Adapting instruction to meet the individual needs of foundation phase readers and writers

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Current intervention programmes implemented in most Western Cape schools reflect theuse of isolated item-based literacy teaching methods. However, the low literacy levels in theWestern Cape primary grades do not indicate successful literacy learning. Therefore, thisstudy seeks to implement alternative approaches to fostering literacy comprehension, suchas socio-cognitive processing and constructivist approaches, which are more in line withcurrent research than the traditional items based models of literacy instruction.The alternative, research-based methods were explored through the implementation of anindividualized contingent literacy intervention with emergent literacy learners. Theintervention took shape as a comparison between low progress learners, who participated inthe literacy intervention lessons, and average progress learners, who did not participate inthe literacy intervention lessons. The aim was to accelerate the low progress learners'literacy learning so that they could reach the average-band performance of their classmatesafter 12 weeks in the intervention. Data were gathered by means of observations of learnersand a Grade one teacher, an interview with the teacher and assessment results obtained ina pre-mid-post-test design. In order to triangulate the results of the intervention, bothqualitative data and quantitative data were obtained and discussed. Based on qualitativedata, the intervention lessons proved to be successful, because observations indicatedpositive change in the low progress learners' reading and writing behaviours. Given thesmall sample size, the overall trend in the quantitative data supported the value of theintervention and indicated a need for extending the research beyond a pilot study. Furtherresearch using larger sample sizes is thus recommended. More research is also needed toobtain data on research-based interventions that are flexible enough to meet the diverseneeds of learners from different cultural backgrounds.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University