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The Complete Teacher
Vocational
The Literacy Crisis: The "Grade 4 Slump"
The Challenge:
In South Africa, there is a dangerous transition between Grade 3 and Grade 4. Learners move from "learning to read" (often in home language) to "reading to learn" (often in English).
The statistics show that 81% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning. They can often "decode" (pronounce the words correctly), but they do not understand what the words mean. This creates a ceiling on their potential; if they cannot comprehend the textbook, they cannot succeed in History, Science, or Geography.
The Solution: "From Decoding to Meaning"
- Back-to-Basics: We prioritise comprehension over speed. We do not rush through the syllabus if the class is lost.
- The "Stop & Draw" Method: To check understanding in overcrowded classes, we ask learners to pause and sketch what they just read. This bypasses language barriers and proves comprehension.
- Resource Sharing: We use the A Better Africa library to find age-appropriate phonics and reading materials for older learners who missed the basics.
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