Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om vas te stel of leerders in Graad R die nodige wiskundige vaardighede deur gestruktureerde spel bemeester het wat as grondslag vir verdere wiskunde-onderrig kan dien. In die literatuurstudie is die verskillende wiskunde konsepte in diepte ondersoek. Daar is ook gefokus op die oordra van wiskunde konsepte aan jong leerders. Verder is daar in die literatuurstudie ondersoek ingestel na die doel, waardes, tipes, ontwikkeling van spel asook spel in die moderne era. Vir die empiriese ondersoek is 103 Graad R-leerders van ses verskillende skole betrek. Daar is gebruik gemaak van ʼn ewekansige steekproef by die skole wat bereid was om aan die studie deel te neem. Die ondersoek het plaasgevind deur die gebruik van die positivistiese kwantitatiewe navorsingsmetode. Daar is gebruik gemaak van vraelyste om te bepaal wat die bemeestering van wiskundige vaardighede by Graad R-leerders is. Gestruktureerde spel is as hulpmiddel gebruik vir die insameling van die navorsingsmateriaal. Die resultate is bekom deur die vraelyste statisties te verwerk. Daar is ook vraelyste aan die onderwysers gegee om meer agtergrond oor hulle onderrigmetodes asook die onderwysers se eie gevoel teenoor en kennis van wiskunde te bekom. Die navorsingsresultate bevestig dat die meerderheid van die Graad R-leerders oor ʼn goeie wiskundige grondslag beskik. Dus is daar deur die studie gevind dat dit belangrik is dat jong kinders baie moet speel om nuwe vaardighede aan te leer, maar ook die geleentheid moet hê om die vaardighede te beoefen. / The purpose of this research was to determine whether learners in Grade R mastered the necessary math skills through structured play that could serve as a basis for further mathematics training. In the literature various math concepts were studied in depth. The main focus was on the transfer of math concepts to young learners. The literature study further focussed on the purpose, values, and types of play, development of play and play in the modern era. An empirical study using random sampling was done using 103 Grade R learners from six different schools who were willing to participate in the study. The study was done using the positivism quantitative research methodology. Questionnaires were used to determine the mastery of mathematical skills by Grade R learners. Structured play was used as a tool to collect the research material. The results were obtained by processing the questionnaires statistically. Questionnaires were also completed by the teachers to confirm their background knowledge, teaching methods as well as to determine the teachers‟ own feelings towards and their knowledge of mathematics. The research results confirm that the majority of Grade R learners have obtained a good math foundation. The study also confirmed that it is important that young children need to play to learn new skills and must have the opportunity to practise the new skills. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om vas te stel of leerders in Graad R die nodige wiskundige vaardighede deur gestruktureerde spel bemeester het wat as grondslag vir verdere wiskunde-onderrig kan dien. In die literatuurstudie is die verskillende wiskunde konsepte in diepte ondersoek. Daar is ook gefokus op die oordra van wiskunde konsepte aan jong leerders. Verder is daar in die literatuurstudie ondersoek ingestel na die doel, waardes, tipes, ontwikkeling van spel asook spel in die moderne era. Vir die empiriese ondersoek is 103 Graad R-leerders van ses verskillende skole betrek. Daar is gebruik gemaak van ʼn ewekansige steekproef by die skole wat bereid was om aan die studie deel te neem. Die ondersoek het plaasgevind deur die gebruik van die positivistiese kwantitatiewe navorsingsmetode. Daar is gebruik gemaak van vraelyste om te bepaal wat die bemeestering van wiskundige vaardighede by Graad R-leerders is. Gestruktureerde spel is as hulpmiddel gebruik vir die insameling van die navorsingsmateriaal. Die resultate is bekom deur die vraelyste statisties te verwerk. Daar is ook vraelyste aan die onderwysers gegee om meer agtergrond oor hulle onderrigmetodes asook die onderwysers se eie gevoel teenoor en kennis van wiskunde te bekom. Die navorsingsresultate bevestig dat die meerderheid van die Graad R-leerders oor ʼn goeie wiskundige grondslag beskik. Dus is daar deur die studie gevind dat dit belangrik is dat jong kinders baie moet speel om nuwe vaardighede aan te leer, maar ook die geleentheid moet hê om die vaardighede te beoefen. / The purpose of this research was to determine whether learners in Grade R mastered the necessary math skills through structured play that could serve as a basis for further mathematics training. In the literature various math concepts were studied in depth. The main focus was on the transfer of math concepts to young learners. The literature study further focussed on the purpose, values, and types of play, development of play and play in the modern era. An empirical study using random sampling was done using 103 Grade R learners from six different schools who were willing to participate in the study. The study was done using the positivism quantitative research methodology. Questionnaires were used to determine the mastery of mathematical skills by Grade R learners. Structured play was used as a tool to collect the research material. The results were obtained by processing the questionnaires statistically. Questionnaires were also completed by the teachers to confirm their background knowledge, teaching methods as well as to determine the teachers‟ own feelings towards and their knowledge of mathematics. The research results confirm that the majority of Grade R learners have obtained a good math foundation. The study also confirmed that it is important that young children need to play to learn new skills and must have the opportunity to practise the new skills. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)

Summaries in English, Xitsonga and Afrikaans / Reading literacy for many black South African learners is a problem. In order to understand what happens in the South African foundation phase classrooms that affect learners’ reading performance, this study uses the adapted early grade reading assessment (EGRA) tool to assess Grade 1 learners’ reading abilities in the home language (four schools) and in the first additional language (one school). The EGRA is important for measuring foundational literacy skills. Its outcomes help teachers plan instruction that accommodates diverse learning capabilities. Data were collected through observing literacy practices and activities in the Grade 1 classrooms, evaluate classroom settings and interview Grade 1 teachers and curriculum advisors of the general education and training band to understand their perception of Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). The main findings revealed that the Grade 1 learners are acquiring foundational reading skills in Xitsonga very slowly during the first year of schooling and on all measures, performance was either low or very low. The teachers’ lack of deep understanding of how early reading develops and how each of the reading activities contributes to different aspects of this development may have contributed to the learners’ reading outcomes. Findings further revealed that the ability to read fluently and with comprehension is determined by hierarchical relationships between various reading skills. Thus, knowledge of letter-sounds facilitates word reading which impacts reading fluency and then reading comprehension – all these skills are important for reading development during early learning only if they are taught well in the classroom. / Ku hlaya ni ku tsala swi tikela vadyondzi vo tala laha Afrika Dzonga. Eka ndzavisiso lowu, ku va hi ta kota ku twisisa leswi swi humelelaka mayelana na matirhelo yo hlaya ya vadyondzi va ntangha R-3, hi kambela vuswikoti lebyi vadyondzi va ntlawa wo sungula (Giredi 1) va nga na byona byo hlaya hi ririmi ra manana (mune wa swikolo) na hi ririmi leri ri nga le eka xiyimo xa masungulo (xikolo xin’we) hi ku tirhisa xikambelwana lexi xi vuriwaka early grade reading assessment (EGRA). Xikambelwana lexi (EGRA) xi ni nkoka lowu kulu mayelana ni ku kambela vuswikoti bya n’wana byo hlaya. Mbuyelo wa xikambelo lexi wu pfuna ngopfu mayelana na leswaku vadyondzisi va kota ku kunguhata madyindziselo lama ya angarhelaka vadyondzi hinkwavo. Ndzavisiso lowu wu humelerisiwile hi ku kambela madyondziselo yo hlaya ni ku tsala eka ntlawa wo sungula (Giredi 1), ku kambela xivumbeko xa kamara ro dyondzela eka rona, ni ku kambela vutivi bya kharikhulamu bya vadyondzisi va ntlawa wo sungula na vaseketeri va vona (curriculum advisors). Mbuyelonkulu wu humesele erivaleni leswaku vadyondzi va kuma ntokoto wo hlaya hi Xitsonga hi ku nonoka va ha ri eka lembe ra vona ro sungula xikolo. Leswi swi thlela swi nyanyisa na hi leswaku mbuyelo wa vona wo hlaya eka swiyenge hinkwaswo swa xikambelo lexi xi nga tirhisiwa ku va kambela a wu ri ehansi ngopfu. Eka ndzavisiso lowu, ku pfumala ka vadyondzisi vutivi hi vuenti bya ku dyondzisa vana eku hlaya swi nga va swi vile na xiave eka mbuyelo wa vadyondzi wo hlaya. Vulavisisi lebyi byi thlela byi humesela erivaleni leswaku vuswikoti byo hlaya hi ku twisisa swi koteka ntsena loko mudyonzi a ri ni ntokoto eka swiyenge hinkwaswo swa ku hlaya hikuva swi na vuxaka. Hikokwalaho, vuswikoti byo hlaya mimpfumawulo ya maletere swi pfuneta ku hlaya marito lawa ya thlelaka ya pfuneta ku hlaya hi nkhuluko ni ku twisisa leswi swi hlayiwaka. Vuswikoti lebyi hinkwabyo byi ni nkoka mayelana ni ku dyondza ku hlaya ntsena loko madyondziselo yo hlaya ya landzelerisa leswi kunguhatiweke eka kharikhulamu. / Leesgeletterdheid vir baie swart Suid-Afrikaanse leerders is ‘n probleem. Om te verstaan wat in die Suid-Afrikaanse grondslagfase-klaskamers gebeur wat die leesprestasie van leerders beïnvloed, word in die studie die aangepaste instrument vir vroeë graad leesassessering (EGRA) gebruik om die leesvermoëns van Graad 1-leerders in die huistaal (vier skole) en in die eerste addisionele taal (een skool). Die EGRA is belangrik vir die meting van fundamentele geletterdheidsvaardighede. Die uitkomste daarvan help onderwysers om onderrig te beplan wat voldoen aan verskillende leervermoëns. Data is versamel deur die waarneming van geletterdheidspraktyke en aktiwiteite in die Graad 1-klaskamers, die klaskamerinstellings te evalueer en onderhoude met Graad 1-onderwysers en kurrikulumadviseurs van die algemene onderwys- en opleidingsband te onderneem om hul persepsie van Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) te verstaan. Die belangrikste bevindings het getoon dat die graad 1-leerders in die eerste jaar van skool baie stadig basiese leesvaardighede in Xitsonga verwerf, en dat prestasies op alle maatstawwe laag of baie laag was. Die onderwysers se gebrek aan diep begrip van hoe vroeë lees ontwikkel en hoe elkeen van die leesaktiwiteite bydra tot verskillende aspekte van hierdie ontwikkeling, het moontlik tot die leerders se leesuitkomste bygedra. Bevindinge het verder aan die lig gebring dat die vermoë om vlot en met begrip te lees, bepaal word deur hiërargiese verwantskappe tussen verskillende leesvaardighede. Kennis van letterklanke vergemaklik dus die lees van woorde wat die vloeiendheid van lees en dan leesbegrip beïnvloed - al hierdie vaardighede is slegs belangrik vir leesontwikkeling tydens vroeë leer as dit goed in die klaskamer geleer word. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / Ph. D. (Languages, Linguistics and Literature)