Joan Gerntholtz is passionate about sounds – and we’re not talking about kwaito or rhythm and blues. Her obsession is the perfection of phonics, the crucial building blocks that started us all on the road to reading bliss.
Most of us can recall slowly stumbling through endless repetitions of b-a-t, c-a-t and m-a-t, but pay little attention to that now. But phonics remains crucial to children’s learning in the foundation phase.
Realising this, Gerntholtz has developed a chart that will teach far more sounds than current charts, most of which follow the alphabet’s 26 letters. The remedial therapist and former Grade 1 and 2 teacher is now determined to introduce the chart into every foundation classroom in South Africa through her non-governmental organisation, Enrichment Programmes.
‘I’ve always worried about these little children who are so clever when you speak to them, but when they have to put it in writing you don’t get the same result,” says Gerntholtz. ‘When I first started remedial work I realised that there could be so many problems, like visual or auditory coordination or emotional problems. But the common factor among all these children was that they didn’t know their sounds or phonics.”
Armed with this knowledge, Gerntholtz sought a better way to teach phonics with the help of another young teacher, Felicity Barber. They found the solution in an unlikely source: an existing phonics chart from the creator of shorthand that teaches a number of the ‘mis-sing sounds that make up the 44 sounds of the English language,” says Gerntholtz. ‘The idea behind it was fantastic. I use it to show learners that you don’t only look at one letter, but at clusters that are put together.”
The chart teaches that there are a number of ways to get certain sounds. For example, the sound ‘ae” can be written as ‘eigh” (as in eight) or ‘ay”, as in ‘say”. The chart also helps to clarify complex language rules that could cause problems later.
With a revamped chart, Gerntholtz had a winning concept that has revolutionised a tricky subject. Sponsors helped her to print thousands of them, which she distributes free to clusters of foundation-level teachers around the country in various seminars, often organised with the help of education departments.
Gerntholtz is currently busy in the Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State, but the charts can be found in 15 000 independent and public schools throughout South Africa – most delivered by Gerntholtz, who loves nothing more than to be out on the road.
‘I love the contact with educators – to meet so many of these women, who are the most amazing people, doing so much for so little, and nobody hears about them,” she says.
The charts are offered in sets of three and are accompanied by books, audio and video tapes and a game (which are all for sale). The set is worth R80. The back of the chart has information and examples of words that can help the teacher.
For further information, you can call
(011) 787 8671 or 082 433 9818