ERIC Number: EJ1320887
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2079-8245
EISSN: EISSN-2308-1422
Improving Higher-Order Comprehension Skills of Grade 3 Learners in a Second Language at a Quintile 2 School, in Cape Town, South Africa
Reading & Writing: Journal of the Literacy Association of South Africa, v12 n1 Article 312 2021
Background: Developing higher-order comprehension skills of learners in primary schools is a challenge that faces many countries. South Africa is no exception. Primary school learners in South Africa have particularly low literacy and comprehension skills: many learners struggle to read for understanding. There is little published scholarship that focuses on developing the comprehension skills of Grade 3 learners in a second language. A lack of practical classroom knowledge in this area is what this article seeks to address. Objectives: To improve the higher-order comprehension skills of Grade 3 learners in a second language. Method: A qualitative approach, using a case study design, within an interpretivist paradigm was devised and deployed. Five struggling Grade 3 learners were purposively selected to participate in an intervention programme. Their parents or guardians and two current Grade 3 teachers were interviewed. Data were collected over a 10-week intervention programme. The first and last weeks were devoted to pre-testing and post-testing. The entire intervention lasted for 10 weeks. Results: All the five Grade 3 learners showed significant improvements in their comprehension skills when comparing their pre-test and post-test scores. Conclusion: The post-test scores revealed the importance of a structured intervention programme for improving the four comprehension skills highlighted. Mediation and scaffolding in the Zone of Proximal Development were employed while concurrently developing their cognitive, social and language skills.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Elementary School Students, Primary Education, Grade 3, Thinking Skills, Comprehension, Second Language Learning, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Scores, Interpersonal Competence, Language Skills, Protocol Analysis, Cloze Procedure, Theater Arts, Reading Improvement, Pretests Posttests
AOSIS. 15 Oxford Street, Durbanville, Cape Town, 7550 South Africa. Tel: +27-21-975-2602; Fax: +27-21-975-4635; e-mail: publishing@aosis.co.za; Web site: https://rw.org.za/index.php/rw
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Early Childhood Education; Primary Education; Grade 3
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: South Africa (Cape Town)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A