|
Over 50% of the female
respondents indicate that their home lives , including abuse and family related
responsibilities ,were a reason they did not learn to read in school, a finding
that holds true within all age groups. The male respondents, on the other hand,
named poor teaching (30%) and school failure (30%) as the reasons why they did
not learn to read in school, findings that are consistent across all age
groups.
In response to a different
question, the majority of male respondents reported that some school
experiences, such as reading aloud, made them feel uncomfortable. Over 60% of
the female respondents, on the other hand, enjoyed reading aloud. These
findings were consistent across all age groups.
| 3.2.5 |
What Helped When Learning to Read |
Respondents were asked to report
on what had helped them in learning to read. This question attempted to explore
literacy development from the learners' perspective. The responses were not
significant when analysed by gender. However, the analysis by age showed some
interesting differences (Table 6). The responses were consistent with varied
authoritative opinions about how best to teach reading, reflecting either an
emphasis on linguistic code or on meaning making.
Table
6
What Helped When Learning to Read by Age |
Helped learning
to read |
Under
26 years
N
% |
26-35
years
N
% |
36-45
years
N
% |
46 years
and over
N
% |
| Hear stories |
4
10% |
18 32% |
16 37% |
10 36% |
| Learn words & letters |
9
23% |
4
7% |
12 27% |
8
29% |
| Sound out words |
16 41% |
18 32% |
8
18% |
3
11% |
| Look at pictures |
8
21% |
15 26% |
5
11% |
4
14% |
| Other |
2
5% |
2
3% |
3
7% |
3
10% |
| Chi-square Pearson Value = 25.91199 |
df = 12 Significant at 0.01 level |
|