VVOB and Save the Children support school based literacy PLCs
While more children are in school today than ever before, sadly, many have not learned basic skills like reading by the time they leave school. Save the Children South Africa's Literacy Boost is helping to change that by creating a culture of reading both inside and outside the classroom.
Literacy Boost helps children learn to read and read to learn by
- measuring children's reading skills to see how well they know their ABCs, sound out words and letters, read and understand sentences.
- training teachers to help children crack the code of reading, keep students engaged and interested in reading books, and use games, songs and stories in literacy lessons.
- getting communities involved in learning by providing books, libraries and supplies, sponsoring camps, "reading buddies" and other learning activities
Teachers play a key role in improving learner literacy performance. Quality professional development for teachers is paramount to improved learner performance. However, often application in the classroom is a challenge. Save the Children, with the help of VVOB, engaged with the school leadership as they play an important role in creating a supportive environment for staff to try out and implement new skills.
On August 1st and August 2nd members of the School Management Teams of 40 schools in and around Bethlehem and Qwaqwa met to learn more about Professional Learning Communities. These school are all part of the Save the Children project. The workshop was facilitated by VVOB. Participants explored how PLCs can assist their teachers in trying out new skills, discussing challenges and learn with and from their peers. SMTs discussed their role in creating an encouraging environment for teachers to engage in a PLC. They set out a series of steps they can take to boost PLCs in their schools. By creating an institution that not only caters for quality teaching and learning but actually is a learning institution, the principal guides the institution in dealing with educational change.
