M.A. / The purpose of basal readers is to teach children to read. When a child has the opportunity to learn to read in his native language, his chances on success in learning and reading increase, because the language is known to him. The current policy on education determines that children should receive instruction in their mother-tongue, especially in the first year. Keeping this in view, this study considers the possibility of making translated basal readers available to African languages, and more specifically, to Northern Sotho. Chapter 1 discusses criteria set for proper basal readers and evaluates existing Afrikaans readers accordingly. In Chapter 2, children's literature are discussed in terms of characteristics and background. The development of children's literature in Northern Sotho is briefly discussed as well. Theoretical issues concerning transposition and translation are discussed in Chapter 3 to determine what are involved in transposition and translation and what aspects are transposed and translated. Chapter 4 deals with the empirical application of the theory. Problems transposers and translators are faced with are discussed with the aid of applicable examples.

Over the years there have been many criticisms of the contents of basal reading series. This study sought to describe the contents of basal readers by analyzing the student reading materials contained in the books for grades one, three, and five of three current basal readers, published by D. C. Heath, Houghton Mifflin, and Silver, Burdett, and Ginn. It determined the amount of material written for the basals and the amount of material originating in other literature sources. It also described the amount and types of adaptation to the text and visual displays in material that originated elsewhere. Further, it calculated the amount of material that was classified into each of seven literature genres and six writing types using number of selections, pages, and words as units of analysis. While other researchers have each investigated some of the points examined here, none has explored all and none has used all three units of analysis to describe the contents of basal readers. Each of the student reading selections was analyzed as to the number of pages and words and then classified into the following categories: written for the basal or taken from other literature sources, one of seven literature genres or an added reading instruction category, and one of six writing types. Material that had its origins outside the basal reader was located and compared to the basal version with notations for each adaptation to text or visual display. The adaptations were classified into twenty two different types of text adaptation or six different types of visual display adaptation. While less than half of the reading material was created expressly for the basal readers examined, most of the material from other literature sources was adapted in some way. The largest category of adaptation was deletions. Overall, while there were selections in each of the categories for literature genre and writing type, the distribution was uneven. For almost all of the points examined, individual differences were found among the three reading series and the grade levels in all of the means of analysis.

The problem of this study is to demonstrate a method of evaluating situations in textual materials that may assist pre-adolescent children in achieving certain developmental tasks. The problem involves the analysis of fifty stories taken from five state-adopted readers on the sixth-grade level, as well as the development of criteria for making such an analysis.

Thesis (MTech(Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2009 / The importance of phonological awareness in the reading process is acknowledged, but that it is inadequate stems from a number of learners who still have reading problems in schools. Therefore, the influence of a motoric programme as an intervention method to improve the reading level of ten grade 2 learners by means of action research. The research group consisting of five boys and five girls with differing ages between 7 and 8 years receives mother t~unge: education in a primary school in the northern suburbs of Cape Town. Learners in the research group could not meet the national assessment standards as stated in the NCS for Reading and Looking (LO 3:3,4). The reading level of the research group was determined during a pre-evaluation phase by five Foundation phase educators using grade 2 reading material and professional observation recorded by means of open coding. These qualitative remarks were qualitively analysed to determine the impact the rnotoric prograrnrne had on the reading level of the group. The research group was subjected to a motoric plan consisting of big and small motoric movements over a period of ten weeks, three days a week for 30 minutes at a time. The programme was designed so that sensory systems and perceptual motoric processes would develop simultaneously as a unit as both are regarded as determinants of an improved reading level. Evaluation after completion of the motoric programme was conducted in the same way as the pre-evaluation phase, but with more advanced grade 2 reading material. Analysis of the data showed that the motoric programme improved reading levels with regard to fluency, speed, accuracy, synthesis/analysis and self correction. Additional observations such as extensive head movements, finger reading, bent posture, rhythmical swaying movements and conclusions made from sketches show a decrease with the best improvement at girls. The study shows that a motoric programme as intervension method supplies the necessary support needed to improve reading levels.

The purpose of this study is to set up criteria for judging the mechanical features and the content of fourth-grade readers and to determine if the fifteen fourth-grade readers of this study fit these criteria.

The purpose of this study is to make an investigation of reading trends for the past one hundred years to ascertain and evaluate the extent and changes that have occurred.

The problem of this thesis is to make a critical analysis of pre-primers, primers, and first readers of ten series of books published since 1938. Examination of books will be made from the standpoint of unusual interest to children, teachability, psychological, and educational soundness of their construction in promoting growth of the individual pupil and his ultimate good as a person and as a member of a social group.

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