Vesconite Bearings is partnering with Stretch Education SA, a non-profit organisation based in Alexandra, Johannesburg. Twenty tutors work in two no-fee schools where there are 50 children per class and the English literacy rate of Grade 4 to Grade 7 learners is notoriously low.
These tutors received training in the Phono-Graphix method, an approach that teaches learners that letters are pictures of sounds, sounds can be represented by one or more letters, and combinations of sounds create words.
The tutors engage with Grade 2 and Grade 3 learners since these grades represent a critical period for English literacy development in South Africa, where English reading starts at Grade 4 for children whose mother tongue is another language.
Both schools involved in the project report significant improvements in literacy levels among Grade 2 and Grade 3 learners. At Carter Primary School, 202 Grade 2 learners and 188 Grade 3 learners participated in 2024, while at Skeen Primary School, 98 Grade 2 learners and 100 Grade 3 learners took part.
Testing conducted at the beginning and end of 2024 revealed measurable progress in the learners’ reading skills. “There was an observable improvement in learners’ reading skills with an overall improvement in reading proficiency over the year,” states Dr Marianne Felix, who initiated the project in 2019 and secured funding from IQ Business and Vesconite Bearings.
The project’s success also extended to learners in other grades. At Skeen Primary School, 95 Grade 1 learners, 42 Grade 4 learners, and eight Grade 5 learners participated. Carter Primary School, meanwhile, plans to expand its tutoring program to include Grade 4 learners, who will have access to voluntary afternoon English enrichment sessions in 2025.
This additional support is expected to have long-term benefits, as Grade 4 learners who read with comprehension perform better in Grade 8 Maths Literacy. Edu Fun CEO Jenny Taylor emphasises: “The reason why learners don’t do well in mathematics is that they can’t read the problems. Their arithmetic may be good, but they struggle with reading the questions.”
Edu Fun, a Johannesburg-based volunteer-led non-profit public-benefit organisation, provided the Phono-Graphix training to the Alexandra tutors. The Alexandra project drew inspiration from Edu Fun’s 20-year track record of success with its literacy programme at Diepsloot Combined School, located in the informal settlement of Diepsloot in Northern Johannesburg.
According to Taylor, “The biggest issue in our township schools [historically designated for “black” inhabitants of South Africa] is vocabulary. The earlier we can get students reading real words, the better their comprehension will be. In the Alexandra project schools, Stretch tutors are moving beyond teaching the alphabet in isolation, enabling learners to read real words within weeks of starting literacy lessons.”
The Stretch programme’s impact extended beyond the learners, benefiting the 20 tutors involved in 2024. These tutors gained Level 4 Early Childhood Development (ECD) training, funded by Vesconite Bearings and provided by LoveTrust and the Teachers Learning Centre, with plans for 8 of them to pursue Level 5 ECD training in 2025.
In 2025, eight of the 2024 tutors will assist with advanced students and the Stretch Centre after-school programmes in Alexandra. Additionally, 20 new tutors, sponsored by IQ Business are set to join Stretch Education in 2025, providing more learners with access to improved literacy education while gaining valuable work experience. Vesconite Bearings provides funding for good management of the programme and training.
