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Teaching language and literacy in Grade R: A focus on letters and sounds within a story-based programme

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dc.contributor.authorO'Carroll, Shelley
dc.date.accessioned2024-07-17T08:13:27Z
dc.date.available2024-07-17T08:13:27Z
dc.date.issued2023
dc.descriptionFurther information about the project as well as creative commons licensed resources can be accessed here: https://www.jet.org.za/clearinghouse/projects/grade-r-maths-and-languageimprovement-project/resources or contact the developers at info@wordworks.org.za.
dc.description.abstractThe low early grade reading levels of South African children are well documented (Van Staden & Gustafsson, 2022). Recent PIRLS results highlight challenges with reading comprehension at Grade 4 level, but studies also show that many children are not acquiring alphabet knowledge earlier in their reading trajectory, and that these children are more likely to struggle with reading fluency and comprehension in later years (Wills, Ardington & Sebaeng, 2022). But why is learning about letters and the sounds they make proving to be such a difficult task for the majority of children in South Africa? When is the optimal time to be learning about letters and would it make a difference if alphabet knowledge had a stronger focus in Grade R? Local and international research is clear: letter–sound knowledge is critical for learning to read and write in an alphabetic language (Snow, Burns & Griffin, 1998; Castles, Rastle & Nation, 2018). What remains controversial is when and how best to support children to learn about letters and the sounds they make. Drawing on research and best practice for teaching young children, this paper highlights the key principles that underpinned the development of materials to teach letter–sound knowledge in Grade R. These materials were developed as part of a story-based Home Language programme for the Gauteng Grade R Language Improvement Project, a provincial teacher training programme targeting all Grade R teachers in public ordinary schools, special needs schools and registered ECD centres in Gauteng.
dc.description.sponsorshipThe Grade R Language and Mathematics Improvement Project is an initiative of the Gauteng Department of Education and its key partner, the Gauteng Education Development Trust. The project is managed by the JET Education Services with Wordworks and UCT's Schools Development Unit as technical partners. The Grade R Language Improvement Programme was developed by Wordworks with generous funding from the United States Agency for International Development and the Zenex Foundation. Wordworks is a South African non-profit organisation that focuses on early language and literacy development in the first eight years of children’s lives. Since 2005, Wordworks has developed and shared its programmes and materials with those adults best positioned to impact on young children’s language and literacy development (www.wordworks.org.za).
dc.identifier.citationO’Carroll, S. (2023). Teaching language and literacy in Grade R: A focus on letters and sounds within a story-based programme. Wordworks: Cape Town.
dc.identifier.urihttps://africarxiv.ubuntunet.net/handle/1/1586
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherWordworks
dc.subjectGrade R
dc.subjectearly literacy
dc.subjectletter-sound knowledge
dc.subjectteacher training
dc.subjectSouth Africa
dc.titleTeaching language and literacy in Grade R: A focus on letters and sounds within a story-based programme
dc.typeOther

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