EGRA ANNEXURE C.EFALpdf 2024

ENGLISH FIRST ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (EFAL)
FOUNDATIONAL PHASE READING BENCHMARKS:
LEARNING BRIEF
November 2022
Introduction
In South Africa, about 90% of learners are instructed in
The relationship between reading in EFAL and
English from Grade 4 onwards. Therefore, learners must
African home language
develop oral reading fluency and comprehension in English
First Additional Language (EFAL), while also learning to Reaching contextually relevant minimum EFAL
fluency benchmarks should not be viewed in
read for meaning in African Home Languages.
isolation of reaching home language reading
Foundational reading benchmarks can guide teachers, benchmarks. The development of decoding skills in
officials, and parents to track and assess learners’ reading African home language reading provides an
development in EFAL in the Foundation Phase and into the important foundation for learning to read in English
Intermediate Phase. If a learner does not achieve the as both African languages and English are alphabetic
languages. The CAPS EFAL curriculum develops from
benchmarks, appropriate remediation can be provided.
the assumption that when children begin to read and
South African EFAL Benchmarks write in their additional language, they already know
how to decode in their home language. It assumes
Reading benchmarks already exist for English home that they have grasped concepts of print and have
language speakers, and there are schemas appropriate for prior knowledge of sound-spelling relationships. (SA
second language reading in the United States. However, Department of Basic Education, 2011).
English reading in South Africa develops in a multilingual
context. It is expected that features specific to South African languages may influence how English reading
skills develop, and therefore South African EFAL benchmarks are essential.
How did we create these benchmarks?
Drawing on five different studies, data
was compiled with multiple assessment
points for over 20,000 unique learners
from Grades 2 to 7, across 6 of 9
provinces. These data are almost
exclusively drawn from no-fee schools.
This implies that these reading
benchmarks are contextually relevant
to millions of South African learners in
no-fee (or, using the DBE system to rank
schools based on community levels of
income, literacy and unemployment,
Quintiles 1-3)1 schools.
How accurately and fluently must ALL LEARNERS in no-fee schools be able to “read and 2
comprehend” in English as a First Additional Language?
Benchmark Description
End of Grade 6
Minimum of 100 words correctly per minute

End of Grade 5
This is the fluency level that learners require to reach
higher levels of comprehension.
End of Grade 4
It is a predictor of whether a learner will be able to
read for meaning in Grade 5.
End of Grade 3
At this minimum level, learners start to understand
what they are reading. It is a predictor of whether a
learner will be able to read for meaning in Grade 5.
End of Grade 2
30 cwpm is too low to support comprehension but,
this fluency level is a predictor of whether learners
Minimum of 30 words correctly per minute will learn to read with meaning in Grade 5.
Note, these are minimum fluency levels to be attained by all learners in no-fee schools by the end of each
grade. Learners who meet the benchmarks at the end of each grade, would achieve a minimum
competence rating of 4 on the CAPS assessment scale. Learners typically improve with 20 cwpm per year
and each benchmark by grade is a predictor of whether a learner will be able to read for meaning in Grade
5.
How can we use the benchmarks?
• Teachers can use the benchmarks to assess their learners and identify those who need support,
thereby minimising the chances of literacy cracks and learning challenges later.
• Teacher training providers (both pre-service and in-service) should integrate these benchmarks
into their programmes
• At the national and provincial level, benchmark achievement (or lack of achievement) provides
essential data to inform language and literacy policy, and mobilise resources
• Programme developers in a multi-donor context can integrate benchmarks into the design of Early
Grade Reading interventions.
• District Curriculum Teams can identify realistic targets against which to assess appropriate
achievement for each grade and school
• For evaluators, benchmarks provide an explicit standardised criterion against which programmes
can be valued to determine their effectiveness and impact
This publication was produced at the request of the United States Agency for International Development and the South African Department
of Basic Education. It was prepared independently by Khulisa Management Services, (Pty) Ltd in collaboration with the South African
Department of Basic Education. The data used for this work was based on studies funded by the Department of Basic Education, USAID,
Zenex Foundation, UNICEF, the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Endowment, and the Economic and Social Research Council

EGRA ANNEXURE C.EFALpdf 2024

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

EGRA ANNEXURE C.EFALpdf 2024

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

EGRA ANNEXURE C.EFALpdf 2024

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

ENGLISH FIRST ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (EFAL)

FOUNDATIONAL PHASE READING BENCHMARKS:

Minimum of 100 words correctly per minute

You might also like