Text in Afrikaans / Learners who struggle to read from the start, will stay behind. But the earlier intervention can start, the greater the chances of success. But what type of intervention is needed? Nowadays researchers overseas use phonemic awareness as a criteria to predict reading success. About 80% of pre-school children will have no trouble grasping the phonological structure of their home language, provided that they are thoroughly immersed in literacy. It is these same 80% who will not have any trouble learning to read. But literacy is a continuous process that starts at birth and there is no magical moment in a child's life that he will all of a sudden be ready to receive literacy instruction. Experience and practice will ensure that the hierarchy of phonemic awareness skills will develop. Those preschoolers who do not have that advantage, must develop phonemic awareness skills while learning to read or else face reading problems. / Educational Studies / M. Ed.(Special Needs Education)

Reading is one of the most important skills (although a complex cognitive activity) a learner has to master during the early years of schooling. The reading process involves elements of a learner’s psychological, physical, linguistic, cognitive, emotional and social worlds. Despite the fact that all learners have to be able to read, there is an increasing awareness among professionals of the developmental and educational implications of reading difficulties with school-going learners world wide. Reading is a critical tool for the mastery of all other subjects a learner will meet and one of the best predictors of long-term learning achievement. Therefore, the need for support must be considered a priority area. After a thorough investigation and literary study, it is evident that the effective identification of learning difficulties needs a thorough understanding. Educators must realise that a given learner, who responds favourably to one instructional system, may respond very unfavourably to another, because learners are all unique individuals. To be able to combine speech sounds in a way that recipients can understand the message, learners have to be ready to develop an understanding of phonology, morphology and syntax, therefore maturation must always precede learning and, in the context of this study, emergent literacy must precede reading. Maturation is characterised by a fixed order of progression wherein the pace may vary, but not the sequence. The creative use of language is entirely dependent on the ability to assemble simple building blocks of sound into the complex structure we call sentences.It is widely accepted that music may be used to promote language development and the most crucial aspect in both music and language development is the perception of sound and the core in music and language are the ability to listen. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of music and related activities as part of an intervention strategy to improve reading skills, such as phonics, of learners who have reading difficulties. The researcher proved that a wellplanned intervention method and learning strategy through music activities may be used to develop the reading skills in learners who have reading difficulties. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

This study investigated the factors affecting the teaching of English reading skills in a second language of Grade 3 learners in three primary schools, in Ongwediva town of Oshana Regional Education Directorate in Northern Namibia. It also investigated methods and approaches that were used to promote the teaching of reading in English as a second language and the linguistic environment of the classroom in which the teaching of reading occurs. Classroom environments were observed and telephonic interview was conducted with the circuit inspector of the three schools selected. Individual interviews were also done with the principals, Grade 3 teachers and Grade 3 learners of the three chosen schools. Focus group interview was also done with the same Grade 3 teachers. This study found out that insufficient reading books, poor teaching methods, insufficient teachers’ and learners’ interactions and overcrowded classrooms were some of the factors that made the teaching of reading unsuccessful. From the interviews of the circuit inspector, principals and teachers it was revealed that inadequate teacher training workshops for teachers teaching English reading, lack of parental involvement, low budget allocation to Primary Education and lack of reading capacity in vernacular affected the teaching of reading negatively. The outcome of learners’ interviews indicated that phonemic awareness and lack of comprehension created reading problems. Given the factors referred above, it is recommended that more interesting readers should be purchased to solve the shortage of reading materials. In addition, more effective teachers’ workshops should be given to strengthen the teachers’ approaches to reading skills development for Grade 3 learners. / M. Ed. (with specialisation in Early Childhood Development) / Educational Studies

This research is concerned with an investigation into the factors relating to the reading habits of Indian secondary school pupils in the Phoenix area. It is important to acknowledge that among our youth there are both avid and reluctant readers during and after the period of formal education. It is the group of reluctant readers that has to be lured by the magic of reading. There is a remarkable variation in the reading habits of pupils from the same school. A self-designed questionnaire was administered to 544 boys and girls from standards 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. The descriptive data available were then analysed and interpreted. The study revealed that the amount of time spent on reading and the number of books read (which together determined reading habits) by pupils was influenced by such factors as home, school, social environment, socioeconomic status, the influence of other media and the personal aspect / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

La lecture est une compétence complexe du fait de la multiplicité des processus sousjacents. Il est couramment admis une vue simple de la lecture (Simple View of Reading-SVR, Hoover & Gough, 1990) regroupant ces processus en deux composantes : l’identification de mots écrits et la compréhension. Des difficultés dans l’une, l’autre ou dans les deuxcomposantes entraineraient des difficultés pour accéder à une lecture fonctionnelle (Cain & Oakhill, 2006).Les enfants et adolescents autistes sans déficience intellectuelle (high-functioning with autism spectrum disorders – HFASD) semblent particulièrement affectés par les difficultés en lecture, notamment au niveau des processus de compréhension (Huemer & Mann, 2010). Toutefois, la présence spécifique d’un profil de faible compreneur chez les sujets HFASD ne fait pas consensus et requiert de préciser leurs performances en lecture à partir d’évaluations détaillées pour proposer ensuite des stratégies remédiatives ciblées. L’expansion des nouvelles technologies offre pour cela des perspectives prometteuses.Les thèmes de la lecture, de l’autisme et des technologies informatisées sont ainsi abordés à travers les questions de l’évaluation et de l’entrainement. D’une part, peut-on évaluer simplement mais efficacement la lecture à l’aide d’épreuves informatisées reprenant le cadre de la SVR ? Une telle évaluation peut-elle être pertinente pour comprendre lesdifficultés en lecture des élèves HFASD ? D’autre part, un entrainement informatisé ciblé sur les processus de compréhension, en situation écologique, peut-il être efficace pour remédier aux difficultés en lecture des sujets HFASD ? Comment évaluer l’efficacité et la qualité d’un outil informatisé d’entrainement des processus de compréhension ?Premièrement, un outil informatisé d’évaluation construit sur la base de l’approche SVR a été proposé à 485 élèves du CE1 à la 3ème dans le but d’identifier des profils de lecteurs. Les résultats révèlent la présence de profils de lecteurs variés avec une majorité de bons lecteurs et sept profils de lecteurs en difficultés dont quatre ne sont pas prédits par la SVR remettant ainsi en question la simplicité de cette approche pour modéliser précisément l’habileté en lecture. L’évaluation informatisée a ensuite été proposée à 22 élèves HFASD. Les résultats révèlent des profils variés avec une majorité de lecteurs ayant des difficultés pas nécessairement spécifiques aux processus de compréhension. Ces résultats semblent cohérents avec la forte hétérogénéité de l’échantillon et renvoient à l’exigence d’une évaluation basée sur un cadre de la lecture plus étendu pour ces enfants.Deuxièmement, un outil informatisé d’entrainement de la compréhension ayant fait l’objet d’une validation expérimentale a été proposé à 13 élèves HFASD du CM1 à la 3ème. Une première étude a évalué l’efficacité du logiciel à partir d’un protocole pré-test/entrainement/post-test conçu pour combiner des analyses de groupes et de cas multiples. Les résultats soulignent la nécessité d’utiliser des protocoles spécifiques aux études de cas pour cette population particulière afin de limiter l’impact de l’hétérogénéité intra-individuelle. Les conditions de mises en œuvre de cet entrainement en situation écologique sont discutées. Une dernière étude a examiné les qualités ergonomiques du logiciel d’entrainement à l’aide dequestionnaires complétés par des utilisateurs. Les réponses soulignent la simplicité d’utilisation du logiciel mais également un manque de flexibilité limitant les possibilités de l’adapter à un maximum d’utilisateurs dont les élèves HFASD. Des suggestions d’améliorations sont discutées. / Reading is a complex skill due to the multiplicity of underlying processes. A Simple View of Reading (SVR, Hoover & Gough, 1990) is commonly considered, combining these processes into two components: word reading and comprehension. Difficulties in one, the other, or both, would lead to difficulties in reaching functional reading (Cain & Oakhill, 2006).Children and adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASD) appear to be particularly affected by reading difficulties especially considering comprehension processes (Huemer & Mann, 2010). However, the presence of a specific low comprehender subtype in students with HFASD is not consensus-based and requires to clearly specifying their reading ability on the basis of a detailed assessment in order to provide targeted remediation strategies. The expansion of new technologies offers promising prospects for this.Themes of reading, autism and computerized technologies are thus addressed through the questions of assessment and training. On the one hand, can one simply and efficiently evaluate the reading using computer-based assessment that incorporates the framework of the SVR? Can such an assessment be relevant to understand the reading difficulties of subjects with HFASD? On the other hand, can computer-based training targeting comprehension processes, in an ecological situation, be effective in remedying the reading difficulties of children and adolescents with HFASD? How to evaluate the effectiveness and quality of such a computer-based training tool for comprehension?First, a computer-based assessment tool built on the basis of the SVR framework was proposed to 485 students from grade 2 to grade 9 in order to identify reader subtypes within this population. Results reveal various reader subtypes with a majority of good readers and seven subtypes of readers with difficulties. Four of those seven are not predicted by the SVRthus questioning the simplicity of this framework to accurately model reading skills. The computer-based assessment was then proposed to 22 children and adolescent with HFASD. Results reveal varied subtypes with a majority of readers experiencing difficulties not necessarily specific to comprehension processes. These results seem consistent with thestrong heterogeneity of the sample and call for the need to provide an assessment based on a wider reading framework for these children.Secondly, a computer-based training tool for comprehension was proposed to 13 HFASD students from grade 1 to grade 3. This tool has already been validated experimentally with typically developing children and adolescents exhibiting specific low comprehender subtype. A first study investigated the effectiveness of the software from a pretest/training/post-test protocol designed to combine group and case study analyzes. The results emphasize the need to use protocols specific to case study for this particular population in order to limit the impact of intra-individual heterogeneity. The conditions for implementing this training in an ecological situation are discussed. A final study examined the ergonomic qualities of the training tool using questionnaires completed by users. Answers emphasize the tool’s simplicity of use but also a lack of flexibility limiting the possibilities to adapt it to a maximum of users of which the subjects with HFASD. Suggestions for improvements are discussed.

5 ABSTRACT The present paper deals with the development of reading skills of adult learners of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) in Czech language schools and its support provided by three different Chinese language course books. Even though there are various Chinese language course books available on the market, the attention these pay to reading comprehension and its development, is still rather limited. The present master thesis proposes classroom techniques which might be used to address this problem during CFL lessons. The first chapter presents findings and recommendations based on research into the development of foreign language reading skills in general, which are, in the second chapter, subsequently followed by a summary of research findings focusing specifically on teaching reading in CFL. The demands on course books raised by researchers in both fields are then applied to reading texts and accompanying exercises included in three pre-intermediate level CFL course books, New Practical Chinese Reader (Liu et al., 2002), Boya Chinese (Lǐ et al., 2005) and Discover China (Qi et al., 2010). The outcome of the the thesis consists of 21 designed lesson plans which propose solutions to some of the issues raised in the theoretical part of the thesis. The lesson plans indicate how course book texts...

The aim of this diploma thesis is characterization and evaluation of programs and projects, which are proceeding in United States of America to support children's reading skills. The first part is devoted to reading to children from birth to six years, impact of books to children, and to factors, which are influencing the beginning of reading. In other chapters are presented projects of American Library Association and its division Association for Library Services to Children. In the following, the programs of selected libraries and non-profit organization are mentioned (for example Mother Goose on the Loose, Birth to six or Reach out and Read). In the last part is described the situation in Czech Republic. There are presented projects like Celé Česko čte dětem, Rosteme s knihou, Poprvé do školy - Poprvé do knihovny, and also cooperation of libraries and kindergartens.

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Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Die doel van hierdie studie was om te bepaat of 'n hulpverleningsprogram die laerskoolleerder wat taalhindemisse ervaar kan help om sy probleme op 'n kreatiewe wyse te benader. 'n Algemene oorsig van leerhindemisse wat laerskoolleerders ervaar, is gegee. lndien 'n leerder taalhindernisse ervaar, sal dit 'n direkte invloed op sy ander skoolvakke ook he omdat taal vir die leeraksie benodig word. Die kreatiwiteitsbegrip is ook van naderby beskou. Kreatiwiteit kan as die skep van iets wat oorspronklik, maar ook bruikbaar is, gedefinieer word. Dit sluit egter ook die Ie van ongewone verbande tussen twee of meer sake of voorwerpe in. Die program wat ontwikkel is, het as onderbou die teorie oor taalintelligensie van Howard Gardner, 'n opvoedkundige sielkundige aan Harvard Universiteit. Gardner meen dit is deur 'n kreatiewe ingesteldheid, multisensoriese tegnieke en gepaste leerstyle rnoontlik om taalintelligensie teverbeter. Hy is van mening dat taalintelligensie nie iets is wat op 'n bepaalde tydstip gemeet kan word en onveranderd bly nie. Soos met alle intellektuele vermoens, kan taalvaardighede ook uitgebrei en ontwikkel word. Beproefde remedierende tegnieke, wat reeds deur die navorser in die praktyk met welslae uitgetoets is, is op 'n vars, nuwe manier .in die hulpverleningsprogram gebruik. Die hulpverleningsprogram het op die verbetering van perseptuele, mondelinge stelwerk-,lees- en spellingvaardighede gefokus. Dit het gedurende die empiriese studie duidelik geword dat leerders wat op 'n bepaalde leergebied nie na wense presteer nie, dikwels 'n "sielkundige blokkasie" ten opsigte van daardie leerareas ontwikkel. Hulle assosieer Jaasgenoemde in die meeste gevalle met leeronvermoe en leermislukking. Die enigste manier om hierdie gevoel van leermagteloosheid aan te spreek, is om die problematiese leerareas met 'n minder ernstige akademiese aanslag, waarin die pret-element sterk aanwesig is, te benader. Wanneer die leeraksie as 'n aangename ondervindingervaar word, kan leerders hulle leervrese aanspreek en meer waagmoedig begin optree. / The purpose of this study was to investigate the success of an innovative support programme aimed at assisting primary school learners with language barriers to overcome these. An overview was given of learning barriers primary school learners may experience. A learner with a language barrier will find that the other learning areas are negatively influenced because language is essential for learning. The concept of creativity, defined as the creation of something original, yet useful, was adhered to. It included the idea that creativity allows for the connecting of unrelated issues or objects. The theories of Howard Gardner, an educational psychologist at Harvard University, concerning language intelligence, supported this study. According to Gardner it is possible to improve language intelligence through creative awareness, multi-sensory techniques and appropriate learning styles. Gardner postulates that language, as in the case of other intellectual abilities, can be developed and expanded. Remedial techniques successfully used by the researcher in practice, have been presented in this support programme in a novel and innovative form. The creative support programme compiled for this thesis focused on the 1 improvement of perceptual, oral, reading and spelling skills. The need for a more informal support approach was evident in the empirical research of this study. Learners sometimes develop a "psychological block" when experiencing repeated difficulties in a specific learning area. Such learners associate these difficulties with failures and the inability to learn. In order to overcome the experience of learning dispair, the feelings of anxiety associated with the problem learning area, have to be replaced with a less rigid approach in which play encourages feelings of enjoyment and ease. When learning becomes a pleasant experience, learners start overcoming their fears and become risk takers. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Die doel van hierdie studie was om te bepaat of 'n hulpverleningsprogram die laerskoolleerder wat taalhindemisse ervaar kan help om sy probleme op 'n kreatiewe wyse te benader. 'n Algemene oorsig van leerhindemisse wat laerskoolleerders ervaar, is gegee. lndien 'n leerder taalhindernisse ervaar, sal dit 'n direkte invloed op sy ander skoolvakke ook he omdat taal vir die leeraksie benodig word. Die kreatiwiteitsbegrip is ook van naderby beskou. Kreatiwiteit kan as die skep van iets wat oorspronklik, maar ook bruikbaar is, gedefinieer word. Dit sluit egter ook die Ie van ongewone verbande tussen twee of meer sake of voorwerpe in. Die program wat ontwikkel is, het as onderbou die teorie oor taalintelligensie van Howard Gardner, 'n opvoedkundige sielkundige aan Harvard Universiteit. Gardner meen dit is deur 'n kreatiewe ingesteldheid, multisensoriese tegnieke en gepaste leerstyle rnoontlik om taalintelligensie teverbeter. Hy is van mening dat taalintelligensie nie iets is wat op 'n bepaalde tydstip gemeet kan word en onveranderd bly nie. Soos met alle intellektuele vermoens, kan taalvaardighede ook uitgebrei en ontwikkel word. Beproefde remedierende tegnieke, wat reeds deur die navorser in die praktyk met welslae uitgetoets is, is op 'n vars, nuwe manier .in die hulpverleningsprogram gebruik. Die hulpverleningsprogram het op die verbetering van perseptuele, mondelinge stelwerk-,lees- en spellingvaardighede gefokus. Dit het gedurende die empiriese studie duidelik geword dat leerders wat op 'n bepaalde leergebied nie na wense presteer nie, dikwels 'n "sielkundige blokkasie" ten opsigte van daardie leerareas ontwikkel. Hulle assosieer Jaasgenoemde in die meeste gevalle met leeronvermoe en leermislukking. Die enigste manier om hierdie gevoel van leermagteloosheid aan te spreek, is om die problematiese leerareas met 'n minder ernstige akademiese aanslag, waarin die pret-element sterk aanwesig is, te benader. Wanneer die leeraksie as 'n aangename ondervindingervaar word, kan leerders hulle leervrese aanspreek en meer waagmoedig begin optree. / The purpose of this study was to investigate the success of an innovative support programme aimed at assisting primary school learners with language barriers to overcome these. An overview was given of learning barriers primary school learners may experience. A learner with a language barrier will find that the other learning areas are negatively influenced because language is essential for learning. The concept of creativity, defined as the creation of something original, yet useful, was adhered to. It included the idea that creativity allows for the connecting of unrelated issues or objects. The theories of Howard Gardner, an educational psychologist at Harvard University, concerning language intelligence, supported this study. According to Gardner it is possible to improve language intelligence through creative awareness, multi-sensory techniques and appropriate learning styles. Gardner postulates that language, as in the case of other intellectual abilities, can be developed and expanded. Remedial techniques successfully used by the researcher in practice, have been presented in this support programme in a novel and innovative form. The creative support programme compiled for this thesis focused on the 1 improvement of perceptual, oral, reading and spelling skills. The need for a more informal support approach was evident in the empirical research of this study. Learners sometimes develop a "psychological block" when experiencing repeated difficulties in a specific learning area. Such learners associate these difficulties with failures and the inability to learn. In order to overcome the experience of learning dispair, the feelings of anxiety associated with the problem learning area, have to be replaced with a less rigid approach in which play encourages feelings of enjoyment and ease. When learning becomes a pleasant experience, learners start overcoming their fears and become risk takers. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)