Reading is the foundational skill upon which all others build. However, in South Africa a very high number of children cannot read for meaning. The most recent 2016 PIRLS study shows that 78% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning in their home language.
International reviews of interventions to improve early grade reading instruction show the effectiveness of what is often referred to as the ‘education triple cocktail’: lesson plans, classroom reading resources and professional development.
Pilot studies in South Africa confirm this and identify professional development that combines face-to-face training with on-site one-on-one coaching as the most effective approach in terms of impact on learning outcomes. But in the South African context, where there are many schools to support with limited human and financial resources, this solution is not feasible at the required scale.
Foundation phase teachers have strengthened knowledge, skills and attitudes to teach learners how to read in their home language, and are able to do so in a supportive school environment.
- Department of Basic Education (DBE)
- KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Department of Education (KZNDoE)
- South African Council for Educators (SACE)
The project centres on strengthening the professional development ingredient of the ‘education triple cocktail’, investigating both the effectiveness and scalability of alternative approaches, including blended professional development and support to professional learning communities to strengthen early grade reading instruction in home language in grade R to grade 3 (learners aged 5 to 9).
The project is built around 3 pillars:
- Mapping, development and validation of professional development materials for teachers and school leaders on early grade reading instruction in home language.
- Improving the quality and delivery of professional development modalities for teachers and school leaders) by district officials through blended professional development and support to professional learning communities.
- Building an evidence-base on effectiveness and cost of such professional development interventions, to inform scale-up strategies by relevant stakeholders at national level and in KwaZulu-Natal province.
By the end of the project:
- Government staff from the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Department of Education (KZNDoE):
- have scanned, developed and validated gender-responsive professional development materials for early grade reading in home language.
- have developed and validated scalable professional development delivery models for early grade reading in home language.
- implement at scale and evaluate the cost and effectiveness of professional development models for early grade reading in home language.
- Government staff at district level support teachers and school leaders on early grade reading in home language, using the above-mentioned professional development materials.
- Foundation phase teachers and school leaders have strengthened knowledge, skills and attitudes to teach early grade reading in home language.
- Senior leadership at DBE, KZNDOE and SACE institutionalise and promote effective and scalable professional development for early grade reading.
