The National Reading Strategy Document in South African Rural Schools

This book presents a departure from the conventional notion of looking at the poor state of reading in the lens of what is taught, what is learned as well as assessed and also the home background. This book goes further to look at the relative effects of key demographic factors, inherent in the teachers themselves that are contributory factors to the state of reading within the South African education system. Reading to learn as well as for pleasure continues to be a challenge to most South African school children, especially with low socio-economic status or in rural communities. Identifying children at risk of developing reading difficulties and providing timely and preventive intervention for them are starting points to addressing the challenge of low literacy rates within the South African education system. The study shows that, a limited proficiency in a language of education has been identified as a possible risk factor for literacy development difficulties among children. Furthermore, many pupils do not exhibit age and grade appropriate basic reading proficiency because schools fail to provide them with adequate educational support especially in rural areas.