Home Literacy Practices in Early Education: A Qualitative Case Study of Grade 1 School Children and Teacher Insights
Xoliswa Patience Magxala 
& Joseph Baidoo
Issue: Vol.6 No.3 Issue Article 8 pp. 336-346
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2025638 | Published online 14th March, 2025
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
South Africa has a complex educational landscape. This study explored four children’s early home literacy practices and their uptake by Grade 1 teachers in rural Libode, Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. The paper addresses the critical need for understanding literacy development in multilingual, resource-constrained environments. Using a qualitative, ethnographic design underpinned by Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), the study used observations and interviews in home and school settings. The findings revealed a rich diversity of home literacy practices, including oral traditions and emerging digital literacy, contrasting with the school’s emphasis on phonics-based instruction and English as the language of learning. Significant disparities between home and school practices challenge children’s educational transition. Evidence of translanguaging suggests a potential for multilingual approaches to instruction. The study contributes valuable insights for developing culturally responsive pedagogies, informing teacher training, and guiding resource allocation to enhance literacy outcomes in South Africa’s Foundation Phase.
Keywords: Home literacy, School Literacy Practices, Cultural Historical Activity Theory, Foundation Phase and Ethnographic Design.
Biggs, E.E., A.P. Arserio, S.E. Robison, and M.E. Ross. “Home Literacy Environment and Interventions for Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Scoping Review.” Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research 66, no. 6 (2023): 2118–40.
Bourdieu, P. “ The Forms of Capital. (1986).” Cultural Theory: An Anthology 1, no. 81–93 (2011): 949.
Cheung, S.K., K.M. Dulay, X. Yang, F. Mohseni, and C. McBride. “ Home Literacy and Numeracy Environments in Asia.” Frontiers in Psychology 12 (2021): 578764.
Fakude, N.L. “Integrating Digital Technology in Teaching History in the Primary School .” University of Johannesburg, 2023.
Howie, Sarah J, Celeste Combrinck, Karen Roux, Mishack Tshele, Gabriel Mokoena, and Nelladee McLeod Palane. PIRLS Literacy 2016: Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2016: South African Children’s Reading Literacy Achievement. Centre for Evaluation and Assessment (CEA), 2017.
Iannuzzi, Robert. Boys and New Literacies: Honouring out-of-School Literacies within Classroom Practice. University of Toronto (Canada), 2014.
Joshi, R Malatesha, Catherine A McBride, Bestern Kaani, and Gad Elbeheri. Handbook of Literacy in Africa. Springer, 2023.
Kim, Y. “Bridging Transnational Funds of Knowledge into Classrooms: A Narrative Inquiry of a Korean Migrant Becoming a Teacher of Newcomer Students.” Diaspora, Indigenous, and Minority Education 17, no. 4 (2023): 299–316.
Kondowe, W., C.M. Kamanga, and P. Madula. Multilingualism in Southern Africa: Issues and Perspectives. Taylor & Francis, 2024.
Mabetha, K., L.M. Soepnel, G. Mabena, M. Motlhatlhedi, L. Nyati, S.A. Norris, and C.E. Draper. “ Mobile Technology Use in Clinical Research Examining Challenges and Implications for Health Promotion in South Africa: Mixed Methods Study.” JMIR Formative Research 8, no. 1 (2024): 48144.
Mahan, S.J., N.C. Phatudi, and M.R. Modise. “ Translanguaging as a Strategy for Navigating Multilingualism in Peri-Urban Preschool Classrooms.” South African Journal of Childhood Education 14, no. 1 (2024): 10.
Meiklejohn, C., L. Westaway, A.F. Westaway, and K.A. Long. “A Review of South African Primary School Literacy Interventions from 2005 to 2020.” South African Journal of Childhood Education 11, no. 1 (2021): 1–11.
Mojapelo, S.M. “ Whopping Low Reading Literacies in South Africa.” South African Journal of Libraries and Information Science 89, no. 1 (2023): 1–14.
Pascoe, M., M. Ndhambi, O. Mahura, N.P. Buthelezi, N. Husselmann, and B. Ludidi. “ Many Voices, Many Languages: Listening and Learning from South African Children.” In Early Childhood Voices: Children, Families, Professionals, 151–63. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2024.
Rzyankina, E. “ E-Textbooks as a Teaching Aid at a University of Technology in South Africa: A Cultural-Historical Activity Theory Analysis.” Education Sciences 14, no. 10 (2024): 1079.
Sannino, Annalisa, and Yrjö Engeström. “Cultural-Historical Activity Theory: Founding Insights and New Challenges.” Cultural-Historical Psychology 14, no. 3 (2018).
Sibanda, R., and L. Kajee. “ Home as a Primary Space: Exploring out-of-School Literacy Practices in Early Childhood Education in a Township in South Africa.” South African Journal of Childhood Education 9, no. 1 (2019): 1–10.
Singh, M., and T. Mukeredzi. “Teachers’ Experiences of Continuous Professional Development for Citizenship and Social Cohesion in South Africa and Zimbabwe: Enhancing Capacity for Deliberative Democracies.” In Frontiers in Education, Frontiers Media SA, 2024.
Spaull, Nic, and Elizabeth Pretorius. “Still Falling at the First Hurdle: Examining Early Grade Reading in South Africa.” South African Schooling: The Enigma of Inequality: A Study of the Present Situation and Future Possibilities, 2019, 147–68.
Spaull, Nicholas. “Poverty & Privilege: Primary School Inequality in South Africa.” International Journal of Educational Development 33, no. 5 (2013): 436–47.
Sung, H. UNESCO World Culture Report. In Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer International Publishing.: Cham: Springer International Publishing., 2024.
Vygotsky, L. S. Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1978.
Walt, C. van der. “Precarious Language Learning and Teaching: The Case of German, French and Mandarin in South African Schools.” Language Teaching Research Quarterly 39 (2024): 329-343.
Wei, L. “Transformative Pedagogy for Inclusion and Social Justice through Translanguaging, Co-Learning, and Transpositioning.” Language Teaching 57, no. 2 (2024): 203-214.
Xoliswa Patience Magxala is a dedicated lecturer passionate about fostering effective teaching and learning environments. With a strong background in childhood education, the researcher is committed to childhood development. As a university lecturer, the university is actively researching children’s literacy development and multilingualism, published in peer-reviewed journals.
Joseph Baidoo is a Senior lecturer at Walter Sisulu University, South Africa. His research interests span mathematics education and teacher training. He is an active member of the Southern African Association for Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (SAARMSTE) and has published several peer-reviewed articles in various journals. He currently supervises postgraduate students, contributing to the development of future educators in the field of mathematics education and teacher education.
Magxala, Xoliswa Patience and Joseph Baidoo. “Home Literacy Practices in Early Education: A Qualitative Case Study of Grade 1 School Children and Teacher Insights,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 6, no.3 (2025): 336-346. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2025638
© 2025 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
