Magister Educationis - MEd / This qualitative study investigated the teaching of reading in Grade 3 multilingual classes in one school in the Western Cape. It focused on the teaching strategies employed by teachers in teaching reading, the challenges teachers encountered in teaching reading to multilingual classrooms and the resources available to enhance reading in these classes. Data were collected by means of classroom observations and interviews with teachers. The findings of the study show that teachers experience problems with regard to the teaching of reading in Grade 3 classes. Firstly, learners have no competence in English which is the main language of learning and teaching and this has a negative impact on their reading abilities. Secondly, while code switching is one of the popular strategies in facilitating teaching and learning, it may be problematic in multilingual classrooms in that it may exclude other learners from the content explained in a different language. Thirdly, print rich environments enhance learners' reading skills, but many underprivileged schools lack multilingual materials. The study concludes that teacher development is essential for the development of literacy in schools. / South Africa

This study provides empirical research on the Language Experience Approach (LEA) to introducing the reading and writing process to beginner, First Language (L1) and Second Language (L2) readers. This is a worthwhile area of current research because LEA is a precursor to Whole Language. In the province of British Columbia, Whole Language is quickly becoming a very popular reading program. Whole Language incorporates a great deal of LEA in theory and in practice. Yet, while many researchers and educators have praised LEA and Whole Language in general, with particular value for L2 students, little empirical research on LEA exists. This study attempts to provide some of this necessary empirical research. An experiment was designed with an independent variable and several dependent variables. The independent variable consisted of one treatment using LEA and another treatment not using LEA. The dependent variables measured growth in reading and writing ability, growth in reading interest, and growth in ESL acquisition. Three Grade One classrooms were involved. Two used a popular, basal reader program and the other used LEA. Fifty percent or more of the students in the three classes were L2 students. Five research hypotheses were formulated. They were: (a) reading ability In the experimental group (LEA) would be greater than in the control group (basal readers), (b) creative writing ability in the experimental group would be greater than in the control group, (c) reading interest in the experimental group would be greater than in the control group, (d) Second Language acquisition would be greater with the L2 students in the experimental group than with those in the control group and, (e) L2 students in the experimental group would perform better in reading and writing ability and would have a greater increase in reading than their L2 peers in the control group. The experiment ran for seven months. During the course of the experiment, a formal checklist was used, in periodic visits to the classrooms, to ensure the experimental group was using LEA and the control group was not. Pretests were given in readiness, ESL ability, skill in independent writing, and in attitude towards reading. Posttests were given in vocabulary growth, reading comprehension, ESL ability, skill in independent writing, and attitude towards reading. The research hypotheses were designed in the experiment as five null hypotheses. Rejection of these null hypotheses occurred if p < .05. ANCOVA were used as tests of significance. Of the five null hypotheses, only the one for reading ability was rejected. There were significant differences in reading ability between the LEA and basal reader groups. The scores on the reading posttests favored the subjects using the basal readers. There were no significant differences in writing ability, reading interest, and L2 acquisition between the two groups and between the L2 subjects in the two groups. The results indicate more empirical research is urgently required. Before Whole Language, similar in philosophy and technique to LEA, is hastily adopted in British Columbia as the next, major Language Arts program, more empirical research is needed to determine whether or not Whole Language is in fact, a superior program. / Education, Faculty of / Language and Literacy Education (LLED), Department of / Graduate

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Literature-based reading instruction -- Writing centers -- Library corners.

Whole language approach--YRE.

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Whole language method.