Die identifisering van leeshindernisse in Afrikaans moedertaal in die grondslagfase in die Noordwes-Provinsie

Abstract

According to Education White Paper 6 on Learners with Special Educational Needs, and the Revised National Curriculum Declaration, teachers in the Foundation Phase should be able to identify barriers that learners experience in any field of learning. They should also be able to provide support for such barriers. The purpose of this study is to determine what expertise Foundation Phase teachers display in the identification of reading barriers experienced by learners with Afrikaans as home language. A literature study was done on the development of the current policy of inclusive education, on the Literacy Learning Programme for the Foundation Phase, the development of literacy and language, and on reading barriers. During the empirical study data were accumulated to assert the knowledge and skills of the Foundation Phase teachers in the identification of reading barriers. The data were gathered by means of open ended questionnaires on the identification of reading barriers in the Foundation Phase. The completed questionnaires were qualitatively analysed. The results of the empirical study were compared to the literature study, and it was found that the teachers who participated in the study do not have adequate knowledge and skills to identify reading barriers in Afrikaans as home language. This study accentuated the necessity of in-service training for Foundation Phase teachers in the identification of reading barriers and in supporting learners experiencing such barriers.