Reading workshop aids teachers
Reading to Learn blessed local teachers with a workshop that provided researched solutions to the literacy issues faced by South African learners.
Sixty teachers attended a workshop hosted by Mike Hart and Deb Avery of Reading to Learn (RTL) at St Margaret’s Church hall in Margate recently.
Operating under the Literacy Association of South Africa, RTL has set out to raise awareness of reading challenges in South Africa, and to provide local teachers with its programme.
The aim is to train teachers to approach challenges in a manner that will potentially reshape the contemporary landscape of South African learners.
The PIRLS 2021 report (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) indicates that over 80% of Grade 4 leaners in South Africa cannot read for meaning, indicating that it has one of the lowest reading results worldwide.
The purpose of the workshop was to help teachers recognise issues and implement the necessary adjustments required to remedy them.
Mike and Deb conducted a realistic classroom teaching experience to give teachers a first hand idea of what can be improved.
“The teachers are not at fault. The system is,” said Deb.
Meg Dickson and Jenny Baker, organisers of Sithanda Ukufunda, a local NPO focused on the year-round distribution of books to local schools similar to libraries, also attended.
Sizwe Mbhele, school library advisor of the Department of Education said: “This valuable workshop will make a huge difference in assisting teachers as they implement the read to learn strategy”.
He also added: “RTL is in line with the KZN reading strategy, which emphasises the involvement of all interested organisations in the field of reading.”
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