The ‘Ready Steady Read Write’ programme has been piloted at the Kranshoek Primary School to selected Grade R & Grade 1 learners, over the 1^st and 2nd term of 2018.

Sooneela Naina, manager of the Bitou10 Foundation, trained 6 tutors – one of which, Anthea Wiesie, was selected to attend co-ordinator training from Wordworks, Cape Town.

The tutors are concerned community members who want to improve literacy within their community and volunteer their time to assist with reading. They have received training from Bitou10 co-ordinators, Sooneela Naina and Anthea Wiesie.

Wordworks

The programme supports early language and literacy development of children from previously disadvantaged communities in South Africa.

The programme provides young children with the support they need to learn to read and write successfully. Trained volunteer tutors work with pairs of children on a weekly basis for at least six months.

There is a compelling body of evidence showing that, if we are to give our under-priveldged children a better chance of learning to read and write successfully, the right foundations for learning must be laid in the period before formal schooling begins.

View here for more information on the Wordworks programme.

Bitou10 would like to express their sincere gratitude to Wordworks for making a life changing difference and impact on the development of the learners and teachers in the Bitou area.

‘Ready Steady Read Write’

While the vast majority of children in South Africa now receive formal schooling, children living in poverty still have much less chance of learning to read and write successfully.

As long as our children fail to learn to read, our education system will not succeed in improving life chances and breaking the cycle of inter-generational poverty.

Too many of our learners from deeply deprived backgrounds find it difficult to cope with the educational curriculum in the Foundation Phase (Grades 1-3).

The objective of this programme is to prepare the children adequately for formal schooling.

Kranshoek volunteers and programme funders required.

Without financial support, our job would be extremely tough, if not impossible.

If you live in the Kranshoek area and would like to volunteer your time as a tutor, simply apply here.

We are also in need of funders to support the programme for another school in 2019. Please contact Bitou10 or simply apply here – your contribution would be greatly appreciated by all concerned.

For more information visit Bitou10’s website.