Literacy programme helps primary school progress

The Shine Literacy Programme (SLP) assessments manifest positive improvements in English literacy performance after the second quarter of the academic calendar.

SLP, run by Bridge Church from Alberton, help average and struggling children learn to write, read and speak English at Chivirikani Primary School in Katlehong.

A retired teacher Shoki Motau, a church member, volunteered to manage the programme.

The church was looking for volunteers in January to assist with teaching Grade Two learners English literacy at Chivirikani Primary School.

Motau said at least 32 volunteers responded to the call after Kathorus MAIL published their article in the January 25 edition.

Some responded with interest but indicated that the distance would be an issue because they would need to use public transport, as most were from Spruitview and Leondale.

She explained she held telephonic discussions with all the volunteers to share the programme and to emphasize that there was no stipend.

Bridge Church started the programme with 14 volunteers this year, with one teaching two of the 35 children divided into two groups. There are currently seven volunteers.

“We started well with all the volunteers in the first term, and in the second term in April, some started being absent,” said Motau.

“The main issue was the need for a stipend because they travel and others walk. I understand, but I reminded them there was no stipend when we started. We provide them breakfast in the morning, which most did not want.”

Two volunteers from the recruits, and three from the old group, left after they got permanent work opportunities. One of the volunteers could not continue with the programme due to ill health, while others went silent.

She said they had to be flexible and find solutions. One of them was to increase the number of learners to three per volunteer, but it was frustrating for both learners and the volunteers.

However, this challenge did not affect the progress of the programme.

Motau showed Kathorus MAIL the assessment tests written by Grade One learners during the selections in November 2022.

Learners who wrote the 2022 selection assessment tests are currently in Grade Two. They wrote the same test for the 2023 mid-year assessment. The results are compared to track their progress.

“We prepared them through the two terms. They started with sounds, writing and reading. I also communicate with the teachers to find out if the child has challenges in class or at home,” she said.

“We discovered that learners confuse a D with B. I would then make the teachers aware of that and they assist.
In most cases, what we do during SLP, corresponds with what they do in class.”

She said after the test results are uploaded to the system, it generates a progress report.

According to the report in November 2022, 17 learners were at risk, 16 were below level, one was near level and one was on level. The 2023 mid-year assessment showed improvements with two learners at risk, 10 below average, 15 near level and eight on the level.

Matau said she is impressed with the commitment of volunteers, citing that even those who found employment attended until their last day.

“Thanks to them, we obtained these results,” she said.

A volunteer Wanda Mapemane (30), shared that their contribution is to teach Grade Two children to read, do the alphabet and construct sentences.

“At first, the learners were struggling because teachers have approximately 40 plus children in one class. We took those struggling the most to help them catch up with other children,” said Mapemane.

“So far, there is progress, but there are those who are still behind at the moment. We are helping them, and they are getting there.

He said the challenge is the concentration span of the learners who struggle to focus. When they do not understand something are shy to ask.

“We attend to the children one-on-one so we know where they find challenges, then focus on their weakness and help them. If the child has not grasped what we are teaching, we will repeat it next week until they understand.”

Mapemane said they want to help the children, noting they are getting no remuneration, but as long as the children are getting the correct information, learning and passing.

Hope Sigasa (22) joined the programme in July 2022 and is a volunteer that left the programme after getting a job as a teacher.

Sigasa said she did not have many challenges with the two learners she was handling because, at the beginning of the year, they focused on shared reading.

She said when she left in March, she was satisfied with their improvements, adding the children would have picked up what they were taught.

Sigasa said the children could read when they left the programme in 2022.

Details of the programme

The sessions are held twice a day, during school hours on Monday and Wednesday for an hour. The first session starts at 08:45 to 09:45, followed by the second session at 10:15 to 11:45.

Motau said they still needed volunteers. Interested volunteers may contact Motau at 079 525 2659 or email at progressive.cascade3112@gmail.com.