This study critically examines my classroom practice in teaching young learners aged four-and-a-half to six years old. It focuses on the following research question: How can I create a stimulating environment in my classroom to promote awareness of and a love for reading? My classroom-based action research methodology places me, the practitioner, at the centre of the investigation. The work examines closely my professional values and my strong belief in the capacity of learners to be curious, absorb and make sense of what they encounter and experience in a stimulating environment. It investigates how such an environment develops the potential of learners to love and embrace reading. The process of engaging reflectively and analytically in practitioner research has helped me to gain a better understanding of my learners’ needs and to improve the ways in which I promote reading in the reception year of formal schooling. I claim that the creating of a stimulating environment in my classroom is grounded in my ability to motivate, model and scaffold the learners to engage in reading confidently. Together, the learners and I have created a living theory of education, one that is open to further reflection and development. Ongoing interaction between theoretical discourse and practical experiences enable me to develop my professional knowledge and to synthesize my values and practice. The investigation continuously confirms the advantages of a print-rich environment and how it can be used to promote a love for reading amongst young learners. The claims and knowledge generated in this study are personal and true for me, while the living transformational process demonstrates how I have developed professionally.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nmmu/vital:9523 |
| Date | January 2009 |
| Creators | Jantjies, Beverley Esther |
| Publisher | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Faculty of Education |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis, Masters, MEd |
| Format | xii, 121 leaves ; ill. (chiefly col.), pdf |
| Rights | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University |
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