THE READING PLAN

South African Principal’s Association

27 August 2013

PURPOSE

To request the NCF to note : – the reading plan has been developed as

a response to the core recommendations that were made on reading in the Ministerial Audit Reading report and the NEEDU and PIRLS reports; and

– provincial progress on reading.

OVERVIEW COMMENTS• The DBE and the PEDs concur with the findings in the

reports.• The recommendations made in the reports are part of

the DBE and PEDs plans and therefore will be intensified.

• The focus on reading is the key strategic lever for improvement of performance and a reading plan has therefore been finalised and is being implemented by provinces.

• The reading and literacy requirements in CAPS have been up fronted in the Reading plan.

.

Research Reports on Reading

1. Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study(PIRLS)

2. National Education Evaluation and Development Unit(NEEDU)

3. Ministerial Reading Audit Report

4

PIRLSProgress in International Reading Literacy Study (2001 to 2011)

5

REFLECTIONSRecommendation What is being

done?What will be done?

Improve quality of reading instruction in schools whilst attending to the LiEP

1. Workbooks in Grades R to 3 in all African languages

2. Ongoing support for reading instruction (CAPS orientation; support documents; and targeted training to underperforming schools

1. Targeted in-service teacher training in all African languages (TD plan)

2. Training programmes for SMT’s on curriculum implementation and management (PDEs)

Schools must be adequately to well resourced and well managed

1. National Catalogue (Grades 1-12)

2. Workbooks in Grades R to 6

1. Classroom library in primary schools

2. Increase the number of centralised school libraries

REFLECTIONS...Recommendation What is being done? What will be done?

Improve literacy levels in rural communities

1. Kha Ri Gude – adult literacy programme with focus on rural areas.

2. Provincial partnerships with NGOs (eg mobile libraries); ASIDI schools (media centres)

1. Intensify and introduce family literacy programmes in rural communities (PDEs)

2. Access to ICT reading support materials

Pockets of excellence to achieve higher performance levels.

1. Targets are set at school level, depending on previous achievements (ANA)

1. Identify and incentivise schools of excellence

2. National reading and spelling competitions

Continued and close monitoring of reading literacy in all languages

1. ANA , SACMEQ and PIRLS analysis

1. Implementation of national reading assessment with clear benchmarks for different grades, ages in all languages

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM 2012

NEEDU ANNUAL REPORT

LANGUAGERecommendation What is being done? What will be done?

Commission the writing of graded sets of reading materials for the nine official African languages.

1. The DBE produces a National Catalogue

2. Sepedi Graded Readers and Setswana Big Books have been developed.

1. Catalogue of textbooks which includes readers for FAL.

2. Special Call for books in categories for which there are no books on the existing catalogue.

3. Develop Graded Readers and Big Books for the Foundation Phase; Core Readers and Graded Readers for the Intermediate Phase at FAL

4. Engage in around-table discussion with providers

LANGUAGE...Recommendation What is being

done?What will be done?

Language standardisation

Language standardisation has been effected in the development of : CAPS; the

Foundation Phase documents

the Foundation Phase Workbooks

the Annual National Assessments.

1. Set up a Language Task Team that will research language standardisation of the 9 African languages and develop: a glossary of

terminology guidelines to strengthen

teaching and learning in the 9 African languages

LANGUAGE...Recommendation What is being done? What will be done?

Language standardisation

DBE Workbooks

National Catalogue has a prescribed list of Big Books, Graded Readers, Phonics Programmes in all official Languages at the Home Language level.

1. Commission a team of African language children’s authors and NGO’s to produce high quality Big Books, Graded Readers and an anthology of children’s stories, poems and rhymes for Grades R to 3 in the 9 African Languages.

2. Develop a standardised phonics programmes

3. Develop digital reading materials

LANGUAGE...Recommendation What is being

done?What will be done?

Programmes for improving the proficiency of teachers and learners in their chosen LOLT and FAL. Provinces investigate such programmes. Led by Subject Advisors.

1. Implementation of the Teacher Development Framework with focus on priority subjects and underperforming schools

2. DBE has begun a programme in EFAL for FP teachers.

1. Accredited CPTD programmes to strengthen teacher’s proficiency in LoLT and FAL

2. Recruitment of coaches who are proficient in the LoLT and FAL

3. Tighter monitoring of quality and quantity of programmes by DBE and PEDs and provision of EFAL for IP, SP and FET programmes at all levels.

AFRICAN LANGUAGESRecommendation What is being

done?What will be done?

The current shortage of African language teachers indicates that implementation should occur with caution, and only when teachers are available.

1. Policy Framework for Teacher Training and development

2. Planning for incremental introduction of African Languages in 2014

1. Accredited CPTD programmes in African languages to be offered to Foundation Phase teachers in the system.

2. Plans in place for orientation of teachers for IIAL and on-going support.

WORKBOOKSRecommendation What is being done? What will be done?

The DBE workbook programme should be continued.

1. As per the plan, workbooks are continuing for the next three years.

2. For 2013 academic year workbooks delivered

3. Available in Braille in the African languages.

4. First Additional Language level for African languages and Afrikaans

1. Increasing number of workbooks

2. Introduction of digital Workbooks ( ASIDI schools)

3. Audio clips of Workbooks content on CD and DVD, IPOD (EFAL in multi-grade schools)

WORKBOOKS (2)Recommendation What is being

done?What will be done?

Workbooks should be assessed against the curriculum and amended

1. Books have been screened and aligned to CAPS

1. Reference team meets annually to improve the quality of the workbooks

Teacher guides should be developed

1. Teacher guide has been developed and will be used for training of district officials

1. Teacher training workshops have commenced

Learners should work systematically through the workbooks

1. Forms part of the monitoring

2. Structure of the workbooks facilitate easy reference

1. Intensify monitoring and reporting.

READINGRecommendation What is being done? What will be done?

Children to read at least one book per week; classes have at least 30-40 readers available

1. Included in reading plan

1. Establishment of a classroom libraries in primary schools

Mathematics textbook in the Foundation Phase

1. Part of the national catalogue

1. Intensify monitoring and reporting.

ANARecommendation What is being

done?What will be done?

Use of the ANA scores to help schools undertake useful item analysis

1. Diagnostic analysis and remedial plans formed basis of Road shows conducted

2. Make available on websites and distributed to schools

1. Intensify monitoring

Ministerial Reading Audit ReportOverview: Ministerial Reading Audit Team was

appointed to investigate the implementation of reading programmes across provinces. The mandate given to the Audit Team was to go beyond a catalogue of what is being done and to analyse and identify the different kinds of support needed to strengthen reading programmes across the system.

18

Findings and Recommendations

Recommendation What is being done? What will be done?

Teacher training and support programmes to be accelerated

Foundation Phase/ IP/SP teachers trained on reading methodologies prescribed in CAPS

Focussed reading workshops onreading methodologies and

writing in underperforming districts

Optimal utilisation of the DBE Workbooks

Teacher manuals have been developed to enable usage of Workbooks

Teacher training workshops on effective use of DBE Workbooks(class visits to monitor usage)

Findings and Recommendations

Recommendation What is being done? What will be done?

Curriculum Advisors should be trained on CAPS content(reading methodologies and skills)

Curriculum advisors have been trained on CAPS content and reading methodologies

1. Capacitation programmes for curriculum advisors

Provisioning of quality reading resources

National Catalogue of prescribed resources for Grades 1 to 12 and DBE workbooks

Monitor LTSM procurement processes used in provinces

READING PLAN AND READING INTERVENTIONS

21

READING PLAN FOR GRADES R TO 12

Purpose: To improve literacy and reading outcomes in Grades R to 12 by monitoring and supporting the delivery of reading and literacy programmes at classroom level and to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the school, district, province and DBE with regard to supporting reading interventions.

Roles and ResponsibilitiesClassroom School District Province DBE

Frequency of readingLessons

TeachingMethodologies

Curriculum coverage as per CAPS

Use of reading resourcesReadingAssessments

Classroom libraries

Monitor classroom lessons

Provisioning and Utilisation of resources

School and classroom libraries

Reading events and festivals

School based support programmes

Monitor utilisation and provisioning of resourcesReading Assessments

Reading norms

Conduct Reading and Writing Workshops

LTSM Procurement procedures

Reading Assessments

Reading norms

Monitor and evaluate reading interventions as per reading plan

Monitoring Reading InterventionsProvinces have been requested to submit quarterly reading reports on the last Tuesday of every term. The reporting is being done on these :four pillars1. Provisioning and utilization of reading resources2. Monitoring and evaluation(accountability)3. Advocacy and Communication4. Library and Information Services

24

Eastern CapeProvisioning and utilization of reading resources• FAL Guidelines developed and distributed to all districts • Teaching and Learning Resource booklet developed with ITEC for HL isiXhosa

FP schools• Classroom libraries established in most schools• LTSM provided as per CAPS requirements for Grades R to 12Monitoring and evaluation• Monitoring tool being developed to collect evidence of interventions• Quarterly reading and literacy assessments• Reading norms( specify number of books read and words learnt for R to 3) Communication and advocacyUse of reading clubs, reading festivalsLibrary and Information SystemsMobile libraries in a few districts, new libraries and media centres in ASIDI schoolsBook exhibitions

GautengProvisioning and utilization of reading resourcesExceeded CAPS requirements for reading resource provisioning in H/Language, FAL and African languages in Grades R to 12Monitoring and evaluationFrequency of reading and literacy lessonsCAPS literature norms for Grades 7 to 12Communication and advocacyReading booklet for parents, homework support policyLibrary and Information SystemsNational Guidelines for library Services distributed to all schoolsTrolley libraries and mobile libraries, utilization municipal libraries

FREE STATEProvisioning and utilization of reading resourcesProvided Reading Resources as per CAPS requirements for grades R to 12 to all schoolsMonitoring and evaluationConduct school visits in underperforming districtsReading norms as per CAPS requirements for Grades 1 to12Administer quarterly assessments

Communication and advocacyMoU with Dept of Arts and Culture host jointly Provincial Spelling Bee Competitions and Literacy Events

Library and Information Systems: Budget of R6m for library resources

27

KwaZulu NatalProvisioning and utilization of reading resources• Big Books, Graded Readers to all FP classes• Charts procured for schools• Manual on How to develop and implement a reading programme

developed• Reading Strategy document distributed to all schools

Communication and advocacy• KZN Literacy calendar issued to schools• Teachers encouraged to join the Reading Association of KwaZulu-

Natal

LimpopoProvisioning and utilization of reading resources• Big Books, readers and FP CDs with stories in indigenous

languages, English readers for Grades 4-7

Roles and responsibilities and accountability across the system

• Training and support by province and district

Research monitoring and evaluation• Monitoring and evaluation through sampling of schools by all

levels

Communication and advocacy• Strategy shared with District Heads and Curriculum

advisors

MpumalangaProvisioning and utilization of reading resourcesProvided Reading Resources as per CAPS requirements for grades R to 12 to all schoolsMonitoring and evaluation• Monthly and quarterly assessments assessments were

administered at schools in March/June 2013• Reading and literacy norms as per CAPS requirements Communication and advocacyRadio talk shows on reading for GET and FETReading and Literacy festivals

Northern CapeProvisioning and utilization of reading resourcesProvided reading resources for Grades R to 12 as per CAPS requirementsMonitoring and evaluationConduct school visits in underperforming districtsReading norms as per CAPS requirements for Grades 1 to12Administer quarterly assessmentsCommunication and advocacyLaunched the Provincial Literacy Strategy on the 31 May 2013.Communicated the strategy to SGB members, principals and teachers. Library and Information SystemsNGOs: Rally to Read, Sanparks Mobile Libraries,BREADLINE AFRICA PROJECT,BIBLIONEEF

North WestProvisioning and utilization of reading resources• Teachers using workbooks for shared readingResearch monitoring and evaluation• Area offices using analysis of quarterly

assessments to give support to schools especially in 5 poor performing schools per Area

Communication and advocacy• Reading competitions in some Areas

Western CapeProvisioning and utilization of reading resourcesExceeded CAPS requirements for reading resource provisioning in H/Language, FAL and African languages in Grades R to 12Monitoring and evaluationFrequency of Reading programmes as per CAPS requirements in Grades R to 12Conduct internal annual systemic assessmentsReading norms set by schoolsLibrary and Information SystemsThe orientation of district officials, principals and teachers on the implementation of the NGSLIS (National Guidelines for School Library and Information Services) has been started.

WAY FORWARD• Develop National Reading baseline tests using EGRA

model.• Establish National Reading norms based on national

and international reading studies• Monitor provisioning and utilization of reading

resources• Provide ongoing training and support for reading

instruction• Work closely with partners to intensify support for

reading programmes in the system

THANK YOU

35