South African learners struggle with reading comprehension: study reveals a gap between policy and classroom practice
Study finds a gap between policy and textbook that skews literacy test results.
Primary Results
South Africa’s reading crisis: focus on the root cause, not the peripherals
Initiatives to tackle South Africa’s reading crisis must take the country’s realities into account.
South Africa’s reading crisis: 5 steps to address children’s literacy struggles
These interventions have the potential to boost South African children’s literacy.
International study shows where South Africa’s education system needs more help
Interventions aimed at improving literacy scores must be targeted at the parts of the system that need it the most.
South Africa’s 10 year‑olds are struggling to read – it can be fixed
Political will is key to tackling pupils’ literacy struggles.
Why textbooks are a crucial part of every child’s learning journey
Textbooks have been at the centre of two major South African court cases. They may not be a magical cure for all the country’s education ills, but research shows they are a critical part of learning.
How African countries can reform education to get ahead after pandemic school closures
While COVID-19 has held back learning, the pandemic presents a historic opportunity to revamp education systems.
We standardise training for pilots and doctors. We must do the same for teachers
There is a chasm between the research knowledge base about reading literacy and teachers’ classroom practices. Standardisation could be a big part of the solution.
Thinking aloud: what happens when children read for pleasure in classroom clubs
Classroom reading clubs can be a space for children to share ideas and build understanding.
Not all children read at the same pace – Namibia study shows how teachers can help those falling behind
While teachers were employing the right strategies, they were not giving targeted attention to the non-readers in their classes.