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Numerous transitions in South Africa’s basic education curriculum development have been criticised for failing to meet stakeholders’ expectations. Questions have arisen as to whether the latest Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) is functioning effectively in Foundation Phase classrooms and whether it will improve the quality of education and transform the country’s schools. For an in-depth understanding of educators’ perceptions of the Foundation Phase English Home Language CAPS document and workbook, 13 educators from five English-medium primary schools in Port Shepstone, KwaZulu-Natal, were interviewed. They criticised the structure of the phonics and the highly pressurised programme. In particular, they advocated the return to a more systematic method of teaching phonics and a reduction in the number of assessments demanded. Another issue highlighted by the educators is the over-rigorous pace and rigid structure of the Foundation Phase English Home Language CAPS document, especially for the first two terms of Grade 1. The added value of this study is its bringing on board, for the first time, the views of experienced educators directly involved in the hands-on implementation of the English Home Language CAPS.

Music activities can be used to develop and enhance young learners’ listening abilities. Listening is a language skill which is a prerequisite for the development of other language skills and especially for the development of a person’s speaking abilities. It is also a prerequisite for the development of a person’s language abilities in a second language. In a research project involving a group of 70 English first additional language learners, two Grade 1 classes were selected. One class was the experimental group and the other class was the comparison group. Over a period of six months the experimental group received planned music activities daily. When the two groups were retested after six months, significant differences in the means between the experimental and the control groups were found. The experimental group significantly improved their listening skills in English as a second language (ESL). This has implications for teaching ESL learners in the Foundation Phase.

Background: In this article, an analysis is done of the out of school factors of Foundation Phase learners that could influence the proper development of these learners' language abilities. Specific reference is made to the home environment of Foundation Phase learners in rural Mpumalanga. Aim: This article aims to draw attention to the fact that there are many factors in the out-of-school environment of Foundation Phase learners that could influence the young learners' ability to develop their language skills and language abilities well. Setting: This article relates to the out-of-school environment of Foundation Phase learners with specific reference to the influence of the environment at home of Foundation Phase learners in four schools in rural Mpumalanga. Bronfenbrenner's ecological system's theory is incorporated as it explains the home environment as the microsystem in a child's life. The home is the place where a child's first and vital education takes place and where the acquisition of language skill begins. Methods: In this article, sections from a qualitative research project, as well as a literature review were used. Results: The results show that there are many factors in the out-of-school environment of Foundation Phase learners that could influence the development of the learners' language skills and language abilities. Conclusion: The authors argue that if teachers and other school staff members are aware of the many aspects arising from the out-of-school environment that could influence young learners' well-being and progress, especially with regard to language abilities at school, they could help to address and overcome the unconstructive language influences in the lives of their young custodians.

Background: South African primary school learners have participated in several national and international literacy (reading and writing) studies that measure learners' achievement in different grades and at different intervals. Numerous scholars have analysed the results of these assessments. We extended their analyses by investigating the grade coverage and the aspects of literacy that were included in these assessments, as well as whether the learners' home language impacts their results. Aim: The authors aim to determine how reliable the results of these assessments are in improving and informing policies relating to literacy teaching in primary schools and to provide recommendations to improve the administration of literacy assessments. Method: Literature on various national and international literacy studies that were conducted in South African primary schools from 2000 to 2016 was identified and analysed according to grade, province, languages in which the assessments were conducted, aspects of literacy that were included in the assessments and the accuracy of the results. Results: The analysis provides evidence that suggests that most literacy assessments target learners in the Intermediate Phase (Grades 4-6) and are not available in all 11 South African official languages. Presently, there are no large-scale literacy assessments for Foundation Phase (Grades 1-3) learners. Moreover, the results of these assessments do not provide us with reliable information about literacy levels in the country because there are vast discrepancies in assessment scores. Conclusion: This article highlights the importance of obtaining reliable information in determining literacy levels in the country and in informing decisions regarding literacy-related policies.

This article is based on joint research, between academics from South Africa and Sweden, comparing the influence of South African and Swedish teachers' attitudes towards the practical application of inclusive education (IE) in the classroom. The aim of the study was to identify and investigate problem areas pertaining to teachers' attitudes to IE. Attitudes often relate to interaction with others. This study departs from Festiger's theory of cognitive dissonance, which deals with the influence of people's attitudes and attitude change. In this research teachers from South Africa and Sweden completed the same questionnaire on perceptions pertaining to IE in their school system. A number of attitude-constructs were derived from the data via exploratory factor analysis methodology. Attitude-constructs included policy issues and specialised support; practical implementation of IE; teacher support structures; teachers' receptiveness of IE implementation; feasibility of proposed IE practices; and role of special schools in an IE environment. Negative responses to some of the attitude constructs identified problem areas in Swedish and South African inclusive systems. The comparative nature of the work enabled the researchers to suggest remedial action within each country's socio-economic setting, and in this way affect change in teacher attitudes.

In line with international trends in education, South Africa has embraced inclusive education as the means by which learners who experience barriers to learning will be educated. As inclusion is beginning to be realised in South African schools, a gap in the emerging research base on inclusive education is that of inclusion in the independent sector. A study was undertaken to establish the extent to which learners who experience barriers to learning are included in independent schools belonging to ISASA (the largest independent schools association in South Africa) and the practices that facilitate inclusion. The results of a survey administered to principals were analysed quantitatively and reveal that most ISASA schools include learners who experience various barriers to learning and employ inclusive practices that are described in the international literature. We report on salient aspects emerging from the study and focus on the diversity of learners found in ISASA schools, as well as the inclusive practices found at school-wide, classroom, and individual levels. The practices described are the provision of on-site specialist personnel, support for teachers, building modifications to ensure access by persons using wheelchairs and various instructional practices and assessment adaptations. Recommendations arising from the study may give direction to South African schools pursuing inclusivity.

This paper is based upon the collaboration between two research groups from Stockholm University and the University of South Africa. The main objective is to compare attitudes between South African (SA) and Swedish teachers regarding inclusive education (IE). IE in this paper is examined as a distinct part of the Swedish welfare system. The method used can be characterised as a combined, quantitative and qualitative research design with a purposive sampling. A similar adapted questionnaire was distributed in the two countries. The Swedish teachers in our data are more pro-inclusion and more hesitating to accommodate learners with barriers in special schools. However, both the Swedish and the SA teachers in the study are hesitating towards the feasibility to implement IE practically. A team approach is concluded to be an adequate pedagogy for supporting IE both in South Africa and Sweden.

Home language abilities are important upon entering school, when children learn now concepts and skills such as reading, writing and mathematics. The home language also lays the foundation for the development of a second language. In terms of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, the use of the 11 official languages of South Africa has to be advanced and thus the right to be taught in one's home language from Grade R to Grade 3 is protected in the South African policies. The author opines that children's home languages are not always developed correctly and according to the standardised form of the various home languages. The importance of home language development will be discussed in this article and also the factors to be found in the home environment and in the school situation that could hinder and delay home language development.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reading is currently a matter of great concern in South Africa where most learners including Grade 4 learners are reading below their grade level. The research project discussed in this article investigated Grade 4 teachers' perceptions of teaching learners to read. Teachers' perceptions could influence their attitude to reading and the ways in which they would teach reading. Bronfenbrenner's ecological system theory and qualitative research design were used in the study. Seven Grade 4 teachers, among whom was the teacher used in the pilot study, were interviewed and observed while teaching reading in the classroom to gain first-hand understanding of how reading is taught in English as the home language in Grade 4. For some of the learners English was, however, the first additional language. The findings of the study revealed that the teachers understood what reading is; and also the importance of teaching reading. It was, however, noted that not all the Grade 4 teachers were trained in how to teach reading. Although the teachers who took part in the study used different approaches to teach reading, not all of them were in a position to use a combined approach. The grade 4 teachers aired their concerns about the increase in the number of learning areas the learners had to study on entering Grade 4. They also raised their concerns about the lack of support they get from district officials. In the opinion of the teachers the parents were also insufficiently involved in the lives of their children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research and tests have revealed repeatedly that reading in primary schools in South Africa is in a shambles. Therefore, it is essential that teachers, especially Grade 1 teachers, should be consulted about the teaching of reading because it is at this level that reading is taught formally for the first time. This article aims to describe the teaching of reading in Grade 1 and the teachers' classroom practice for enhancing the teaching of reading and addressing reading problems. This research project is based on quantitative and qualitative data obtained from Grade 1 teachers across South Africa. The quantitative data provided information about the teachers' training; the number of learners in the class; the availability of reading materials; and the language of learning and teaching. The qualitative data provided feedback about the problems that some young learners face in learning to read and what some teachers do to address these problems. The research project provided an array of Grade 1 classroom reading situations, including best reading practices of the teachers. From the research it became evident that the majority of the teachers who came from functional schools were well trained and that they used a combination of the whole word and the phonics approach to teach reading. There was, however, a group of teachers who did not make use of the language experience approach and the Teaching Handwriting Reading and Spelling Skills (THRASS) programme. The research also revealed excellent reading practices to enhance the teaching of reading and to address reading problems. Some teachers also reported on the way in which they attend to the reading of learners who are not taught in their home language. Recommendations about the use of all reading methods, the language of learning and teaching, the use of websites for children's literature, parental involvement and perceptual training are made. The possibility of a newsletter or a website for the teaching of reading is also mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]