• ADDRESSING BARRIERS TO LEARNING - A SOUTH AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE 3/E

• Landsberg E (Editor), Krüger D, Swart E (Assistant Editors)

Everyone has the right to education. The main objective of any  education system in a democratic society is to provide quality education for all learners so that they will be able to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to and participate in that society throughout their lives. With the publication of the Education White Paper 6 in 2001, South Africa proclaimed its policy of inclusive education; however, this policy is not always clearly understood by educators. Addressing barriers to learning provides relevant and in-depth knowledge to prepare educators better to teach all the learners in their class groups. 

Addressing barriers to learning covers the complete continuum of barriers to learning as reflected in the Education White Paper 6, including the most vulnerable of them: those who are economically and educationally disadvantaged; those with physical, sensory, intellectual, and/or learning impairment; and those displaying challenging behaviour who are at risk of exclusion. Case studies offer practical examples and activities provide opportunities for hands-on experience with classroom practice and management, collaboration with all role players and mobilisation of community involvement, which is at the heart of true inclusion.

 Section A Introduction

Chapter 1 A framework for understanding inclusion

Chapter 2 Legal and ethical considerations for barrier-free education

Section B Addressing Socioeconomic Barriers

Chapter 3 Socioeconomic barriers to learning in contemporary society

Section C Addressing Educational Barriers

Chapter 4 Identification and assessment of barriers to learning

Chapter 5 Learning support

Chapter 6 Early childhood development and intervention

Chapter 7 Addressing life skills challenges

Section D Addressing Literacy Barriers

Chapter 8 First language: challenges in spoken language

Chapter 9 First language: challenges in reading, writing and spelling

Chapter 10 Second-language difficulties in a South African context

Chapter 11 Augmentative and alternative communication

Chapter 12 Challenges in mathematics: mathematical literacy and numeracy

Section E Addressing Attitude Barriers

Chapter 13 Family and community partnerships

Chapter 14 Xenophobia

Section F Addressing Disability

Chapter 15 Orientation: neurology in an educational perspective

Chapter 16 Physical impairment

Chapter 17 Epilepsy

Chapter 18 Cerebral palsy

Chapter 19 Skeletal and muscular impairment

Chapter 20 Autism spectrum disorder

Chapter 21 Visual impairment

Chapter 22 Educating the deaf and hard-of-hearing learner

Chapter 23 Learning impairment

Chapter 24 Intellectual impairment

Chapter 25 Severe disabilities

Section G Addressing Health Impairment

Chapter 26 Health impairments and conditions in children

Section H Addressing Challenging Behaviour

Chapter 27 Addressing challenging behaviour in the classroom

Section I Addressing Giftedness

Chapter 28 Addressing giftedness