Exploring Activities Teachers Use to Develop Learners' Readiness in Grade R: A Holistic Development Perspective
Abstract
The study sought to explore the methods used by Grade R instructors to assess students' readiness to progress to Grade One. Typically, both indoor and outdoor play activities are utilised in the teaching and learning process, with a focus on readiness exercises to analyse the generated data. Thematic analysis was used in conjunction with observations and document analysis. The findings revealed that Grade R instructors employ various strategies to promote readiness, including continuous evaluation through observation and formal and informal activities. These activities are aligned with CAPS guidelines to ensure students are adequately prepared and engaged in their learning as they transition to first grade. Suitable recommendations were made based on the results of the study.
Downloads
References
Aspers, P., & Corte, U. (2019). What is qualitative in qualitative research? Qualitative Sociology, 42, 139–160. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11133-019-9413-7
Bester, M. (2019). Listening and speaking: Focus on speaking. In I. Joubert, M. Bester, E. Meyer, R. Evans, & N. Phatudi (Eds.), Literacy in the foundation phase (pp. 79–195). Van Schaik.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (2000). The ecology of human development: Experimenting by nature and design. Harvard University Press.
Bwezani, A., Chimphero, L., Namondwe, Z., & Nyirenda, L. (2022). Attaining of appropriate transition from early childhood development (ECD) to primary school: Lessons from Kamwendo zone schools in Mchinji district. Journal of Global Research in Education and Social Science, 16(1), 4–13.
Connelly, A. S., Shaik, N., & Mosito, C. (2020). Grade R teachers’ understanding of reflective practice. South African Journal of Childhood Education, 10(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v10i1.842
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approach (5th ed.). SAGE.
Davin, R., Staden, C., & Van Rensburg, O. J. (2016). In R. Davin (Ed.), Handbook for Grade R Teaching. Pearson.
De Vos, A. S., Strydom, H., Fouché, C. M., & Delport, C. S. L. (2014). Research at grassroots: For the social sciences and human service professions (4th ed.). Van Schaik.
De Witt, M. W. (2017). The young child in context: A psycho-social perspective. Van Schaik.
De Witt, P. A., Du Toit, K., & Franzsen, D. (2020). Parents and caregiver knowledge of school readiness for children admitted to Grade R and Grade 1. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 50(1), 28–34. https://doi.org/10.17159/2310-3833/2020/vol50no1a5
Engdahl, I., & Furu, A. C. (2022). Early childhood education: A vibrant arena in the complex transformation of society towards sustainability. International Journal of Early Childhood, 54, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-022-00323-0
Erasmus, M., Van Rensburg, O. J., Pienaar, A. E., & Ellis, S. (2016). The effect of a motor-intervention programme on learning readiness of Grade R learners from South African deprived environments. Early Child Development and Care, 186(4), 596–611. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2015.1048245
Excell, L., & Linington, V. (2018). Teaching Grade R. Juta.
Harcourt, I. M. (2018). The effect of a perceptual-motor intervention on the school readiness of Grade R learners [Doctoral dissertation, University of Pretoria]. hdl.handle.net/2263/70108
Harris-Mortley, S. H. (2019). Jamaican kindergarten and first grade teachers’ expectations for readiness skills [Doctoral dissertation, Walden University]. Walden University ScholarWorks. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations
Hunter, D., McCullum, J., & Howes, D. (2019). Defining exploratory-descriptive qualitative (EDQ) research and considering its application to healthcare. Journal of Nursing and Health Care, 4(1). http://enprints.gla.ac.uk/180272
McIlroy, T. (2018). The ultimate school readiness checklist for parents and teachers. Empowered Parents Teaching Through Play. https://empoweredparents.co/
McMillan, J., & Schumacher, S. (2014). Researcher in education: Evidence-based inquiry (7th ed.). Pearson Education.
Michalska, P., Szymanik-Kostrzewska, A., & Trempala, J. (2018). School readiness of preschool children: Are six-year-old children ready for a school education? Polskie Forum Psychologiczne, 23(1), 78–101. https://doi.org/10.14656/PFP20180106
Moodley, T., & Moodley, G. (2018). Whole child development through formal teaching and learning. In I. Eloff & E. Swart (Eds.), Understanding educational psychology (pp. 102–109). Juta.
Munnik, E., & Smith, M. (2019). Contextualizing school readiness in South Africa: Stakeholders’ perspectives. South African Journal of Childhood Education, 9(1), 1–13. https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC-1f8fd467b6
Newcomer, K. E., Hatry, H. P., & Wholey, J. S. (2015). Conducting semi-structured interviews. In K. Newcomer, H. P. Hatry, & J. S. Wholey (Eds.), Handbook for practical program evaluation (4th ed., pp. 494–505). Jossey-Bass. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119171386
Nissksaya, A. K. (2018). School readiness outcomes of different preschool educational approaches. Psychology in Russia: State of the Art, 11(1), 43–60. https://doi.org/10.11621/pir.2018.0104
Nyimbili, F., & Nyimbili, L. (2024). Types of purposive sampling techniques with their examples and application in qualitative research studies. British Journal of Multidisciplinary and Advance Studies: English Languages, Teaching, Literature, Linguistics & Communication, 5(1), 90–99.
Ogunyemi, F. T., & Henning, E. (2020). From traditional learning to modern education: Understanding the value of play in Africa’s childhood development. South African Journal of Education, 40(2), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v40ns2a1768
Petty, N. J., Thomson, O. P., & Stew, G. (2015). Ready for a paradigm shift? Part 2: Introducing qualitative research methodologies and methods. Manual Therapy, 17(4), 378–384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.math.2012.03.004
Pitchik, H. O., Tofail, F., Rahman, M., Akter, F., Sultana, J., Shoab, A. K., Tarique, M. D., Huda, N., Hossain, K., Das, J. B., O’Chung, E., Byrd, K. A., Yeasmin, F., Laura, H. K., Forsyth, J. E., Mridha, M. K., Winch, P. J., Luby, S. P., & Fernald, L. C. H. (2021). A holistic approach to promoting early child development: A cluster randomised trial of a group-based, multicomponent intervention in rural Bangladesh. BMJ Global Health, 6(3). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2020-004307
Rasheedah, O., Ojugbele, A., & Moletsane, R. (2019). Towards quality early childhood development for refugee children: An exploratory study of a Grade R class in a Durban child-care centre. South African Journal of Childhood Education, 9(1), 1–8. https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC-1f8f45ff34
South Africa. Department of Basic Education (DBE). (2011). Curriculum and activities policy statement Grade R-3 Sepedi Home Language. Government Printers.
South Africa. Department of Basic Education (DBE). (2015). Grade R Resource Kit. Government Printers.
Stevenson, W. A. (2019). Examining school readiness [Doctoral dissertation, University of Kentucky]. https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2019.079
Van der Berg, S., & Jacobs, C. (2018). The impact of the introduction of Grade R on learning outcomes. University of Stellenbosch, Research on Socio-Economic Policy (RESEP).
Venketsamy, R. (2023). Exploring the teacher-learner ratio and its effect on invitational teaching and learning: A South African study. Journal for the Education of Gifted Young Scientists, 11(1), 33–43. http://doi.org/10.17478/jegys.1237615
Weipeng, Y., Peng, X., Haidan, L., & Hui, L. (2020). Neoliberalism and sociocultural specificities: A discourse analysis of early childhood curriculum policies in Australia, China, New Zealand, and Singapore. Early Childhood Development and Care, 192(2), 203–219. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2020.1754210
West, J., & Meier, C. (2020). Overcrowded classrooms—The Achilles’ heel of South African education? South African Journal of Childhood Education, 10(1), Article 617. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v10i1.617
Wolf, S., Raza, M., Kim, S., Aber, J. L., Behrman, J., & Seidman, E. (2018). Measuring and predicting process quality in Ghanaian pre-primary classrooms using the Teacher Instructional Practices and Processes System (TIPPS). Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 45, 18–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2018.05.003
Wright, M. C., Bergom, I., & Bartholomew, T. (2019). Decreased class size, increased active learning? Intended and enacted teaching strategies in smaller classes. Active Learning in Higher Education, 20(1), 51–62. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787417735607
Yehya, A. (2020). Early childhood education of refugee students in Lebanon: Teachers’ perspectives [Master’s thesis, University of Jyväskylä]. https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/68911
Copyright (c) 2024 Studies in Learning and Teaching
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
