Training for Grade R teachers

In 2011, Wordworks has extended its work to include a training programme to strengthen literacy and language teaching in Grade R. While much progress has been made in South Africa in getting children into Grade R classes, the content and quality of provision is key to closing gaps for children from underprivileged backgrounds. The Grade R curriculum contains detailed information about what needs to be taught, but there is an urgent need for hands-on practical ideas and resources to translate these learning outcomes into classroom practice.

In partnership with the Centre for Early Childhood Development, in 2011 Wordworks is working with 20 preschools in the Lavender Hill and Vrygrond areas. Through monthly training sessions followed by site visits, we are helping Grade R teachers to ensure that learners enter Grade 1 with a solid language and literacy foundation.

The training programme covers language development through storytelling, emergent writing and drawing, incidental reading and development of letter- knowledge and phonological awareness. Teachers are introduced to a range of user-friendly, locally appropriate materials and techniques, and shown how to make their own resources where possible. Trainers deliver interactive learning through the facilitation of hands-on activities, report-back and critical examination of tasks, group discussions, and question and answer sessions. Our non-judgmental approach is built around the notion of scaffolding learning, whereby we seek to build on teachers’ existing knowledge and experience.

We will undertake a full evaluation of the effectiveness of the programme, in order to inform research and best practice in the field of early literacy and language training. We will also develop practice-based guidelines and resource packs that can be used by other preschools from 2012, enabling impacts to multiply over time and ensuring that more young children have age appropriate language skills and a strong foundation for learning to read and write.