Cape Town - Living Through Learning (LTL) and Coronation Fund Managers’ Reading Adventure Rooms programme said they were able to help over 27 000 disadvantaged pupils in grades 1 and 2 get back on track with vital early literacy skills amid the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The programme expanded to 17 Western Cape schools this year with an engaging step-by-step English literacy curriculum to support educators and learners in a dedicated room that accelerated learning and improved the learners’ systemic results.
The Coronation Reading Adventure Rooms programme was implemented in disadvantaged, mostly no-fee, primary schools in Athlone, Lavender Hill, Idas Valley, Lotus River, Swellendam, Bishop Lavis, Matroosfontein, Grassy Park, Nyanga, Mitchell’s Plain and Parow.
Coronation Fund Managers CSI champion Wendy Bergsteedt said children could not reach their full academic potential over time without solid basic literacy skills.
Thus, each Reading Adventure Room was decorated with a 3D theme and was fully equipped with motor skills development tools in order to lay a strong foundation for early literacy.
“Some schools have libraries, but most of them unfortunately don’t have an active library where there is a dedicated room with a staff member taking care of books. In most schools, the educator will have a few books in her classroom.
“That’s why the Reading Adventure Rooms are fun places for the learners to go to learn, play and read,” said LTL executive director Natalie Roos.
Fereal Amos, a teacher at Levana Primary School in Lavender Hill, said: “In my Grade 2 Afrikaans class, I saw how learners’ handwriting improved over a short space of time and their English FAL assessment marks improved over their HL marks. The technical skills that the learner learns on the programme form part of their schooling culture.”
Speaking on the impact the programme has had on learners, LTL facilitator Elvina Wylie said a young learner from Mkhanyiseli Primary School learned to read, speak and write in English within a single term after starting out not being able to read a word of English.
Lotus River Primary School educators said: “The programme not only helped our kids improve their phonics and reading skills, but also their fine motor skills which is important for school readiness.”
LTL urged more stakeholders to get involved in the hope of rolling out the programme to all foundation-phase schools in the Western Cape.