STORIES AS TEACHING TOOLS IN GRADE R CLASSES Suzanne Lucille Anne Ross A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Philosophiae Doctor in the Faculty of Education, University of the Western Cape Supervisor: Prof. Juliana M. Smith November 2013 i DECLARATION I declare that Stories as teaching tools in Grade R classes is my own work, that it has not been submitted for any degree or examination at any other university, and that all the sources I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by complete references. Signed:……………………………….. Suzanne L.A. Ross November 2013 ii KEY WORDS     caregiver integration stories creative arts visual arts performing arts teaching tools social skills linguistic skills Grade R children and teachers fears and traumas iii TABLE OF C  ONTENTS   TITLE PAGE i DECLARATION   ii KEYWORDS iii   TABLE OF CONTENTS iv LIST OF APPENDICES xiv LIST OF FIGURES AND GRAPHS xv LIST OF TABLES xv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xvi ABSTRACT xviii ETHICAL CONSIDERATION xx ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS xxii CHAPTER ONE 1 OVERVIEW AND INTRODUCTION TO STUDY 1.1 BACKGROUND 1 1.2 RATIONALE 7 1.3 THE AIMS OF THE RESEARCH 10 1.4 THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS 11 1.5 THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 11 1.5.1 Introduction 11 1.5.2 Story theory 14 (a) What does “story” entail? 14 (b) Reading stories or telling stories: which way to go … 16 (c) Storytellers 18 (d) Types of stories as suggested by literature 19 1.5.3 The integrated approach 21 1.5.4 Creativity and the power of the imagination 22 1.5.5 Conceptual categories of expressive engagement 25 1.5.6 Planning of stories 26 1.5.7 The power of stories to empower teachers 28 1.6 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 31 1.6.1 Methodological paradigm 32 iv 1.6.2 The research approach   32 1.6.3 The research design 33 1.6.4 The research instruments   33 1.6.5 Triangulation 35   1.6.6 Access to Schools 36 1.6.7 Data analysis 37   1.6.8 Coding and content analysis 38 1.7 ETHICS STATEMENT 38 1.8 CHAPTER OUTLINE 39 1.9 CONCLUSION 40 CHAPTER TWO 41 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 INTRODUCTION 41 2.2 THE LITERATURE 41 2.3 THE DEVELOPMENT OF LANGUAGE AND SOCIAL SKILLS 42 2.3.1 Piaget’s developmental processes 42 (a) Assimilation and Accommodation 42 (b) Equilibration 43 2.3.2 Piaget’s four stages of cognitive development 44 (a) The sensorimotor stage 44 (b) The pre-operational stage 45 (c) The concrete operational stage 47 (d) The formal operational stage 47 2.4. LANGUAGE ACQUISITION 47 2.4.1 Theories on language acquisition 47 2.4.2 The start of language acquisition 49 2.5. VIRTUOUS ERRORS 49 2.5.1 Plural forms and verbs 50 2.5.2 Pronunciation problems 50 2.6 THREE MAJOR DIMENSIONS OF LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT 51 2.7 BRONFENBRENNER’S ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS MODEL 52 2.7.1 The various systems in Bronfenbrenner’s model 52 2.7.2 The environment 55 2.8 SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 56 v 2.8.1 What is social development?   56 2.8.2 The influence of caregivers on social development 57 2.8.3 Development through social interactions   59 2.8.4 Bonding between caregivers and children 60   2.8.5 Positive influence of the caregiver 62 2.8.6 Warm relationships and positive stimulation 63   2.9 INTERRELATIONSHIP OF PHYSICAL, MORAL, SOCIAL 64 AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT 2.9.1 Views on the interrelationship of development: 64 physically, morally, socially and emotionally 2.9.2 Lack of physical, cognitive and social development 66 (a) Poor socio-economic conditions 67 (b) Siblings as caregivers 69 2.10 EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT: THE REALITY 70 2.11 THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CONTEXT 71 2.11.1 Background 71 2.11.2 Documents reviewed 71 2.11.3 The Revised National Curriculum Statement 73 2.11.4 Languages and the Outcomes for the Grade R programme 73 2.11.5 Life Orientation and the Outcomes for the Grade R programme 75 2.11.6 Arts & Culture and the Outcomes for the Grade R programme 75 2.12 POLICY ON FOUNDATION PHASE LEARNERS 79 2.13 CONCLUSION 82 CHAPTER 3 83 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY-FINDING THE PURPOSE, FUNCTION AND RESPONSE TO THE TALE 3.1 INTRODUCTION 83 3.2 THE METHODOLOGICAL PARADIGM 84 3.2.1 Qualitative paradigm 84 3.2.2 A qualitative paradigm as opposed to a quantitative one 85 3.3 RESEARCH APPROACH 87 3.4 THE RESEARCH DESIGN: CASE STUDY 89 3.5 RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS 91 vi 3.5.1 Interviews   92 (a) Information sessions with principals as managers of the schools 92 (b) Teacher interviews   93 (c) Interviews with Grade R children 94   (d) Interviews with Higher Education lecturers 94 3.5.2 Questionnaires 94   3.5.3 Observations 95 (a) Limited observer 96 (b) Privileged observer 97 (c) Active participant observer 97 3.6 ACCESS AND PARTICIPANTS INVOLVED 97 3.6.1 Permission to utilise institutions 98 (a) Process prescribed by the WCED 98 (b) Permission from Institutions 99 3.6.2 Participants 99 a. School One 101 b. School Two 102 c. School Three 104 d. School Four 106 e. School Five 107 3.7 PROCESS OF THE RESEARCH 108 3.7.1 Objectivity 108 3.7.2 Validity 109 (a) Triangulation 109 (b) Extensive field notes 111 (c) Member checks 113 3.8 DATA ANALYSIS 114 3.8.1 Content Analysis 114 3.8.2 Discussion 116 3.8.3 Limitations 116 3.9 ETHICS STATEMENT 116 3.10 TEACHING APPROACHES AND METHODOLOGIES 117 3.11 SELECTED STORIES FOR AN INTEGRATED APPROACH 117 3.11.1 Caterpillar’s Dream 117 3.11.2 The Wide-mouthed frog 118 3.11.3 Cheeky 118 vii 3.12 CONCLUSION   119   CHAPTER FOUR PRESENTATION OF THE FINDINGS - “ON CE UPON A TIME” … 120   4.1 INTRODUCTION 120 4.2 ‘WHAT DO YOU SAY, TEACHER?’ 120 4.2.1 Questionnaire Section 1A Presentation of teachers’ responses 121 4.2.2 Questionnaire Section 1B Presentation of teachers’ responses 122 4.2.3 Questionnaire Section 2 Presentation of teachers’ responses to open-ended 123 questions 4.2.4 Questionnaire Section 3 Presentation of teachers’ responses to 128 Likert scale statements 4.3 OBSERVATIONS AT THE INSTITUTIONS 129 4.3.1 Discussion of findings at the schools 131 4.3.2 Findings based on the areas in the curriculum 131 (a) Organisation in the classroom 132 (b) Literacy 132 (c) Numeracy 133 (d) Life Orientation (Arts & Culture-visual arts) 135 (e) Life Orientation (Arts & Culture-performing arts) 136 (f) Life Orientation (Arts & Culture-physical development) 139 (g) Literacy using the story 140 (h) Literacy integrated with Life Orientation (Social Sciences) 143 (i) Life Orientation (Religious Instruction) and Arts & Culture 144 4.4 ‘TELL ME MORE, CHILDREN …’ 145 4.4.1 Questions and themes 145 4.4.2 Let the children respond 147 (a) Responses to Theme one, “Starting the conversation” 147 (b) Responses to Theme two, “The storyteller” 148 (c) Responses to Theme three, “General preferences and dislikes” 148 (d) Responses to Theme four, “Interaction with stories” 149 (e) Responses to Theme five, “Feelings about the story and the main character” 150 (f) Responses to Theme six, “Motivation for listening to stories” 150 4.5 CONCLUDING COMMENTS 151 4.6 THE ROLE OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION (HE) INSTITUTION 152 IN TERMS OF TEACHER TRAINING 4.6.1 ‘What do you say, Lecturer?’ 153 4.6.2 ‘Pre-service teacher, are you equipped for the task?’ 156 viii 4.7 STORIES TO IMPLEMENT IN AN IN TEGRATED APPROACH 158 4.7.1 ‘Gather round! Let us integrate and interact’: Activities based on selected stories 159   (a) Caterpillar’s Dream 160 (i) Session One: Literacy integrated with Life Orientation 160   (ii) Session Two: Literacy integrated with Life Orientation (Natural Science) 161 (iii) Session Three: Literacy integrated wi th Life Orientation (Health Promotion) 161 (iv) Session Four: Literacy integrated with Life Orientation (Arts & Culture) 163 (v) Session Five: Literacy integrated with Life Orientation (Arts & Culture) 163 (vi) Session Six: Literacy integrated with Life Orientation (Arts & Culture) 164 (vii) Session Seven: Literacy integrated with Life Orientation (Arts & Culture) 165 (viii) Session Seven: Literacy integrated with Life Orientation (Arts & Culture) 165 (b) The wide mouthed frog 166 (i) Session One: Literacy and Numeracy integrated with Life Orientation 166 (Arts & Culture and Natural Science) (ii) Session Two: Literacy integrated with Life Orientation 167 (iii) Session Three: Literacy integrated with Life Orientation 168 (iv) Session Four: Life Orientation integrated with Literacy 168 (v) Session Five: Life Orientation integrated with Literacy 169 (vi) Session Six: Life Orientation (Arts & Culture) integrated with Literacy 169 (vii) Session Seven: Life Orientation integrated with Literacy 170 (viii) Session Eight: Literacy integrated with Life Orientation (Arts & Culture) 170 (c) Cheeky 171 (i) Session One: Literacy integrated with Life Orientation 171 (ii) Session Two: Literacy (various skills) integrated with Life Orientation 172 (iii) Session Three: Literacy integrated with Life Orientation (Arts & Culture) 173 (iv) Session Four: Literacy integrated with Life Orientation (Arts & Culture) 174 (v) Session Five: Literacy integrated with Life Orientation (Arts & Culture) 174 4.8 CONCLUSION 175 CHAPTER FIVE 176 ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA: CREATIVITY TO CAPTURE YOUNG MINDS 5.1 INTRODUCTION 176 5.2 ANALYSES OF TEACHERS’ QUESTIONNAIRE 178 5.2.1 Analysis of Section 1A of teachers’ questionnaire 178 5.2.2 Analysis of Section 1 B of teachers’ questionnaire 180 5.2.3 Analysis of Section 2 of teachers’ questionnaire 182 5.2.4 Analysis of Section 3 of teachers’ questionnaire 188 ix 5.3 DO BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS OF T HE 190 SCHOOLS IMPACT ON WHAT IS PRESENTED AT SCHOOLS?   5.4 ‘TEACHERS, HOW DO I INTERPRET YOUR 191   CREATIVITY WITH THE CURRICULUM?’ 5.4.1 Is organisation the same in all classrooms? 191   5.4.2 ‘Teachers, do you use stories in the Literacy section?’ 192 5.4.3 Numbers and stories – ‘Can they work?’ 199 5.4.4 Life Orientation and stories: ‘Is creativity featuring here?’ 201 5.4.5 ‘Let’s eat before we play’ 207 5.4.6 General comments 207 5.5 WHAT THE CHILDREN SHARED WITH ME 210 5.5.1 Analysis of the questions and themes 210 5.5.2 Analysis Theme One, Starting the conversation 210 5.5.3 Analysis of Theme Two, The storyteller 211 5.5.4 Analysis of Theme Three, General preferences and dislikes and 213 telling their favourite story 5.5.5 Analysis of Theme Four, Interaction with stories 215 5.5.6 Analysis of Theme Five, Feelings about the story and the main character 216 5.5.7 Analysis of Theme Six, Motivation for listening to stories 218 5.5.8 Characteristics of children 219 5.6 ANALYSIS OF THE ROLE THAT THE 221 HIGHER EDUCATION (HE) INSTITUTION PLAYS 5.6.1 Analysis of what the lecturers said 221 5.6.2 Analysis of the input by pre-service teachers 224 5.7 SELECTION OF STORIES 226 5.7.1 Analysis of the integrated approach 228 (a) Analysis of Caterpillar’s Dream 228 (i) Analysis of Session 1 Literacy integrated with Life Orientation 229 (ii) Analysis of Session 2 Literacy 229 (iii) Analysis of Session Three: Literacy integrated with 229 Life Skills (Health Promotion) (iv) Analysis of Session Four: Literacy integrated with 230 Life Orientation (Arts & Culture) (v) Analysis of Session Five: Literacy integrated with 231 Life Orientation (Arts & Culture) (vi) Analysis of Session Six: Literacy integrated with 231 Life Orientation (Arts & Culture) (vii) Analysis of Session Seven: Literacy integrated with 232 Life Orientation (Arts & Culture) (viii) Analysis of Session Eight: Literacy 232 5.7.1 (b) Analysis of The Wide Mouthed Frog 233 x