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
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PIRLS
Progress in
International Reading
Literacy Study (2001 to
2011)
5
REFLECTIONS
Recommendation
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 1. Targeted in-service teacher
to 3 in all African
training in all African
languages
languages (TD plan)
2. Ongoing support for
2. Training programmes for SMT’s
reading instruction
on curriculum implementation
(CAPS orientation;
and management (PDEs)
support documents;
and targeted training
to underperforming
schools
Schools must be adequately
to well resourced and well
managed
1. National Catalogue
1. Classroom library in primary
(Grades 1-12)
schools
2. Workbooks in Grades R 2. Increase the number of
to 6
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. Targets are set at school
level, depending on
previous achievements
(ANA)
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.
Continued and close
monitoring of reading
literacy in all languages
1. Identify and incentivise schools
of excellence
2. National reading and spelling
competitions
1. ANA , SACMEQ and PIRLS 1. Implementation of national
analysis
reading assessment with clear
benchmarks for different
grades, ages in all languages
RECOMMENDATIONS
FROM
2012
NEEDU
ANNUAL REPORT
LANGUAGE
Recommendation
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 1. Catalogue of textbooks
National Catalogue
which includes readers for
2. Sepedi Graded
FAL.
Readers and
2. Special Call for books in
Setswana Big Books
categories for which there
have been
are no books on the existing
developed.
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
Language
standardisation
What is being
What will be done?
done?
Language
1. Set up a Language Task
standardisation has
Team that will research
been effected in the
language standardisation of
development of :
the 9 African languages and
 CAPS; the
develop:
Foundation Phase
 a glossary of
documents
terminology
 the Foundation
 guidelines to strengthen
Phase Workbooks
teaching and learning in
 the Annual
the 9 African languages
National
Assessments.
LANGUAGE...
Recommendation
What is being done?
 DBE Workbooks
Language
standardisation
What will be done?
1. Commission a team of
African language children’s
 National Catalogue
authors and NGO’s to
has a prescribed list
produce high quality Big
of Big Books,
Books, Graded Readers and
Graded Readers,
an anthology of children’s
Phonics
stories, poems and rhymes
Programmes in all
for Grades R to 3 in the 9
official Languages at
African Languages.
the Home Language 2. Develop a standardised
level.
phonics programmes
3. Develop digital reading
materials
LANGUAGE...
Recommendation
What is being
done?
1. Implementation of
the Teacher
Development
Programmes for
Framework with
improving the proficiency
focus on priority
of teachers and learners
subjects and
in their chosen LOLT and
underperforming
FAL. Provinces
schools
investigate such
programmes. Led by
2. DBE has begun a
Subject Advisors.
programme in
EFAL for FP
teachers.
What will be done?
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 LANGUAGES
Recommendation
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
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.
2. Planning for
incremental
introduction of
African Languages
in 2014
WORKBOOKS
Recommendation
The DBE workbook
programme should be
continued.
What is being done?
What will be done?
1. As per the plan,
1. Increasing number of
workbooks are
workbooks
continuing for the
2. Introduction of digital
next three years.
Workbooks ( ASIDI schools)
2. For 2013 academic 3. Audio clips of Workbooks
year workbooks
content on CD and DVD,
delivered
IPOD (EFAL in multi-grade
3. Available in Braille
schools)
in the African
languages.
4. First Additional
Language level for
African languages
and Afrikaans
WORKBOOKS (2)
Recommendation
What is being
done?
What will be done?
Workbooks should be
1. Books have been
1. Reference team meets
assessed against the
screened and
annually to improve the
curriculum and amended
aligned to CAPS
quality of the workbooks
Teacher guides should be
1. Teacher guide has
1. Teacher training workshops
developed
been developed and
have commenced
will be used for
training of district
officials
Learners should work
1. Forms part of the
1. Intensify monitoring and
systematically through the
monitoring
reporting.
workbooks
2. Structure of the
workbooks facilitate
easy reference
READING
Recommendation
What is being done? What will be done?
Children to read at least
one book per week;
classes have at least 3040 readers available
1. Included in reading
plan
Mathematics textbook in 1. Part of the national
the Foundation Phase
catalogue
1. Establishment of a
classroom libraries in
primary schools
1. Intensify monitoring and
reporting.
ANA
Recommendation
What is being
What will be done?
done?
Use of the ANA scores 1. Diagnostic analysis 1. Intensify monitoring
to help schools
and remedial plans
undertake useful item
formed basis of
analysis
Road shows
conducted
2. Make available on
websites and
distributed to
schools
Ministerial Reading Audit Report
Overview: 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.
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Findings and Recommendations
Recommendation
Teacher training and support
programmes to be
accelerated
What is being done?
Foundation Phase/ IP/SP
teachers trained on
reading methodologies
prescribed in CAPS
What will be done?
Focussed reading workshops on
reading methodologies and
writing
in underperforming districts
Optimal utilisation of the DBE Teacher manuals have
Teacher training workshops on
Workbooks
been developed to enable effective use of DBE Workbooks
usage of Workbooks
(class visits to monitor usage)
Findings and Recommendations
Recommendation
What is being done?
Curriculum Advisors should
be trained on CAPS
content(reading
methodologies and skills)
Curriculum advisors have 1. Capacitation programmes for
been trained on CAPS
curriculum advisors
content and reading
methodologies
Provisioning of quality reading National Catalogue of
resources
prescribed resources for
Grades 1 to 12 and DBE
workbooks
What will be done?
Monitor LTSM procurement
processes used in provinces
READING PLAN
AND READING
INTERVENTIONS
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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 Responsibilities
Classroom
School
Frequency of
reading
Lessons
Monitor
classroom
lessons
District
Province
DBE
School based Conduct
Monitor and
support
Reading and evaluate
programmes Writing
reading
Workshops interventions
Teaching
Provisioning Monitor
as per
Methodologies and
utilisation
LTSM
reading plan
Utilisation
and
Procurement
Curriculum
of resources provisioning procedures
coverage as
of resources
per CAPS
School and Reading
Reading
classroom
Assessments Assessments
Use of reading libraries
resources
Reading
Reading
Reading
Reading
norms
norms
Assessments
events and
festivals
Classroom
libraries
Monitoring Reading Interventions
Provinces have been requested to submit
quarterly reading reports on the last Tuesday of
every term. The reporting is being done on
these :four pillars
1. Provisioning and utilization of reading resources
2. Monitoring and evaluation(accountability)
3. Advocacy and Communication
4. Library and Information Services
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Eastern Cape
Provisioning 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 12
Monitoring 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 advocacy
Use of reading clubs, reading festivals
Library and Information Systems
Mobile libraries in a few districts, new libraries and media centres in ASIDI schools
Book exhibitions
Gauteng
Provisioning and utilization of reading resources
Exceeded CAPS requirements for reading resource
provisioning in H/Language, FAL and African languages in Grades R to
12
Monitoring and evaluation
Frequency of reading and literacy lessons
CAPS literature norms for Grades 7 to 12
Communication and advocacy
Reading booklet for parents, homework support policy
Library and Information Systems
National Guidelines for library Services distributed to all schools
Trolley libraries and mobile libraries, utilization municipal libraries
FREE STATE
Provisioning and utilization of reading resources
Provided Reading Resources as per CAPS requirements
for grades R to 12 to all schools
Monitoring and evaluation
Conduct school visits in underperforming districts
Reading norms as per CAPS requirements for Grades 1 to12
Administer quarterly assessments
Communication and advocacy
MoU 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
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KwaZulu Natal
Provisioning 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 KwaZuluNatal
Limpopo
Provisioning 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
Mpumalanga
Provisioning and utilization of reading resources
Provided Reading Resources as per CAPS requirements for
grades R to 12 to all schools
Monitoring 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 advocacy
Radio talk shows on reading for GET and FET
Reading and Literacy festivals
Northern Cape
Provisioning and utilization of reading resources
Provided reading resources for Grades R to 12 as per CAPS requirements
Monitoring and evaluation
Conduct school visits in underperforming districts
Reading norms as per CAPS requirements for Grades 1 to12
Administer quarterly assessments
Communication and advocacy
Launched the Provincial Literacy Strategy on the 31 May 2013.
Communicated the strategy to SGB members, principals and
teachers.
Library and Information Systems
NGOs: Rally to Read, Sanparks Mobile Libraries,BREADLINE AFRICA PROJECT,
BIBLIONEEF
North West
Provisioning and utilization of reading resources
• Teachers using workbooks for shared reading
Research 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 Cape
Provisioning and utilization of reading resources
Exceeded CAPS requirements for reading resource provisioning in H/Language, FAL
and African languages in Grades R to 12
Monitoring and evaluation
Frequency of Reading programmes as per CAPS requirements in Grades R to 12
Conduct internal annual systemic assessments
Reading norms set by schools
Library and Information Systems
The 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
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