While the world celebrated International Literacy Day, South Africa faced a harsh reality: 81% of Grade 4 learners reportedly can decode words but cannot read for meaning, according to PIRLS 2021. This literacy crisis threatens children’s academic progress and the country’s future competitiveness.

Educational psychologist Seago Maapola explained the impact: “When a child can decipher words but cannot make sense of them, it’s like giving them the key to a door but the door won’t open. 

“Reading with comprehension is the foundation for all other learning –  maths word problems, science concepts, history texts. 

“Without it, children fall further behind each year because learning becomes harder and more frustrating.” 

He noted that cognitive skills such as reasoning, memory, and problem-solving depend on strong reading comprehension.

“If this foundation is weak by Grade 4, a child’s ability to engage meaningfully with the curriculum is compromised, often for the rest of their schooling. This is why initiatives which helps to build comprehension and vocabulary skills long before Grade 4 are so important.”

Maapola emphasised that literacy is not just academic. “Reading affects everyday life understanding contracts, safety instructions, digital information, even voting ballots. Without comprehension skills, children risk exclusion from opportunities for higher education, decent work, and full participation in society, which perpetuates cycles of unemployment and inequality.”

He highlighted the critical role of early intervention: “Literacy development begins long before Grade 1 through conversations, stories, and exposure to print. The earlier we intervene, the easier it is to close gaps.” Strategies include daily shared reading, explicit teaching of vocabulary and story-telling skills, reading in the home language, and continuous assessment to catch difficulties early. Maapola’s tips for parents has tips for parents to improve their children’s reading.

“Read aloud daily, even if only five minutes. Use your home language, it strengthens comprehension and builds confidence. Discuss stories, ask questions, and allow your child to retell parts in their own words. Encourage children to choose stories they enjoy and celebrate their progress. -Integrate reading into everyday life, labels, instructions, short passages all help.”

He stressed mother-tongue literacy as a bridge to all other learning. “When a child reads in a language they understand best, comprehension comes naturally. These skills transfer when learning additional languages like English. Without it, children decode words without meaning, eroding confidence and making learning a constant struggle.”

In her PhD thesis, Dr. Tracy Kitchen, Lecturer in Student Academic Development at Rhodes University, investigated why Grade 4 learners often appear more competent at reading comprehension than they actually are.

“The research revealed a difference between curriculum policy and practice, and between what learners seemed to have understood and what they actually understood in a routine reading comprehension task,” Kitchen said.

“My main findings were that: grade 4 learners were being asked overly simple, literal questions about what they were reading, despite the text being more complex than expected; the kinds of questions that learners should be asked (as indicated in the curriculum policy) were different from what they were being asked; this gap led to learners seeming to be more successful at reading comprehension than they actually were.”

Kitchen’s study also highlighted a mismatch between the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) requirements and classroom practice: “Activities labelled as policy-compliant actually tested only lower-order comprehension. Learners could pass simply by identifying and listing information from the text. This creates a false sense of comprehension, as revealed by the high marks.”

“When learners were tested on the same text but using different questions that I designed to align with the policy requirements, they scored lower marks, especially for the higher-order questions,” she added.

“This calls for urgent intervention in how reading comprehension is taught and assessed and in how teachers are prepared to do this effectively,” Kitchen said.

Kitchen concluded that the literacy crisis cannot be blamed solely on policy-practice gaps; factors such as Covid-19 disruptions, limited home-language instruction, and systemic inequalities also play a role, stating that teaching materials and assessment methods must align with policy, while teachers need the training, resources, and support to deliver meaningful comprehension instruction.

Minister David Maynier confirmed the scale of the challenge: “Recent data indicates a significant proportion of learners struggle to read for meaning, with 81% of Grade 4 learners able to decode words but unable to fully understand them. This is not just a reading problem; it is an educational emergency.”

He outlined his department’s interventions.”Foundation Phase focus (Grades 1–3): Decodable readers in three provincial languages and training for every teacher. The #BackOnTrack programme: Grade 4 and 7 learners attend extra Saturday classes with expert tutors, reinforcing core language and maths concepts. Teacher support: Novice and existing teachers receive training in the science of reading; Grade 4 and 7 teachers get intensive “1+9” workshops accredited by SACE for continuing professional development. 

“Monitoring outcomes: The Western Cape conducts annual systemic, independently-benchmarked tests in Grades 3, 6, and 9 to track learner performance and identify areas needing intervention.”

Maynier emphasised mother-tongue reading as central to success.

“Our investment in the Foundation Phase covers all three provincial languages, with new reading materials and teacher training. This ensures children build strong literacy skills before transitioning to additional languages.”

tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za

Weekend Argus 

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