension occurred. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011

The reading skill is the most important skills for the 21st century. The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) found that nearly 80% of South African students haven’t mastered the basic reading skills at Grade 5 level. If the learner hasn’t mastered the skill of reading, his/her progression at school will be severely inhibited and learning problems will result. Reading consists of certain basic skills, namely receiving messages, perceptual skills, decoding the message and learning. A reading programme that stimulates the learner visually, auditory and tactually promotes learning and memory, is the key to reading success. There are a variety of reading methods, but in the scope of this study the multisensory reading approach is regarded as the most suitable reading approach for the Foundation Phase. The literacy study found that the human being is a multisensory creature that uses all senses to explore his/her environment. Multisensory approaches to learning have been applied with success to learners for longer than a century and are supported by the latest neuro images scientific research. During a multisensory approach, the emphasis is on phonological awareness, decoding, spelling and comprehension. In this study, the Orton-Gillingham approach is used where sounds are linked with the written symbol through visual, auditory and tactile stimuli. A quantitative pre-experimental two group pre-test, post-test research design was followed. 42 Grade 2 Afrikaans-speaking students participated in the intervention programme. The degree to which the students reading improved in the five week period determined to which extent the intervention programme influenced the reading abilities of the learners. The data analysis of pre-and post-reading revealed that after application of the multisensory reading programme a significant improvement regarding reading speed, word recognition and reading comprehension occurred. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Text in Afrikaans / Two opposing approaches to beginning reading are used, namely the phonological and global approach, under which the whole word, whole sentence and whole language methods are classed. The whole crux of the controversy is situated in beginning reading as an explicit, intensive and systematic method of teaching phonics, as opposed to implicit beginning reading through discrimination of global configurations, augmented by psycholinguistic guesses within reading context. Arguments about the advantages and disadvantages of the opposing methods have been hurdled to and fro for decades without any discernible gain. The question emerged whether research on brain physiology with respect to language and reading, a relatively new field of study, could shed light on the foundation of an accountable method for beginning reading. Renewed insights to the controversial differences were gained, and brain physiologically accountable parameters as a base for a beginning reading method were framed from these insights. / Twee opponerende aanvangsleesbenaderings word in die skole gebruik, naamlik die fonologiese benadering en die geheelbenadering, waaronder die geheelwoord-, geheelsinen die geheeltaalmetode ressorteer. Die kern van die verskil tussen die aanvangsleesbenaderings le in aanvangslees as eksplisiete, intensiewe en sistematiese foneemonderrig, teenoor implisiete aanvangslees wat die waarneming van globale konfigurasies, aangevul deur psigolinguistiese raaiskote binne die leeskonteks, aanmoedig. In die polemiek om die beste leesmetode word argumente oor die voor- en nadele ten opsigte van die begronding van hierdie opponerende metodes reeds dekades heen en weer geslinger. Navorsingsresultate word eindeloos, sonder duidelike winste, met mekaar vergelyk. Dit het die vraag laat onstaan of navorsing ten opsigte van die breinfisiologie met betrekking tot taal en lees, 'n relatief nuwe studieveld, moontlik lig sou kon werp op die begronding van 'n verantwoordbare aanvangsleesmetode. Die literatuurstudie ten opsigte van breinfisiologie het vernuwende insigte oor die polemiese begrondingsverskille na vore gebring, en breinfisiologies-verantwoordbare parameters as basis vir 'n aanvangsleesmetode is uit hierdie insigte opgestel. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Text in Afrikaans / Two opposing approaches to beginning reading are used, namely the phonological and global approach, under which the whole word, whole sentence and whole language methods are classed. The whole crux of the controversy is situated in beginning reading as an explicit, intensive and systematic method of teaching phonics, as opposed to implicit beginning reading through discrimination of global configurations, augmented by psycholinguistic guesses within reading context. Arguments about the advantages and disadvantages of the opposing methods have been hurdled to and fro for decades without any discernible gain. The question emerged whether research on brain physiology with respect to language and reading, a relatively new field of study, could shed light on the foundation of an accountable method for beginning reading. Renewed insights to the controversial differences were gained, and brain physiologically accountable parameters as a base for a beginning reading method were framed from these insights. / Twee opponerende aanvangsleesbenaderings word in die skole gebruik, naamlik die fonologiese benadering en die geheelbenadering, waaronder die geheelwoord-, geheelsinen die geheeltaalmetode ressorteer. Die kern van die verskil tussen die aanvangsleesbenaderings le in aanvangslees as eksplisiete, intensiewe en sistematiese foneemonderrig, teenoor implisiete aanvangslees wat die waarneming van globale konfigurasies, aangevul deur psigolinguistiese raaiskote binne die leeskonteks, aanmoedig. In die polemiek om die beste leesmetode word argumente oor die voor- en nadele ten opsigte van die begronding van hierdie opponerende metodes reeds dekades heen en weer geslinger. Navorsingsresultate word eindeloos, sonder duidelike winste, met mekaar vergelyk. Dit het die vraag laat onstaan of navorsing ten opsigte van die breinfisiologie met betrekking tot taal en lees, 'n relatief nuwe studieveld, moontlik lig sou kon werp op die begronding van 'n verantwoordbare aanvangsleesmetode. Die literatuurstudie ten opsigte van breinfisiologie het vernuwende insigte oor die polemiese begrondingsverskille na vore gebring, en breinfisiologies-verantwoordbare parameters as basis vir 'n aanvangsleesmetode is uit hierdie insigte opgestel. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)