ERIC Number: EJ1187538
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2079-8245
EISSN: N/A
'One Day I Will Pick up a Snake, Wanting to Read It': Becoming a Successful Reader in a Rural Environment
van der Mesch, Caroline
Reading & Writing: Journal of the Reading Association of South Africa, v6 n1 Article 55 2015
Children learning to read and write in rural areas in Southern Africa perform poorly compared to children in urban schools. The poor results of rural schools in national assessments of reading literacy are explained by the deficits of rural areas: poverty, under-resourced schools and under-qualified teachers. Children in rural areas are frequently not exposed to home literacy practices, which prepare them for formal literacy learning at school. Whilst acknowledging the impact of rural poverty on children's performance, this article explores a role-playing game amongst pre-school and school-going children of rural villages that enabled some children to become successful learners. Focusing on affect, I analyse the way in which the game motivated these children and suggest some of the benefits that promoting this practice may have for teaching and learning in rural areas. The continued underperformance of children in rural schools makes a compelling case for investigating ways of promoting learning and reading in rural homes.
Descriptors: Rural Schools, Foreign Countries, Emergent Literacy, Poverty, Role Playing, Educational Games, Preschool Children, Early Childhood Education, Elementary School Students, Learning Motivation, Environmental Influences
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: South Africa
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A