According to the National Language Arts Curriculum Guide, Language Arts incorporates a number of skills. These should not be developed in isolation. The recommendad approach is to integrate. To what extent have our teachers been using this approach in their reading instruction?

According to the document, "the skills do not operate independently of each other and therefore must be developed simultaneously in the classroom. The neglect of one skill can lead to reduced facility in the other".

The following position outlined in the Curriculum Plicy document is a useful guide to teachers across content areas:

Reading provides the vocabulary, expressions, ideas and stylistic devices, which the student can transfer to writing and speaking. Through the skill of listening, the student can also gain information, which can filter into his/her speech and writing. Media and visual literacy facilitates and is facilitated by reading and writing and provides another medium through which students can communicate.

All the skills are informed by thinking and consequently, additional skills are gained by the students. They learn to think critically, analyse problems and draw conclusions.

Thus, they become critical, discerning individuals who are aware of what is taking place in their society and who are able to respond to it. It becomes important, therefore, for the teacher to develop all these skills in the language classroom:

LISTENING
SPEAKING
LITERATURE
READING
WRITING
MEDIA AND VISUAL LITERACY