Literacy teaching in disadvantaged South African schools

Abstract

This article analyses the experiences of teachers of literacy working in underprivileged communities in the Western Cape, South Africa. The purpose is to provide teachers in poorly resourced schools within economically deprived areas an opportunity to voice their experiences of teaching literacy. The article is based on an empirical study using interviews and classroom observation with a sample of 10 teachers. A descriptive account of the observation data was followed by an interpretive analysis. The content analysis of the interview data led to the development of themes and patterns for the discussion. The study reveals the social complexity of literacy education in a post‐apartheid and multilingual society and focuses on teachers in Grade 4 classrooms, which is the grade when learners switch from mother tongue (mainly isiXhosa and Afrikaans) to English as language of instruction. Key factors for literacy underachievement include lack of resources, parental support, lack of teacher knowledge, changes in the curriculum, absence of cognitive activities and the social complexity of poverty. The article recommends that a new model of literacy that challenges inequality and provides strategic and sustained teacher support in disadvantaged schools is crucial in a society emerging from oppression and racism.

Mediating meaning in booktalk: Reading Clubs as third spaces

“…Studies in South Africa (Howie et al, 2017;Thaba-Ndikame & Emsley, 2020 ) and internationally (Comber, 2015;Whitten et al, 2016) document how children from low socioeconomic backgrounds do not perform as well in tests of literacy and numeracy. While poverty brings its own challenges, this is exacerbated when schools serving these communities are themselves poor in literacy resources (Chetty, 2019). This is particularly the case for many township schools in South Africa with few book resources.…”

“…Increased volume of reading can contribute to academic success (Whitten, Labby & Sullivan, 2016) and the development of empathy (Jocius & Shealy, 2017) while building resilience. Learners at poorly resourced schools or from low socioeconomic backgrounds, both in South Africa and internationally, may have limited access to books (Howie, Combrink, Tshele, Roux, McLeod Palane & Mokoena, 2017;Thaba-Nkadimene & Emsley, 2020;Chetty, 2019). This paper will argue that reading clubs provide opportunities to read widely and engage personally with texts.…”

“…grade 8 teachers had reported decreasing literacy skills in new intakes of learners over several years and had requested help with addressing this situation. This study took place against a backdrop of disparities in the South African education landscape as highlighted by the international Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and outlined by Chetty (2019). Many schools do not have libraries or books to read to develop a reading culture, even in language classrooms.…”

Everyday literacy practices: Normalising the school literate child

“…Viewing literacy as a process that is embedded in the daily lifeworld of children is in stark contrast to the current political focus in many early childhood settings. South African researchers claim that the cognitive approach to literacy practices is often tied to school readiness and is influential in many early literacy settings (see Chetty 2019;Dixon 2011;Excell & Linington 2011;Fleisch & Dixon 2019;Martin & Ebrahim 2016;Prinsloo & Stein 2004). They argue that this approach has several limitations: it does not consider the complexities of early literacy development, the diversity of children's motivations to learn and the diverse literacy practices that children encounter in different social and cultural contexts.…”

‘It's like a compass which I use to find direction’: Findings and learning from an evaluation of an App designed to support the teaching of reading comprehension in rural and township schools in South Africa

“…Taylor (2016) argues that this can be attributed to the legacy of apartheid and teacher training during this era. Studies of preservice teacher (PST) training reveal that the teaching of reading is often not a feature of teacher education programmes (Chetty, 2019; Klapwijk, 2015; Nel, 2012; Van Der Merwe and Nel, 2012). Poor comprehension levels in both home language and first additional language, even in the realm of literal understanding, further compound teachers' abilities in the teaching of basic reading skills that support comprehension.…”