Foundation-phase (grade R to three) learners and teachers can now benefit from a highly successful international initiative that partners primary schools and universities to promote the improved teaching and learning of English. On a local level it has been tailored to include all 11 South African languages through the use of free interactive software and a range of educational resources.
Called the Absa Thrass TalkTogether Project and pioneered by the British educational psychologist and entrepreneur, Alan Davies, it incorporates a phonics component that focuses on the teaching of handwriting, spelling and word-solving skills.
A significant part of the project is a groundbreaking interactive computer program called Phoneme Machine, which uses moving human lips and the international phonetic alphabet to teach children and learners of all ages and abilities to read and spell in an entertaining and fun way.
Linking local universities to designated schools means the latter receive Thrass-trained student teachers, who help with the daily teaching of Thrass and other home languages. These teachers spend about two hours a week teaching and assessing the 10 Thrass skills and helping with the learning of home languages.
Each school also benefits from accredited Thrass training for staff and receives resources such as the state-of-the-art Smart interactive white boards for foundation-phase classes. The schools and universities also each receive a donation of 100 personal computers from the Lenovo Group.
Schools that are part of the initiative include: Roseneath Primary in Johannesburg, linked with Wits; Sunlands Primary, associated with Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Cape Town; George Randell Primary in East London, supported by Fort Hare University; and Eendracht Primary in Pretoria, associated with the University of Pretoria.