News

It is now 18months since the start of the Reading Gogo project at Daveyton Intermediate School in Daveyton. Our 20+ Gogos have remained faithful in their attendance at school each Friday morning with improved reading and understanding of English reported by this year’s Grade 4 teacher.

Because our relationship with the teachers has become closer we are now working together as a team. This year the concept of group work was introduced in an effort to make the large class numbers more manageable. At the Gogo visit the children are divided into 5 groups and a variety of activities are facilitated by the teacher and the Gogo together. The children really enjoy hearing stories, reading stories, playing word games, making models with play dough, cutting and sticking and above all having variety in their reading time. We have noticed their concentration levels and ability to work unsupervised improving. The children now begin to help one another and the atmosphere in the classrooms have a buzz of learning enjoyment about them.

Mr. Dube the Principal invited the parents to observe their children’s progress and to meet the Gogos. It was a wonderful moment to observe the children dragging their parents by the hand - “come and meet Gogo Mom!”

Two other schools served by the Mobile Library now have a Reading Gogo programme – Letsha Primary and Chief Luthuli School. Both schools had heard about the programme and requested Gogos in their school. In total we now have almost 40 Gogos reading to over 1000 children every week.

Because reading is a more complex activity than many of us imagined the schools are beginning to implement a phonic programme called THRASS (teaching handwriting reading and spelling skills). This will form the basis of a comprehensive school reading programme with the Gogos supporting it in their reading time. The THRASS programme is sponsored by Absa and each school has been fortunate to receive resources which will enable the programme to go ahead. Combined Teacher and Gogo training ensures that our team work continues. We believe that the children can only benefit from this combined approach.

Ekufundeni (which includes the Reading Gogo Project) has received sponsorship from Rotary Clubs in South Africa and overseas, donations of books from Cambridge University Press, High Voltage Technology and other local businesses. Thank you for your support.

It is now a common sight to see children reading, sharing books and magazines and coming to the Mobile Library Warehouse to choose their own books! Ekufundeni – a place of reading – is coming alive in Daveyton!