Investigating reading difficulties in English Second Language of grade 3 learners in one primary school in the Khomas education region of Namibia
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Date
2011
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Abstract
This school case study was undertaken to investigate the reading difficulties experienced by the Grade 3 learners of English as a Second Language in one primary school in the Khomas Education Region
The learners' reading problems have been encountered by the researcher throughout her teaching career. The researcher was worried by two key issues: firstly, most of the primary school learners of English as a Second Language in Namibia have a problem in reading it and secondly, those who can read it have a problem in writing. The study, therefore, investigated the factors which contribute to the reading difficulties experienced by the Grade 3 learners of English as a Second Language at one primary school in the Khomas Region
The researcher adopted both the qualitative and the quantitative approaches for the collection of data and used the case study method and convenience sampling procedures to select the respondents. Data were collected through standardized, open-ended interviews for the parents and the in - depth semi - structured interview guides for the teachers. Five reading tests were used for the Grade 3 learners as data collecting instruments. A grounded theory approach was used to offer a framework for carrying out the research, as well as for the analysis of the data. Data were analyzed by coding all responses from the interviews and reading tests. The coded information was then presented according to the study objectives. Data were then presented in tables and narrative forms according to the research objectives
Some of the findings of the study were that insufficient exposure to the target language resulted in it becoming a barrier to learning writing. The study also found that the classes were overcrowded with 40 learners and the teacher-learner ratio was 1:40, hence teachers did not work with individual learners and gave more attention to those with reading difficulties. It was further found that there was a lack of reading materials in the school because the Ministry of Education only provided very few reading materials. In addition, the lower primary learners did not have access to the library
The other finding was that the reading problem occurred because some children did not attend kindergartens. Children started primary school with insufficient literary knowledge and skills in relevant domains such as general verbal abilities; the ability to attend to the sounds of language as distinct from its meaning; familiarity with the basic purposes and mechanisms of reading, and letter knowledge
The study recommended that the children's home languages should be taken into account by the curriculum developers, as well as teachers, in designing instruction. The home or local language should be the medium of instruction in Grades 1 - 3 with English only as a subject. An important step towards preventing reading difficulties was to reduce the number of children who enter school with inadequate literacy-knowledge skills. Reading materials in sufficient quantities should be provided by the Ministry of Education. Class size and teacher-learner ratio should be reduced to enable teachers to interact on a one to one basis with all the learners in class by accepting only those children who have attended kindergarten
Description
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters of Education
Keywords
Special education Namibia, Reading remedial teaching Namibia, Primary reading Namibia