The Literacy Association of South Africa (LITASA) and the Centre for Evaluation and Assessment (CEA) co-hosted a seminar entitled ‘Utilising results from PIRLS 2021: How can teacher practice be informed’ on 24 October at the Centre for Visual Impairment Studies (VISUP).

In a foreword address, the director of the CEA, Prof Funke Omidire, welcomed the guests and expressed delight in the CEA co-hosting the event with LITASA. Prof Omidire gave a brief overview of the CEA and outlined the importance of literacy for personal growth, academic achievement, and well-being. In light of the country’s performance in PIRLS 2021, she called for the understanding of the unique multilingual nature of Sub-Saharan Africa in the planning of reading instruction and interventions. Prof Omidire also called for collaborative interventions through evidence-based practices. She expressed interest in appropriately using contextual information, assessment data and feedback from in-service teacher professional development and training activities.

Dr Karen Roux from the CEA presented the overall achievement results of South African Grade 4 and Grade 6 learners in the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) cycle. The presentation delved into learner achievement, examining gender, language, and provincial variations. Dr Roux also showcased assessment items from one of the PIRLS passages, ‘The Amazing Octopus’, which tested various cognitive skills.

Dr Roux's presentation spotlighted effective reading comprehension practices from five PIRLS participant countries: Chile, Chinese Taipei, England, Spain, and the Republic of Georgia. These practices serve as inspiration for educators to enhance their reading lessons. For instance, in Chile, activating prior knowledge is emphasised to foster comprehension, while Chinese Taipei provides a multilingual environment for learners beyond their home language. In England, a daily 10-minute session introduces new vocabulary from diverse languages. The presentation highlighted recommended reading strategies for teachers and learners, including distinguishing between authentic and test-related questions, recognising text structures, making predictions and setting goals, verbalising how to summarise a story, employing schemes with keywords and visuals, relating content to learners’ experiences, acting as role models, creating reading-friendly spaces, celebrating reading achievements, and exploring various genres and formats.

The seminar featured a hybrid format, with both in-person and online participants. Notable in-person attendees included Nadeema Musthan, LITASA's National Chairperson, Sandra de Bruyn from the Gauteng Education Department, Glenn Allies of the British Council, Elinor Sisulu from Puku Children's Literature, and Pearl Khumalo from SA Books Online.