EVALUATION OF THE READING SKILLS OF GRADE 1 PUPILS: BASIS FOR READING INTERVENTION PROGRAM

Reading skill is a perennial problem in the classroom where the learners struggle to read especially the Grade 1 learners. The trends in education includes the emphasis of the importance of phonics-based decoding skills in early reading instruction. To identify struggling readers and offer timely treatments, universal screening of reading skills is advised, especially in the early years. For instance, the Grattan Institute (2024) supports a reading guarantee approach that uses evidence-based assessment instruments and universal Year 1 Phonics Screening Checks to monitor student progress and guarantee early assistance for students who are falling behind (Grattan Institute, 2024). Evidence-based strategies are the foundation of successful reading interventions. To support basic skills, these include structured literacy programs and the use of decodable readers. As the Grattan Institute's suggestions emphasize, governments are urged to give educators useful guidelines on how to successfully apply these techniques. According to studies, growth can be hampered by ambiguous or low expectations for Year 1 students' reading proficiency. Students are frequently not sufficiently prepared for subsequent learning milestones by schools with low early reading standards (Education Review Office, 2018).