Teaching reading in the Foundation Phase

In South Africa, there is a huge outcry about students who struggle to read and who cannot read at all (Mzimane, 2017). This is because many schools are English, and many students speak and learn their home language at home, which makes comprehending English texts even more difficult. There are teachers who are interested in teaching students to read and others that are not interested at all. It is critical for students to learn important skills, such as reading, in the foundation phase (grades 1-3). If these skills are not developed at this stage, then the students are at a huge disadvantage as little learning can take place from grade 4-12, therefore the students will either struggle to pass school or be completely illiterate. Many students in poor schools can decode texts but have very little comprehension of the content (Reading, 2019). Therefore, teaching reading in the foundation phase is extremely important for children of today to have a better future.

"A child who reads will be an adult who thinks"

Why is reading important?

Reading is an extremely important skill to have today, as it is vital in finding and maintaining a job. It develops the mind by discovering new things and developing the imagination. Reading improves spelling and vocabulary (spelling, grammar and vocabulary are vital for jobs). Reading is important because it is the building blocks of life; to develop a relationship, to voice opinions, to get a job, to express emotion, to pass and cope in school and university, ect. Teaching reading in the Foundation Phase is fundamental for a good future (Davis, 2016).

How do Children learn?

The behaviourist term states that children learn through imitation and modelling; meaning that whatever children see or are told something, they learn that specific behaviour.The term psycho-linguistics states that children learn by giving meaning to everything; a process of problem solving is used to understand meaning.

Behaviourist

• Teachers use simple texts and books with words that students have already been taught in order to teach them how to read.
• Teacher emphasise a lot on the sound of the words and the development of sight vocabulary.
• Learners read aloud.
• Learners are assessed by their ability to read single words correctly.

Psycho-linguistic

• Reading is seen as a holistic process.
• Foundation of reading is the meaning and understanding.
• Discovering books leads to discovering the text and words.
• Variety of reading material is used.
• Silent reading is done and discussing the text is done so afterwards.
• Grading is done by difficulty of vocabulary and understanding the content.

(M Bester, 2015)

Reading methods

• Alphabet method
  • An old method; the learners learn letters and the sounds it make. The issue with this method is that it is time consuming , boring and delays the natural learning process.
• Phonic method
  • Focuses on pronouncing speech sounds. This method connects auditive and visual, as well as focusing on the phonological structure, meaning and synax of words. Therefore, sounds are learnt step by step.
• Look-and-stay method
  • This method is based off the Gestalt Theory as it is an analytical method as it focus on a whole and analyses parts. Flash cards, sentence strips and story cards are used to help the learners learn to read.
  • The advantages are; words are linked to meaning, more interesting texts used, learners start reading sooner, words are used from child's world.
  • The disadvantages are; relies on child's memory, neglects sound and letters, confusion leads to seeing reading as a negative thing in their life, limits vocabulary.
• Eclectic method (combined method)
  • A combination of phonic and look-and-stay methods. Learners are taught that letters represent sounds. The learners will sound the words, but this method has a problem of accommodating various reading styles.
• Language experience method
  • The learner use their own knowledge to express their news, experience or describing a picture. Learners copy what the teacher has written on the board and teach their peers how to read their prescribed books. This method promotes the use of the learners vocabulary, motivates them, insight understanding, self-image. The limitations of this method is that it takes up a lot of time, can be a success or a failure depending on how creative and organised the teacher is and only suited for English speakers.
• Whole language approach
  • This method is used for the integration of listening, reading and writing but with a thematic approach. The integration process does not overwhelm the students and makes sure the students find a love for reading and understand what they are reading. Which helps with students wanting to read to achieve something great.
• Balanced approach
  • This method uses a decision making approach, which ensures the teacher makes decisions in which helping the learners become better readers and writers. Process such as the following should be used:
    • Reading aloud
    • Shared reading
    • Guided reading
    • Independent reading
    • Paired reading

As an educator, it is important to find a great method that suits you and your learner(s) so that the learner(s) learn that reading is fun and exciting and not something they feel they are forced to do in their life. The importance of reading in South Africa is greatly important, as most of our youth and some of our older generation cannot or struggle to read. The more emphasis put onto reading in the classroom and at home, the more literate and successful the child will be in the future. Without understanding reading, the less likely the child will pass comfortably in school and excel in adulthood with regards to working. As educators we want a future for tomorrow for our learners.

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you'll go."- Dr. Seuss

References

Bester, M., 2015. In: I. Joubert, ed. Literacy in the foundation phase. s.l.:s.n., pp. 103-117.

Davis, G., 2016. Learn to read. [Online]

Available at: https://www.learn-to-read-prince-george.com/why-is-reading-important.html

[Accessed 2019].

Mzimane, N., 2017. International Journal of Educational Sciences. [Online]

Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09751122.2017.1311636?journalCode=reds20

[Accessed 2019].

Reading, R., 2019. Ripple Reading. [Online]

Available at: http://ripplereading.co.za/literacy-skills-about-us/how-to-read/

[Accessed 2019].