Abstract
Increased concern about the low levels of literacy and numeracy among Grade 3 learners in South Africa is resulting in more emphasis being placed on the preparatory Grade R year. The level of learning readiness of pupils when entering formal teaching in Grade 1 is determined by perceptual motor stimulation that pupils received during the preschool phase. ‘Learning readiness’ can be influenced by the knowledge ofteachers, teacher/child ratio, the availability of teaching aids, as well as the amount of space and time allocated to movement activities. The aim of the study recounted in this article was to determine the physical deficiencies that could negatively affectchildren’s perceptual motor development and school readiness. Focus was placed on factors that influence perceptual motor development such as the training of teachers, availability of equipment and resources at schools with Grade R classes. Demographic information was collected with regards to; the qualification of teachers, the number of pupils, and intervention programmes that are offered at schools by outside institutions.A Likert scale questionnaire, with a combination of yes/no and open questions, was used and followed up by a personal interview. According to availability, 31 schools and 51 teachers were selected to participate in the research. Teachers of schools in developed areas and disadvantaged areas were involved in the study. The results of the study show that teachers are not sufficiently trained for the early child developmentalneeds within the education environment and that many schools are under-supplied in terms of resources and equipment. It is recommended that these teachers receive inservice training on learners’ perceptual motor development and that the Department of Education should provide schools with resources and equipment to prevent these deficiencies in the education system.
Highlights
Outcomes-based education has been implemented in schools across South Africa since 1998
This concurs with research conducted by Goodway and Branta (2003), which showed that less privileged children experience developmental deficiencies with regard to fundamental school readiness skills
It is recommended that principals must ensure that teachers, who are responsible for Grade R classes, receive the proper training to teach Grade R learners and the Department of Education (DoE) should supply schools with equipment and resources which will enable the promotion of learning readiness and that equipment and apparatus must be maintained
Summary
Outcomes-based education has been implemented in schools across South Africa since 1998. The National Education Policy (Department of Education, 1997) regards early childhood development (ECD) as an umbrella term that refers to the development processes that children go through from birth to nine years of age This phase of development process includes: physical, mental, emotional, moral and social growth. As the Department of Education (DoE) regards the first year (Grade R) as an introductory year of an integrated foundation of four years, the type of education pupils in Grade R receive is of cardinal importance to their further school careers (DoE, 1997). During these first four years of school, the foundation is laid on which all further education and learning is built. The statistics reflect back to the foundations laid in the Foundation Phase (Niebuhr, 2007)
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