Question 1
1.1 This scenario illustrates that while decoding is an important and necessary skill in
reading
development, it does not automatically result in enhanced reading comprehension
skills. Provide three reasons why you agree or do not agree with this statement.
I agree with the statement.
Reading techniques and methodologies for diverse language contexts are
selected to promote decoding and comprehension skills.
In the foundation phase, learners start by not knowing how to read in any language,
especially a first additional language.
Learners need to first learn how to listen and speak and then how to read.
While teaching listening and speaking, teachers can write words down or show
learners the written words to make them familiar with how words are spelt.
If parents cannot read in English, they can learners by telling them stories with hand
gestures, facial expressions and changes in the voice.
This introduces them to texts and how words can be understood in different ways.
Learners who are told stories and encouraged to retell the stories to their friends,
seem to understand written texts more easily than learners who are not exposed to
stories.
Oral storytelling and how learners understand a story depend on the words in the
text which are emphasised make a few ideas more important than others and the
background of the readers influences how they understand certain ideas.
The cultural and social background of readers will influence reading for meaning
because meaning is often attached to readers’ personal lives.
As learners progress in their academic careers, they learn to understand meaning
based on the text and not their personal lives.
A basic idea which needs to be followed is that learners need to start off by learning
the alphabet, syllables (word divisions), phonics (the sound represented by letters),
punctuation, sentences and how they are linked into paragraphs.
Another factor which contributes to developing the skill of reading in EFAL is that the
better learners read in their home language, the easier and better they will learn to
read in an additional language.
Teaching reading in any language starts with teaching vocabulary. According to
Blunden- Greeff (Phatudi 2014), one way of learning vocabulary is by using songs.
Another way is to tell learners stories which also teach comprehension skills.
, 1.2 Describe how the use of the following strategies can enhance reading with
understanding:
a) Phonological awareness b) Frame of reference c) Images and pictures
Phonemic awareness refers to the patterns of sounds (sound patterns).
In Grade R and 1, learners rely heavily on hearing the sound patterns of words to
make sense of language Joubert et al. (2015).
Once learners become familiar with the sound pattern (ad) add on another word:
bad dad mad sad
Now as you progress with the learners add a different sound to the group of words
and ask learners to listen carefully to the sound patterns and identify and call out the
word that sounds different.
bad dad mad sad cab
The teacher continues to use various sound pattern examples in the same manner to
develop the learners’ phonemic awareness.
If you start with a small group of words and gradually increase the number of words
as learners begin to develop their sound sense and grow more confident
distinguishing sounds.
Sing-alongs are also very effective to develop the learners’ sound sense.
Breaking up words into their syllables is also a very effective way to develop
phonemic awareness.
The units of sounds that make up a word are known as syllables.
The learners will learn their names in their Home Language, and it will sound the
same in the FAL.
Ask learners to say and hear how many sounds each of their names make and then
clap for each sound, e.g.
Thabo = Tha + bo (two syllables = two claps)
Patricia = Pa + tri + cia (three syllables = three claps)
The above teaching practice activities are sure to develop the learner’s oral
vocabulary in Grade R and Grade 1.
Frame of Reference
The picture of a ball in the word card on the right serves as a frame of reference and
is intended to give the learner a clue to help the learner make associations and
connect the picture to the word ball.
These type of strategies for teaching vocabulary in English, as a first additional
language helps learners to read words meaningfully.
Daily practice is also very necessary to extend the learners vocabulary.
It is also very important for the teacher to teach the learners decoding skills to
recognise and read a word.
Decoding in its simplest form means to break down a word into its letter-sound
syllables in order to read the word.
, If learners are not taught decoding skills, they may become heavily reliant on
pictorial clues and not recognise and read the word by itself.
Vocabulary, in the form of sight words (as seen in the word cards above) should
always be extended before learners begin reading a sentence or a text.
Sight words are words that are usually difficult to decode in English and therefore
they are flashed often so that learners can recognise, learn, and then recall and read
the word.
Lots of focus and practice time is required to learn sight words.
Images and Pictures
Although these are listening comprehension activities, you can also plan the
activities using pictures (visual interpretations that represent the instructions) which
learners can interpret and piece together to tell a story (story development).
Children learn through play, so it is important for you to make learning fun!
Learners learn to read sign boards on the roads, signs on poles, or pictures and logo’s
on shop windows.
Learners can read the ‘stop’ sign, The Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) picture, etc. This
type of reading occurs incidentally, through the learner’s association and familiarity
with the information that is all around them.
Through incidental learning, learners can acquire vocabulary and expand the way
they are understanding language.
1.2 Briefly explain how Grade 3 learners’ reading levels can have an impact on their
learning in Grade 4 and higher grades where English is a language of teaching and
learning (LOLT). Give two reasons
Teaching and learning of FAL is contextualised and adapted by aligning it to the
requirements and in preparation of FAL language curriculum in Grade 4.
In line with this, teachers need to cater for different contexts of language learning in
the country, for example, EFAL learners in a predominantly target language
environment (English Home Language classroom).
Teachers need to promote FAL learning so that it can be used as a LOLT (language of
learning and teaching) and practise continuous assessment to provide formative
feedback so as to provide additional lessons or remedial assistance.
According to van der Walt, Evans and Kilfoil (2009: 61), a lesson was originally
thought to be a ‘transmission of knowledge’ from teachers to learners, but these
days it is considered to rather be ‘a learning opportunity during which the sharing of
knowledge and skills is likely to take place in a learner-centred way.’
This implies that learners take a more active role in the learning process and, thus,
lesson planning needs to be focused on learner involvement.
Even in the foundation phase where learners are developing their reading and
writing skills, they can participate in a lesson verbally.
Therefore, we move away from teachers merely preparing notes, writing or reading
them aloud and getting the learners to write them in an exercise book, learners can
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