Khaya Fulani, a research offi cer for the Institute for the Study of English in Africa (ISEA), helps teachers develop and sustain print-rich classrooms in under-resourced schools in both rural and urban areas in the Eastern Cape.
Khaya Fulani, a research offi cer for the Institute for the Study of English in Africa (ISEA), helps teachers develop and sustain print-rich classrooms in under-resourced schools in both rural and urban areas in the Eastern Cape.
Q: What does a print-rich classroom look like?
A: For me a print-rich classroom bombards learners with print! The various walls could have different themes. For example, one would be for news and current affairs.
Maybe another would be a word wall the teachers would hang up the vocabulary that has been developed in class.
And maybe another wall would be full of evidence of learners’ work in a way that would help learners take pride and ownership in their efforts. And, lastly, you would have a small classroom library in the corner.
Q: How are these print materials used?
A: One example is using the news wall materials to feed into classroom debates and discussion. Also, the materials can be used for reading and writing for fun.
For example, if a teacher has that small classroom library the books can be used both by the teacher and by the learners to engage in an extensive reading programme.
Learners would read the books for fun and would not necessarily be assessed on what they have read. They are relaxed – when they read they are no longer anxious about having to know this and that.
It is for fun and to expose them to different texts and in doing so the learners become better writers. Also we have an annual newsletter here at the ISEA called Writing is Fun where we encourage teachers and learners to write short stories or whatever they feel like writing and we publish those.
Q: What are some of the diffi culties teachers face in developing and maintaining print-rich classrooms?
A: There are a number of challenges. Schools in rural areas are regarded as multi-purpose centres after school the classrooms host various activities.
Sometimes, some of our teachers in rural schools complain that resources are taken off their walls. Also, in some schools teachers do not have their own classrooms.
Teachers put up resources in a classroom and when they return they are all gone. But, the most important one is the shortage of reading books.
Most of the schools we go to do not have libraries, let alone classroom libraries. But, the ISEA in collaboration with the Zenex Foundation, have provided our teachers with classroom libraries.
So, that helps a bit with developing an extensive reading programme. We also applied for more reading books from Biblionef.
Q: Do rural schools receive setwork reading books from the Department of Education?
A: Yes, but there aren’t enough setwork books for every learner to have their own copy! In classes, sometimes there are three or four learners using one book.
Q: How does the ISEA support teachers in their efforts to create print-rich classrooms?
A: I always say that the best way to motivate somebody to do something is to let them see the benefits for themselves.
And we have made it clear to them that creating a print-rich classroom is not about beautifying the classroom.
There are real educational benefi ts. Research has shown us that for a learner to retain a new word they must encounter that word more than once.
So, if new words have been introduced to learners in class, chances are that the next day learners may not
remember the meaning of that word.
They need to keep on seeing it. If vocabulary has been developed in class, and it is put up on the wall, when
learners come into class their eyes will fall on the words and incidental learning will take place.
Q: Have you noticed improvements over time in the ability of teachers to sustain print-rich classrooms?
A: Defi nitely! You know, on our fi rst visits the walls were bare. Some teachers said it was because their schools had been recently renovated so they didn’t want to dirty the walls.
For others, it was merely through lack of knowing what’s better. As time went by some pictures appeared on the walls – but, they were not related to classwork.
However, by the end of last year, you could see rrrrrrrrich evidence of learners’ work on the walls!The juxtaposition of how it was at the beginning and the end was tremendous.
And the majority of the texts on the walls were self-generated. You don’t need stuff to be sent to you by the Department of Education.
Q: What has the response been from teachers?
A:Teachers are really noticing the impact of this!! At fi rst we thought this was going to be taken up primarily by the lady teachers.
But, to our surprise, even the males took to it. That’s why I say the important thing is to see the benefi ts. In schools where there are many teachers, even teachers who were not trained by us are adopting these practices because they see the difference that was brought by our students. So, it is spreading.
Q: How can print-rich classrooms can be used to refl ect, honour, validate multilingualism?
A: The National Curriculum Statement has adopted a bilingual approach to teaching language. Therefore, seeing print that is in another language, especially a home language, can only be an advantage.
Research has shown that learners learn an additional language better when their home language is not undermined. Print-rich classrooms must have isiXhosa books and wall displays.
