Teachers’ use of reading strategies in the teaching of reading for meaning in EFAL classrooms in the Intermediate Phase

Abstract

Learning to read is a complex task, as reading as a skill, does not occur naturally, and needs to be taught. Many learners manage to decode quite well, but they do not necessarily read with meaning, which is the ultimate goal. In the light of current reading levels in South Africa, the percentage of learners struggling with reading is disconcertingly high. Although the objective of reading is comprehension, research demonstrates that there is not sufficient focus on reading strategies to achieve comprehension when reading. Reading for meaning is problematic, especially for EFAL intermediate phase learners in South Africa. This study will aim to determine EFAL teachers’ use of reading strategies to develop reading for meaning, when teaching EFAL to intermediate phase learners. Accordingly, the sample size for this study consist of two EFAL intermediate phase teachers. The theoretical framework for this study is the Simple View of Reading (SVR), as proposed by Gough and Tunmer (1986), entailing the formula of “Decoding (D) x Language Comprehension (LC) = Reading Comprehension (RC)” (Gough & Tunmer, 1986). This study follows a qualitative research design within an interpretivist research paradigm and data generation was done via document analysis of the CAPS (EFAL, Grades 4-6) and documents pertaining to the teaching of reading to intermediate students at two tertiary institutions, as well as interviews with two EFAL teachers, teaching English in the Intermediate Phase. The results demonstrated that EFAL intermediate phase teachers require on-going training to teach reading strategies effectively. Additionally, this study opened the opportunity to conduct additional studies on the effect of reading strategies in EFAL intermediate phase classrooms in South Africa. The study hopes to contribute to the knowledge field of reading strategies utilised in the Intermediate Phase and ultimately guide teachers with the implementation of effective reading strategies in their classrooms.