A ground-breaking book addressing South Africa’s severe reading-comprehension challenges has been released by Emeritus Professor Michael le Cordeur, a well-known Wellington academic, recently retired from Stellenbosch University.
The book, entitled Reading for
Comprehension, tackles the alarming literacy crisis revealed by the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), which found that 81% of Grade 4 learners in South Africa cannot read at the required literacy level and lack comprehension of what they read.
“Reading is the skill on which all other knowledge skills depend,” Le Cordeur noted, the editor of the publication and author of two of its chapters. The book is a collaborative effort from both Stellenbosch and Wits University, providing practical solutions and guidance for educators.
Sponsored by the National Research Foundation (NRF), the project drew on expertise from Le Cordeur and eight of his former master’s and doctoral students. Several co-authors had local connections, including Wellington residents Mia Nieuwoudt (currently teaching in Zambia) and Jeanne-Alex Gerber (now teaching in Durbanville), who contributed chapters 2 and 7 respectively. Chapter 4 was written by renowned Paarl educator Dr Mitchell Messina.
Distinguished professor of education Jonathan Jansen praised the work as “a powerful account of the literacy problem in South Africa’s schools and its resolution in practice”. He recommended it for “every teacher in South Africa, whether in pre- or in-service education”.Professor Carisma Nel of North-West University described the book as “an essential guide to improving reading outcomes and unlocking academic success,” noting its practical solutions, including “fostering a culture of reading, leveraging multilingual teaching practices, and integrating literacy across the curriculum”.
