Literacy practices at home and in preschools settings in the Khomas education region in Namibia.

Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether pre-school children came from homes to pre-schools already exposed to writing and reading skills and whether there was a gap between the home and pre-school literacy events and practices. The study used a mixed methodology, qualitative and quantitative research designs. Six Pre-school teachers were interviewed from three pre-schools in Khomas education region. The researcher combined the two research methods in this study because she was concerned with understanding the phenomenon from the participants‟ perspectives, by being a non-participant observer during classroom visits. The researcher also tried to understand the problem from a quantitative view point, by finding out about the availability of reading and writing materials or how children are exposed to reading materials. The findings provided evidence that many children came to pre-school with some knowledge of where print could be found and what it was used for. Some children recognized important words, their own names and some knew how print worked, that is we read from left to right, which, way a book opens and that letters represent sounds. It was also found that reading stories to children was the most important variable linking the children‟s home and pre-school achievement. It is therefore, worth stressing the importance of oral language as a literacy event. Knowledge about print at school entry does vary from child to child and from community to community, nearly all children, including those from low social economic sector settings, have had exposure to print in their homes and communities. The researcher found out those children that are read to both at preschool and home are likely to excel more in life than their counter parts that are read to on rare occasions. Literacy practices and events learned from home did not cease or shift when children entered pre-school. The home environment contributed with its practices around reading and writing. The pre-school should be interested in what children know already about reading and writing.

Description:

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Education in Literacy and Learning.