An evaluation of Guided Reading in three primary schools in the Western Cape

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Given that the South African government intends to improve its literacy rates byimplementing Guided Reading in the primary schools, teachers are challenged to give goodquality Guided Reading instruction. This study evaluates how teachers understand andimplement Guided Reading in Grade 1 and 2 at three public schools in the Western Cape. Itdiscusses how Guided Reading can be a teaching context in which children learn to constructmeaning independently from text. In addition, the study gives explanation on how toimplement Guided Reading into classrooms. To gather data on teachers' currentunderstanding and implementation of Guided Reading, a Guided Reading Self-AssessmentInventory was used (Fountas & Pinnell 1996:283-285). Data were also drawn fromobservations of teachers during their Guided Reading instruction. Analysis of the abovementionedquantitative and qualitative research data, indicate that teachers have a superficialunderstanding of Guided Reading. The new policy requirements for Guided Reading appearto fail to offer teachers a sufficient explanation of Guided Reading. Without clear explanationof Guided Reading and practical support, it is expected that South African teachers willcontinue with their traditional reading instruction, because they do not fully understand theconcept and value of Guided Reading. This study suggests that South African teachersstruggle to implement Guided Reading in their classrooms, because they do not create GuidedReading groups based on ongoing assessment and they do not have access to leveled GuidedReading books. Without addressing these basic requirements, it is unlikely that GuidedReading will be implemented with any success in South African classrooms. An overridingconclusion is that Guided Reading instruction needs further research before it can beimplemented correctly on a large scale in the primary schools of South Africa.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University