Literacy environment of pupils in urban primary schools

Abstract

In this article the literacy environment of urban primary school pupils is investigated.A literature survey has been carried out on various aspects of the literacy environment including preliteracy, emergent literacy, contracts and metacontracts of literacy, the role of the school library and the culture of reading. This is followed by a discussion of in-depth interviews that were carried out with 25 primary school children in standards 3 and 4 to establish their literacy environment. Finally, various recommendations are made as to the role of the school library to improve the literacy environment and address problem areas as well as suggested activities for teachers and teacher librarians. This research formed part of a larger research project on the effect of free voluntary reading by primary school pupils on their English second language.Die geletterdheidsomgewing van stedelike laerskoolleerlinge word in hierdie artikel ondersoek. 'n Literere ondersoek is gedoen oor verskeie aspekte van die geletterdheidsomgewing insluitende pre-geletterdheid, ontwikkelende geletterdheid, . kontrakte en metakontrakte van geletterdheid, die rol van die skoolbiblioteek en die leeskultuur. Dit is opgevolg deur 'n bespreking van indiepte-onderhoude wat gehou is met 25 laerskoolkinders in Standerd 3 en 4 om hulle geletterdheidsomgewing te bepaal. Laastens word verskeie aaribevelingsgemaak ten opsigte van die rol van die skoolbiblioteek ten einde die geletterdheidsomgewing te verbeter, probleemareas word aangespreek en aktiwiteite vir onderwysers en onderwyserbibliotekarisse word voorgestel. Hierdie navorsing is deel van 'n groter navorsingsprojek oor die effek van 'n vrywillige leesprogram op Engels as tweede taal deur laerskoolleerlinge.