An exploration of how grade one IsiZulu teachers teach reading.

Abstract

This study aims to investigate how Grade One isiZulu teachers teach reading in the Foundation Phase of Schooling. History of teaching can be traced back as far as the 1800s up until the introduction of the Outcome Based Education (OBE) that came into being after the first South African democratic elections in 1994. Data for this study was collected from the three Grade One isiZulu teachers of my school. This was a qualitative study and data was collected through semi-structured interviews, observation and document analysis. Interviews were taped, transcribed and analysed, and data was categorized into themes. The study revealed that there were some social conditions that did hinder the progress of reading in the school. There was a lack of motivation from parents. It was found out from the study that, in spite of all the Department of Education’s attempts to provide teachers with handbooks with strategies on how to tackle reading lessons, some teachers still have problems in putting these into practice. It also became clear that reading involves role players which are learners, teachers, parents and the community as well as the Department of Education. The study has also revealed that the best way to teach reading is through a variety of methods. It is recommended that Grade One classes should not consist of more than fifty learners. Policies implemented by both the Department of Education and various schools should be reinforced.