TMN3702
Assignment 3
Due 31 July 2025
,TMN3702
Assignment 3
Due 31 July 2025
Teaching Reading and Writing in Multilingual South African Classrooms
Question 1: Teaching Reading and Viewing (20 Marks)
1.1 Distinction Between Bottom-Up and Top-Down Approaches to Reading (3)
The bottom-up approach frames reading as a sequential, text-driven process.
Readers begin by decoding letters and sounds, moving upward to words, phrases, and
sentences before arriving at comprehension (Ehri, 2005). This approach assumes that
meaning can only emerge after accurate decoding, prioritising phonemic awareness
and orthographic rules.
In contrast, the top-down approach positions the reader as an active participant who
uses prior knowledge, predictions, and contextual cues to construct meaning
(Goodman, 1967). Here, comprehension precedes full decoding, and readers rely on
semantic understanding to interpret unfamiliar words. The approach assumes that
reading is a meaning-making activity rooted in cognition rather than mechanical
accuracy.
Tension arises between these models. While bottom-up processes support decoding
skills necessary for reading fluency, they may neglect the interpretive strategies that
multilingual learners often draw upon. Top-down approaches, meanwhile, assume a
shared cultural and linguistic background, which may not be the case in linguistically
diverse South African classrooms.
, 1.2 Examples of Each Approach in a Grade 4 English Home Language Classroom
(2)
• Bottom-Up Example: Learners use phonics to break down and blend syllables
in new vocabulary from a story (e.g., “fright,” “forest”).
• Top-Down Example: Learners predict the plot of a story by analysing the title
and illustrations, using their own experiences and imagination to infer meaning.
These examples highlight how different approaches emphasise distinct literacy skills—
decoding in the first, inferencing and schema activation in the second.
1.3 Reading Comprehension Activity Using a Short Story (15)
Selected Story: “The Enchanted Wood” by Enid Blyton
(Adapted public domain version) – Accessible at: https://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/
The activity integrates pre-reading, while-reading, and post-reading strategies that
scaffold comprehension, particularly for learners in multilingual classrooms.
1.3.1 Pre-Reading Activity
a) Description (2)
Learners examine an image of a magical forest and discuss with a partner what they
might discover inside. They then share responses, which are recorded on the board.
b) Educational Purpose (3)
This activity draws on schema theory (Anderson, 1984) by helping learners connect
the image to prior experiences or familiar narratives. For multilingual learners, allowing
home language discussion encourages confidence and cognitive flexibility. It reduces
anxiety by ensuring all learners have a conceptual anchor before engaging with the text.
Assignment 3
Due 31 July 2025
,TMN3702
Assignment 3
Due 31 July 2025
Teaching Reading and Writing in Multilingual South African Classrooms
Question 1: Teaching Reading and Viewing (20 Marks)
1.1 Distinction Between Bottom-Up and Top-Down Approaches to Reading (3)
The bottom-up approach frames reading as a sequential, text-driven process.
Readers begin by decoding letters and sounds, moving upward to words, phrases, and
sentences before arriving at comprehension (Ehri, 2005). This approach assumes that
meaning can only emerge after accurate decoding, prioritising phonemic awareness
and orthographic rules.
In contrast, the top-down approach positions the reader as an active participant who
uses prior knowledge, predictions, and contextual cues to construct meaning
(Goodman, 1967). Here, comprehension precedes full decoding, and readers rely on
semantic understanding to interpret unfamiliar words. The approach assumes that
reading is a meaning-making activity rooted in cognition rather than mechanical
accuracy.
Tension arises between these models. While bottom-up processes support decoding
skills necessary for reading fluency, they may neglect the interpretive strategies that
multilingual learners often draw upon. Top-down approaches, meanwhile, assume a
shared cultural and linguistic background, which may not be the case in linguistically
diverse South African classrooms.
, 1.2 Examples of Each Approach in a Grade 4 English Home Language Classroom
(2)
• Bottom-Up Example: Learners use phonics to break down and blend syllables
in new vocabulary from a story (e.g., “fright,” “forest”).
• Top-Down Example: Learners predict the plot of a story by analysing the title
and illustrations, using their own experiences and imagination to infer meaning.
These examples highlight how different approaches emphasise distinct literacy skills—
decoding in the first, inferencing and schema activation in the second.
1.3 Reading Comprehension Activity Using a Short Story (15)
Selected Story: “The Enchanted Wood” by Enid Blyton
(Adapted public domain version) – Accessible at: https://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/
The activity integrates pre-reading, while-reading, and post-reading strategies that
scaffold comprehension, particularly for learners in multilingual classrooms.
1.3.1 Pre-Reading Activity
a) Description (2)
Learners examine an image of a magical forest and discuss with a partner what they
might discover inside. They then share responses, which are recorded on the board.
b) Educational Purpose (3)
This activity draws on schema theory (Anderson, 1984) by helping learners connect
the image to prior experiences or familiar narratives. For multilingual learners, allowing
home language discussion encourages confidence and cognitive flexibility. It reduces
anxiety by ensuring all learners have a conceptual anchor before engaging with the text.
