Whatshot
Literacy lifts Learners
Literacy lifts Learners
It took just six months of tackling foundational literacy challenges with the 'Gateway into Reading' programme to register a 20% mark improvement in Grade 1 learners at Ekuthuleni Primary School in Besters, Durban. Leigh-Ann Stevens, The Domino Foundation's Life Skills programme leader, spoke about this significant outcome: "We started with the Grade 1's in 2019 and are continuing with them into Grade 2 and will see the same children using it in Grade 3 in 2021. A control group of 36 learners was assessed both in written work and oral understanding before and after Step 1 of the programme and again at the end of Step 2. We found that, after the Gateway into Reading intervention, the children's understanding had improved from 70% to 90%."
Finding that affordable basic reading material for learners struggling in this area was not available, the Kloof-based Neema Foundation developed the 'Gateway into Reading' curriculum which the Life Skills programme has formulated to fit with its way of working into schools. Leigh-Ann commented, "Helping children develop good literacy skills is crucial in setting them on the path to academic and lifelong success. This is a pilot programme and upskills and supports educators to teach English as a second language. We support the right of children to be taught in their mother tongue, but it is vitally important for them to be proficient in English as a second language as English is so widely used globally. In preparing children for the fourth industrial revolution, we need to ensure that they are excellent communicators in both their mother tongue and English."
The Neema Foundation gives the introductory training and then, at the start of each Step, training workshops are run by a 'Gateway into Reading' specialist teacher and hosted by the Domino Foundation. During each Step, the specialist is employed by The Domino Foundation to conduct lesson evaluations and reviews and helps teachers deliver the curriculum in the most effective way.
Leigh-Ann's team has developed and printed all the material for each step of the programme and developed resource packs for the teachers. "The programme will eventually be rolled out at the school in all its seven stages. The specialist teacher will observe and evaluate the teachers at least once during each stage".
Leigh-Ann added, "Gateway into Reading is laying foundations in the children's lives which will equip them for the academic demands of their school lives and for their futures as productive members of their communities." She said that to help the programme grow, interested sponsors are invited to contact her (031 563 9605/leigh-ann@domino.org.za). "Eight hundred million people around the world cannot read. We are determined our children should not be amongst those severely disadvantaged people."