A recent study placed Gr. 4 learners in South Africa as last in 57 countries when it comes to reading for meaning.
The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (Pirls) placed South Africa last of the 57 countries assessed and highlighted how 81% of Gr. 4 learners struggled to understand what they read.
However, countries that have embraced Jolly Phonics, such as Singapore (first) and England (fourth) performed very well.
The Free State Department of Education has launched the Jolly Phonics programme in an effort to improve the reading outcomes of children. The whole project is overseen by the non-profit organisation (NPO) Universal Learning Solutions who have now trained over 200 000 teachers in Jolly Phonics across Africa, making the project the largest literacy project in the continent.
Dr Daisy Reddy, country director of Universal Learning Solutions, says Jolly Phonics is an evidence-based, fast-track English literacy programme that teaches the 42 sounds of the alphabet in a fun, child-centred manner. It is a fun, play-based interactive method using a multisensory approach to develop reading proficiency of learners.
The training of Gr. 1 teachers took place from 18 to 21 June. Over the week, 1 258 teachers from across the five districts in the Free State received training along with resources. Reddy said she is grateful for the opportunity to improve the reading and writing skills of the Free State’s early grade learners.
