Challenges in developing beginning reading skills among key stage 1 learners: Perspectives of teachers, parents, and learners

Abstract

Beginning reading difficulties among Key Stage 1 learners pose significant challenges to early literacy development, arising from the interplay of learner-related, instructional, and contextual/home factors. This qualitative study explored the experiences of 17 learners, three teachers, and three parents at Elizabeth Elementary School to identify the factors contributing to early reading challenges. Semi-structured interviews revealed that learner-related issues, including deficits in phonological awareness, low reading fluency, and limited motivation, impede the acquisition of foundational reading skills. Instructional limitations, such as inadequate scaffolding, insufficient individualized support, and scarcity of reading materials, further constrain learners’ opportunities for practice and skill development. Contextual and home-related factors—including low parental engagement, parental illiteracy, minimal literacy exposure at home, and socioeconomic constraints—exacerbate reading difficulties. The findings underscore the necessity for comprehensive, context-specific interventions that integrate targeted instruction, teacher professional development, and enhanced parental involvement. Addressing these cognitive, instructional, and environmental dimensions simultaneously can improve early literacy outcomes, mitigate persistent reading difficulties, and support sustainable educational engagement, consistent with the principles of the Simple View of Reading.