Lessons Monday 24 and Tuesday 25 February 2020

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	07 November 2025

	Hello , Edu Fun literacy Programme - the week ahead Lessons continue on Monday and Tuesday as usual. We invite all volunteers to stay on for a bit after the lesson on Monday as Gillean and I will be running mini information sessions parallel to each other. All new volunteers or those who haven't attended a workshop before (or have, but would like a refresher) on how to teach the 4 basic Phono-Graphix lessons can attend an informal workshop with me from 10:05am to 11am in the office section of the Hub. Gillean will meet with all the leaders as well as any volunteer who can stay from 10:05am to discuss the lessons and all the worksheets that have been prepared ahead of time for the rest of the term. Leaders (and their volunteers) will be able to access worksheets and other resources from the hub as and when they need them and Gillean will show everyone our new filing system. After this session, Gillean will then meet with a group of the DCS teachers and volunteers who have done the full Phono-Graphix course and are going to pursue the certification. She will discuss the paperwork required and the various milestones. This session will start at 10:30am and will be finished before 11am. So, please grab a cup of tea or coffee after the lesson and join us in the hub for any of the above sessions. Meet 'n Greet in Dainfern and then Car Pool to Diepsloot Volunteers will meet Gillean on Monday and Jenny on Tuesday at Dainfern Valley Shopping Centre at 8:30 outside Piatto's and car pool to Diepsloot. We will be back in Dainfern by 10:30/10:45. PLEASE TRY AND ARRIVE PROMPTLY AT 8:30 AND BE READY TO LEAVE BY 8:40 SO THAT OUR LESSONS CAN START AT 9AM. WITH THE HUB NOW BEING OUR FIRST POINT OF CALL IT TAKES A FEW EXTRA MINUTES TO COLLECT THE RESOURCES AND GET TO THE VARIOUS VENUES FOR THE LESSONS. If this is your first time volunteering, it would be useful to click on this link and read the general information about volunteering, our meeting point, and a link with directions and a map to Piatto's (which is in the process of changing it's name to VALLEY Bar & Grill) Monday 17 February - teaching of 3 sound words to differentiated groups of learners We will be running 8 groups of reading lessons parallel to each other on Monday mornings. This means that our group sizes will be considerably less so that we can give more personalised attention. Please can all volunteers start at the hub and then make your way with the various leaders to the venue that you will be assigned to. Some volunteers have their set groups/leaders that they would like to work with. It is not essential, but it does make education sense for our regular volunteers to stick to one group each week so that you get to know the learners and your leader in order to maximise the short time we have. All groups started on the Pink Level of the programme which means we will be dealing mainly with 3 sound words. Please see the attached lesson plan to view the basic steps that each leader will follow when getting learners to build, manipulate, read and spell the words. The learners will be grouped into one of the following 8 groups. * If your name is not listed below, you will be allocated to a group on Monday Red Group - Container classroom - Ms Mothapo (+ assigned volunteers) Pink Group - 2a class room - Lianne & Ms Ngcobo (+ assigned volunteers: Eva, Lisa, Andrea, Debra, Joanne, Liesel) Gold Group - Hub Office - Dudu Blue Group - 2b class room - Gillean and Ms Mogotlane (+ assigned volunteers: Gayle, Claire, Annika) Green Group - Hub (Sick Bay) - Jeanne Silver Group - Hub Training Room - Anne & Judy Purple Group - 2c class room - Sachi and Ms Makgoba (+ assigned volunteers: Monique, Harriet, Judy F, Natasha, Hans) Orange Group - Library - Meghan (+ assigned volunteers + Priyanka if she's not needed elsewhere :-) ) Tuesday 18 February - Grade 2 Lessons Continue Approximately 80 Grade 2 children have been selected for our 2020 programme based on last year's results. Depending on the number of volunteers we get, we will try and work with all 80 learners in smaller groups. 30+ learners are the top learners from 2019, who we feel can really excel and will benefit from English Enrichment lessons. The rest are children who have been identified as having a lot of potential, have acquired the basic skills and code knowledge (letters and their representing sounds), but would benefit from extra lessons in the blue level (4 sound words). See lesson plans attached for the process that our lessons follow. All resources and worksheets are provided for all our programmes. The Phono-Graphix Reading Method Read for Africa's Phono-Graphix Reading Method is the methodology of choice at all our Edu Fun Literacy sites. We do run informal workshops for new volunteers once a term after, however most training takes place on-site observing and working with other volunteers. We will run an informal workshop on Monday after class from 10:05am to 11am in the Hub. Any new volunteers or those needing a bit of a refresher are welcome to attend. Gillean will also run an informal session with the group leaders and other volunteers at 10:05am to show everyone where the worksheets and other resources will be kept in the hub so that anyone is able to collect/ replace resources as an when needed. I've also asked Gillean to share her experience as a group leader and how she paces herself according to the group as progress can be slow in the beginning and new leaders (especially) do not need to feel obligated to complete a worksheet each week :-) All volunteers are always welcome to attend more in-depth courses with Read for Africa at no charge. Opportunities to pursue an international certification are available to all volunteers at a nominal fee. Email buddy@readforafrica.com if you would like to find out more about the Phono-Graphix reading method or the courses that are available to volunteers. Our next weekend course starts on 9 May - the detailed information sheet is attached. New Volunteers may wish to view this video to learn a bit about the Phono-Graphix method we use to teach reading. The video clip takes you through the 4 key principles behind the programme as well as discusses a few topical debates such as learning how to read in your mother tongue versus English. There is also a practical demonstration of word building and buddy reading towards the end. Results from 2019 Literacy Programme - we keep moving forward. As most of you know we conduct pre- and post-assessments at the start and end of each academic year to measure the progress that our learners make in Grade 2 and 3. These results are pivotal to both our Edu Fun literacy programme in terms of grouping of the learners as well as the teachers' planning and reporting. Karen Stowell, a Game Ranger at Mabula Game Reserve happens to be an accountant too and spends many hours behind the scenes capturing and analysing our data. She has compiled the attached reports on last year’s results and has noted some interesting trends. It is always fascinating to note which DCS teachers have done the Phono-Graphix course, which teachers involve themselves in programmes like the Saturday School and Holiday Programmes, the class sizes etc. which all have an impact on the results. If you would like to understand these results further please chat to me and we can always get Karen to discuss in more detail when she is next in Johannesburg. Partner Projects If you are new to Edu Fun or would like to be reminded about all of our partner projects, please see the attached overview document. This provides information and contact details for each of our partner projects and their co-ordinators, namely the Ngangifisa Food Pantry (Meghan), Sewing (Karin), Health Group (Michaela) and Baby Club (Anthea). We continue to expand our Literacy programme beyond Diepsloot and are working in Wakkerstroom, Alexandra and Rosettenville too. Follow us on Instagram (edufunsouthafrica) and Facebook to see what we're up to. We also Partner with an organisation called Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority who are actively involved with Edu Fun and support all of our partner projects. They "Spread a Little Love" every Monday by providing over 200 Peanut Butter Sandwiches to all the Grade 2 learners. Dates to Diarise for 2020 We have another action packed year ahead and are in the process of planning various events with our partner projects and groups who support us. We will keep adding to the calendar below, but please diarise the following in the meantime: Term 1: Weekly Lessons until Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 March 2020 Volunteer information session on Monday 24 February 2020 from 10am to 11am School Closes on 20 March 2020 Food Pantry - Usually the last Wednesday in every month, sometimes sooner due to school holidays. the next food distribution will take place next Wednesday 26 February from 11am. The Health Group meets most Tuesdays to do basic health screenings mainly to identify which children would benefit from receiving spectacles. Term 2: Lessons for the second term will only resume on Monday 4 May due to the school holidays, Easter and the public holidays over April and May. Due to such a long break - we hope to offer a few extra lessons in the school holidays Saturday 9 - 9am to 3:30pm An in-depth Phono-Graphix course offered to volunteers who would like to attend further training to learn how to teach reading. See the attached information sheet for details. WINTER HOLIDAY PROGRAMME Tuesday 30 June, Wednesday 1 July and Thursday 2 July 2020 TERM 3 AND 4 DATES AND EVENTS TO BE CONFIRMED END OF YEAR HOLIDAY PARTIES Monday 16 November 2020 Tuesday 17 November 2020


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