Education is a fundamental precondition for progress and growth in South Africa (Spaull, 2011, p. 1). Literacy opens the doors to better livelihoods, improved health and expanded opportunity (UNESCO, 2011). Illiteracy is a serious constraint to improving education standards in South Africa. Prominent research studies stress the low levels of reading ability across the country. At the onset of Grade One, pre-reading skills are taught. Pre-reading skills are foundational skills and essential for later reading success. Teachers in English Second Language environments face the daunting challenge of teaching learners to read in a foreign language. This qualitative research study, which was conducted at a low-fee private school in Pretoria Central Business district, aimed to explore the methods that educators were using to teach second language English Learners (ESL) pre-reading skills. Data collected from semi-structured interviews, lesson observations and document analysis revealed that educators had a limited theoretical knowledge of pre-reading skills due to a lack of tertiary education and curriculum training. Numerous methods of teaching pre-reading skills were identified during pre-reading lesson observations. The synthetic phonics approach, multisensory teaching, using dramatization and subtractive bilingualism were methods of instruction used to develop phonemic awareness and English oral language competency. The study highlighted the numerous challenges faced by ESL teaching working in a low-socioeconomic environment and the ways in which the teachers overcame these challenges. Based on this study’s results, recommendations are provided to enhance the teaching of pre-reading skills to ESL learners. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Educational Psychology / MEd / Unrestricted

The aim of the thesis is to show how important is the role of parents in the development of pre-literacy reading. In the theoretical part, I focused on the definition of reading literacy and pre-literacy reading and explanation the difference between them. I also described components and phases of the pre-literacy reading and possibilities of its development. I tried to emphasize the role played in the development by not only teachers, but also by parents, and to describe the methods which can enhance readership. Furthermore, I mentioned the types of reading strategies. In conclusion of the theoretical part I pointed out the influence which the reading has on the development of children's personality and what the research says about the role of parents. In the empirical part I analysed questionnaires filled out by parents from kindergarten with an effort to develop a typology of parents who do read to their children and who do not. Additional conversations helped me clarify what affects the reading of the parents has - it turned out that it is all about relationship to reading; parents who were in childhood read aloud, now they read to their children. Educated parents are more likely to accompany reading by other activities and rituals. In conclusion, I tried to figure out how can one lead...

The diploma thesis deals with problems of preparation of children in kindergartens before entering elementary school. The work is mainly focused on the development of pre- reading skills in children. The first part of the thesis deals with the issue of pre-school education legislation. The following are the areas in which children need to develop the most and need to be supported. The second part of the diploma thesis contains information about the survey that was carried out. In conclusion, recommendations and a summary of the lessons learned are presented.

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