Original Research
Improving South African third graders’ reading skills: Lessons learnt from the use of Guided Reading approach
Submitted: 27 October 2015 | Published: 30 June 2016
About the author(s)
Mohlanhledi P. Makumbila, Department of Curriculum and Instruction/Literacy Studies, West Virginia University, United StatesCharline B. Rowland, Department of Curriculum and Instruction/Literacy Studies, West Virginia University, United States
Abstract
This professional development project, known as Literacy Leadership Project, enabled four Foundation Phase teachers in South Africa to implement the Guided Reading approach. Developed by American researchers Fountas and Pinnell (1996), Guided Reading helps elementary students strengthen their phonemic awareness, vocabulary, reading comprehension and fluency in small group activities. Over an 8-month period, lessons learnt came from data collected from this professional development included workshop activities, classroom observations, teachers’ group discussions and students’ artefacts. Results indicated improvement in students’ literacy engagement and motivation because of the use of levelled books, oral reading and group activities
Keywords: Guided Reading programme; foundation phase; childhood literacy; teacher professional development; literacy leadership; South Africa
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Crossref Citations
1. Theory of Change and Theory of Education: Pedagogic and Curriculum Defects in Early Grade Reading Interventions in South Africa
Brahm Fleisch
Education as Change vol: 27 year: 2023
doi: 10.25159/1947-9417/13316