Challenges in Reading Instruction in Foundational Support Schools

Language Barriers and Foundational Skills Deficits

A primary challenge is the mismatch between learners' home language and the school's Language of Learning and Teaching (LoLT), often English, hindering comprehension and reading skill development. Additionally, many Grade 3 learners lack fundamental reading competencies expected from earlier grades, exhibiting difficulties with sounds, letter recognition, and word formation, indicating a gap in foundational instruction.

Learner Attitudes and Lack of Parental Support

Some learners demonstrate negative attitudes towards reading and are unmotivated or unwilling to be supported, posing a barrier to effective intervention. Furthermore, there is a significant lack of parental involvement, with many parents not encouraging reading at home or communicating with teachers, negatively impacting learners' reading development and motivation.

Teacher Training and Resource Shortages

Teachers express a need for more formal training to address diverse learning needs in reading, feeling inadequately equipped to adapt strategies beyond a 'one-size-fits-all' approach. They also face a lack of sufficient reading resources, like graded books, and overcrowded classrooms, which prevent individualized attention essential for struggling readers.

Impact of Progression Policy

The Department of Basic Education's progression policy, allowing learners to advance without mastering reading skills, is a major concern. Teachers report that this policy leads to learners arriving in Grade 3 without necessary foundational reading competency, creating a cumulative literacy problem that significantly challenges teaching more advanced skills.