(Department of Education, Science and Training, 2005). Effective reading instruction occurs when a child successfully learns to read fluently, confidently, with a full understanding of meaning and context. A teacher must understand the developmental aspects of how a child learns to read, but also how to engage a modern-day child with rich, authentic texts that motivate them and connect them to their social environment. An educator must integrate the curriculum and also be open to choosing, adapting and structuring approaches using techniques that best suit their teaching style and situation. Approaching literacy with a balanced approach of both meaning- and skill-oriented methods supports the development of the child's phonological awareness and comprehension skills, and supports the elements that surround these components. Each area must be taught explicitly and systematically for learning to occur, and strategies must be put in place to work towards developing independent readers who can read the text fluently, but also make sense of it, which is to both beneficial and essential for long-term success. in a child's literacy