Changing Lives and Empowering People through reading

Reading and Writing Solutions is a registered NPO promoting reading as an integral part in the education and development of learners. Samantha Faure started this reading programme of intervention in February 2014 and tells us more about the project.

Changing Lives and Empowering People through reading …

Volunteering is a foundational element of the human spirit and condition. To volunteer is a selfless act by any individual.

Heeding to a call in the November 2013 edition of the Athlone News, for members of the Athlone Community in the Western Cape, to assist as reading volunteers at the schools where learners experience difficulty with reading, a reading programme of intervention was started.

From very humble beginnings, very limited resources and with a few extremely committed and enthusiastic volunteers, an effective reading programme was implemented by Reading and Writing Solutions at the pilot school, Athlone North Primary in Athlone, Cape Town in February 2014.

Reading and Writing Solutions is a newly registered NPO promoting reading as an integral part in the education and development of learners, with its main objectives to:

• Instil a culture of reading by encouraging a love for books and the written word.
• Promote reading as the centre of any learning process
• Contribute towards the improvement of literacy performance of learners
• Develop communication, listening, leadership and creativity skills
• Develop writing skills
• Confidence
• Self-esteem
• Communication skills
• Responsibility
• Leadership skills
• Self-expression
• Self-reliance
• Understanding/conceptualising
• Reasoning ability

The organisation currently works at 5 primary schools in the Athlone community with a total of 60 volunteer reading tutors, which were recruited from the community. The volunteers include, amongst others, mothers, ex-teachers, ex-librarians, graduate students, businessmen and retired educationists.

The impact of the programme has seen to date learners developing in:

Training and Development

Reading tutor volunteers are required to do a 3-day compulsory training workshop before starting at the schools. The intention of the training workshop is to equip the volunteers with the necessary skills and tools to deliver on the intended outcome of the reading programme and objectives of Reading and Writing Solutions. Some of the objectives of the workshop include; to instil and encourage positive thinking, how to use visual media to prompt creativity, communication and insight; the power of words and how to use it effectively during reading sessions and effective listening skills.

Reading and Writing Solutions have been very fortunate in receiving generous book donations which have aided to the development of the reading programme and allowed for interesting, quality reading material to be used during the reading sessions. Other than promoting reading for enjoyment, the books have aided to the development of reading with comprehension, creative writing and thinking, spelling and vocabulary usage.

Reading-focused events organised by Reading and Writing Solution done to date:

World Book Day – 23^rd April 2014:

Athlone North Primary stepped into a world of reading at the Dulcie September Civic Centre in Athlone on 23^rd April 2014 for their schools’ World Book Day event. The foyer was decorated with posters, made by pupils, to highlight the importance of reading. Celebration of WBD was seen as a way to instil a culture of reading, not only at the school but also to take it out to the community as the involvement and support from parents in the development of their children’s education is crucial.  The highlight of the day was that every one of the 575 learners received a book that they could take home. It is only through the generous donations and sponsorships that enabled Reading and Writing Solutions to do this as for most of the children it was their first book to take home.

International Literacy Day: 8^th September 2014

An inaugural Quiz and Spelling Bee, an initiative by Reading and Writing Solutions, saw teams of Grade 6 learners of 12 Athlone primary schools competing for the coveted title on Monday, 8^th September 2014, which was also International Literacy Day. The event was well supported by parents, who packed the hall to capacity. The event was made possible through generous donations and sponsorships. Silverlea Primary School was crowned the spelling bee winners of the quiz and received a cash prize from Capitec Bank and dictionaries from Cambridge University Press. Bridgeville Primary’s B Team was the overall winner of the Quiz and prizes from Lewis Stores and  Nedbank was awarded to the school.

The Athlone News community newspaper is our media partner and has been instrumental in the recruitment of our volunteers, highlighting the importance of a reading culture, amplifying the message of books and reading to the community and covering all our events.

The programme encourages reading as a powerful tool to bring about change and is seen as one way to address the many challenges faced by communities daily.

Our belief is that all children deserve the opportunity to learn to use reading, writing and storytelling, meaningfully.

Reading and Writing Solutions is not funded, but rely on donations and sponsorships. If you are able to assist and add value to the literacy development of the learners, or if you would like to consider being a partner in this important initiative, please contact Jeff Paulse (programme manager) on 082 216 2460 or Samantha Faure (programme co-ordinator) on 076 368 7898 or email us at readwrite14@gmail.com.

Author: Samantha Faure