Background: Although the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly subsided, its educational repercussions persist, particularly in rural South African contexts. The abrupt transition to remote learning in 2020 disproportionately affected learners, particularly in under-resourced areas, resulting in significant learning loss – especially in reading among English First Additional Language (FAL) learners. Objectives: This qualitative study aimed to explore how the free voluntary reading (FVR) approach can be used to mitigate the COVID-19-induced reading loss among Grade 10 English FAL learners in a rural Free State school. Method: Grounded in Krashen’s Input Hypothesis Theory, the study adopted the Participatory Action Learning and Action Research methodology to engage two English FAL teachers and ten Grade 10 learners through purposive sampling. Data generated through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and classroom observations were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Findings reveal that the FVR approach significantly fostered improved reading confidence, motivation, comprehension, imagination, and vocabulary development. Conclusion: The study concludes that FVR is a viable pedagogical strategy for addressing reading deficits in rural English FAL classrooms. It recommends integrating a reading period into the school timetable and revitalising school libraries to ensure the successful implementation of reading interventions. Contribution: Beyond its role in post-pandemic recovery, this study affirms FVR as a research-supported approach for promoting sustained literacy development in English FAL contexts, thereby contributing to evidence-based practices in language education.

Reading & Writing is an open access, peer reviewed inter-disciplinary and inter-professional scholarly journal that explores how literacy is defined, enacted and promoted in a range of institutional, socio-c

Background: Reading proficiency of learners remains problematic. In South Africa, teaching reading has often proven ineffective. The lack of proficient reading skills has been one of the leading catalysts for implementing reading intervention campaigns, such as the Early Grade Reading Studies (EGRS). The Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) tool was developed to enable teachers to gain insight into learners’ reading abilities and to make informed instructional decisions regarding their reading instruction. Since the implementation of the EGRA tool country-wide, teachers’ perceptions regarding this assessment tool have not received any attention. The possible influence that teachers’ perceptions of the EGRA can have on the effective implementation thereof underpinned the rationale of this study. Objectives: Foundation Phase teachers’ perceptions of the EGRA were explored to gain an in-depth understanding of teachers’ intentions to use EGRA to inform their reading instruction. Method: The study uses a quantitative survey research design to explore teachers’ perceptions of EGRA as an influential variable. Results: The findings indicated that teachers perceive EGRA positively. They find it useful and manageable, feel confident about using it and are eager to incorporate it into their teaching practices. Conclusion: While EGRA shows promise as a cost-effective and valuable tool for assessing reading skills, the study underscores the importance of adequate teacher training, professional development and continuous support for successful implementation. Contribution: Valuable insights into teachers’ perceptions regarding EGRA is offered as well as a questionnaire based on the theory of planned behaviour to assess teachers’ intentions to implement EGRA.

This Table of Contents reflects the print compilation of peer-reviewed articles published in the journal. Each article listed was originally published online under the journal’s open access model and remains individually accessible and citable. This compilation has been created solely for print distribution, reference, and archival purposes. No new research content is introduced. The publisher affirms that all articles included in this compilation have undergone the journal’s standard editorial and peer-review processes.

Background: South Africa faces a critical challenge with reading literacy, particularly in the Foundation Phase of schooling, prompting government intervention. To address this, the government has introduced various skills development programmes and focused teaching materials aimed at improving reading literacy outcomes. Objectives: This study explored the experiences of Grade 3 teachers in Gauteng with the reading support programmes and materials provided by the Department of Basic Education (DBE). Method: A generic qualitative research design was employed. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 Grade 3 teachers, complemented by focus group interviews involving the same participants. The data were analysed using the constant comparative method. Results: The data analysis revealed that teachers have diverse levels of familiarity with, and use of the reading support programmes and materials provided by the DBE. This highlighted the need for more tailored and targeted support. Additionally, teachers’ use of these resources varied significantly, with differing impacts on learners’ reading literacy skills as perceived by the teachers. Conclusion: The study concludes that teachers’ differing perspectives and experiences with the DBE reading support programmes and materials influence both how these resources are used and their perceived effectiveness in improving literacy outcomes. Contribution: This study adds to the body of knowledge on teachers’ experiences with DBE reading support programmes and materials. It underscores the importance of incorporating teachers’ insights into the design of effective interventions, as they provide valuable perspectives on classroom realities and the practical impact of these initiatives.

Background: Despite essay writing being a highly discussed topic, a growing body of writing knowledge gathered from various approaches can inform teachers and learners about revision efforts. Emphasis is placed on the significance of error analysis in English essays, given that English is a widely used language in business, facilitating communication among diverse racial groups. This underscores the importance of developing fluency in English essay writing. Objectives: The main objective was to identify specific language-related challenges in essay writing among Grade 9 learners in selected Soshanguve schools. Method: A mixed-methods approach was used to garner information on learners’ perceptions and performance when writing English essays. Interviews and error analysis were used. Results: When comparing the findings, it emerged that the findings of the qualitative semi-structured interviews reflected the problems that the learners encountered in their writing. Conclusion: The analysis revealed that learners had difficulties with capitalisation, irregular verbs, contractions, concord, conjunctions, and sentence construction when writing English essays without the help of technology. Contribution: The study found that language proficiency is important since learners use technology to assist them but when they must write on their own, they experience many writing challenges.

Background: In South Africa the majority of learners are failed by school language policies that require them to switch from learning through the medium of their home language, to learning through the medium of English from Grade 4. Yet language ideologies rooted in coloniality sustain the domination of English in education and suppress the home languages of teachers and learners as valid resources for learning.Objectives: The context of this article is a teacher development intervention – Languaging for Learning (L4L) – which aimed to challenge prevailing language ideologies and develop bi/multilingual pedagogies based on the recognition of the learners’ home languages as important resources for learning.Method: Science, Mathematics and English teachers from 10 township schools in the Cape Town Metro participated in the 18-month programme which included workshops, classroom-based support and the provision of some bilingual materials. Data on the teachers’ uptake of the programme were collected through observation, interviews, and video and photographic records.Results: This article describes the shifts in language ideologies and practices of five of the participating teachers. The introduction of bi/multilingual pedagogies impacted positively on learners’ participation, motivation and opportunities to learn as well as on teachers’ sense of efficacy and agency.Conclusion: The research demonstrated how bi/multilingual pedagogies that value learners’ and teachers’ linguistic repertoires as resources for learning can contribute to overcoming the long-standing barriers to learning resulting from language policies and practices that are rooted in coloniality.Contribution: These findings demonstrate how bi/multilingual pedagogies can support epistemic access and biliteracy in education.

Background: Language analytic ability is well researched in the context of foreign language acquisition but its role in the acquisition of grammar in the native language is under investigation. Objectives: Our study explored the influence of language analytic ability and print exposure on receptive grammar and reading comprehension in childhood. Additionally, we investigated whether exposure to specific constructions through the written modality held an advantage over exposure in the audio modality. Method: We assessed the language analytic ability, reading comprehension, reading fluency, print exposure, and receptive grammar of 12-year-olds. Subsequently, we exposed them to written or spoken target constructions, followed by an assessment of receptive grammar. Linear regression models were used to analyse the contributions of reading fluency, print exposure, and language analytic ability to reading comprehension and receptive grammar. We also examined the influence of the intervention on receptive grammar. Results: Language analytic ability and print exposure significantly predicted receptive grammar. Print exposure significantly predicted reading comprehension and improvement in receptive grammar. Conclusion: Language analytic ability is important for grammar and reading comprehension development. Print exposure enhances reading comprehension by supporting vocabulary development and providing exposure to intricate structures. Both language analytic ability and experience are key factors in construction acquisition. Contribution: This study adds to the growing body of evidence emphasising the role of language analytic skills in native language grammar acquisition and advocates for explicit grammar teaching. Furthermore, it underscores the importance of adequate print exposure in grammar acquisition and the development of reading comprehension skills.

Background: Teachers are responsible for curriculum implementation and transformation. Therefore, they are viewed as the primary agents of change in teaching and learning. As agents of change, they are responsible for being innovative and creative in their teaching and learning in their English First Additional Language (EFAL) class. Objectives: The study aimed to explore South African teachers as agents of change in teaching EFAL in their Grade 3 classes. Method: This study adopted a qualitative research approach with an interpretivist paradigm. The researcher wanted to explore teachers’ lived experience as agents of change in the Foundation Phase class. A case study design with purposive sampling was used. Results: The findings revealed that teachers understood their roles and responsibilities as change agents in their classrooms. They agreed they were responsible for implementing the curriculum to improve basic literacy skills among EFAL learners. Conclusion: The study found that teachers, as agents of change, needed support in continuous professional development to implement the curriculum. They also highlighted the need for help from their school management teams. Contribution: This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of the EFAL teacher. They are no longer mediators of learning but agents of change in teaching, learning and curriculum adaptation. Their roles go beyond imparting knowledge to learners. They are developers and mediators of critical thinking, decision-making, communication, use of technology and relationship-building skills.

Background: This research explored how classroom plays could serve as pedagogical tools to introduce children to Sesotho and isiZulu vocabulary of artificial intelligence (AI). The article captures how student teachers learned to write plays that they could produce when they become professional teachers.Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore how student teachers engaged in a playwriting process, creating drama texts for early grades primary school learners about AI.Method: The qualitative study employed, a participatory action research design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the student teachers, coupled with a dual analysis of their drama texts. An inductive thematic analysis approach was applied for the data from interviews with the students. A deductive approach was implemented to analyse the drama texts according to criteria for playwriting with a pedagogical purpose.Results: The findings revealed that playwriting as a tool for pedagogy can be useful in developing student teachers’ vocabulary of AI in Sesotho or isiZulu and to develop their playwriting skills.Conclusion: The findings contribute to the corpus of pedagogies for the teaching of vocabulary in African languages, which includes writing the texts and aiming to use these for reading experience and for dramatic activity in early grades classrooms.Contribution: The contribution of this study is how playwriting can serve as a pedagogical tool for the teaching of reading and vocabulary in the primary school.