We started back at Ed Support with a BANG, spending some time together as a team preparing and dreaming for the year; registering children and organising kitting out nearly all of our kids with a new school uniform, shoes and underwear. This was all before our sessions and activities started up! In January already we had 78 children register to attended before we opened and since schools have begun their year and ES is up and running again, we have had nearly 140 children pass through our doors to participate in Maths and Language sessions, access homework support and reading support. It’s been a busy start to the year and an exciting one, with the Ed Support team, parents, children and volunteers all excited about the year ahead.
Our Friday activities have also started and along with the regular cooking, drama, sewing, sports and crafts groups, this term a dance group and a netball group has also started. The vegetable garden is getting a new focus with Uncle Mondli and his team of high school boys taking responsibility for planting and maintaining it. When cleaning out the overgrown weeds and vegetables which had grown over the holidays some wonderful produce was discovered and so we have our first vegetables from the garden already!
For the last few years in Ed Support one of our main priorities has been to get our kids reading and passionate about reading. We are continuing to focus on reading skills this year with new fervor. A study by Progress in International Reading Literacy Group, published recently, revealed that 78% of Grade 4 children cannot read for meaning in any of South Africa’s official languages, specifically 87% of those tested in isiZulu could not read for meaning and 57% of learners tested in English did not reach the low benchmark for comprehension. The study also indicated that significantly more boys had lower reading levels and those living in rural areas and townships also had lower reading levels. The current research highlights the struggle South African schools and homes are facing with reading and the importance of developing reading and comprehension skills in afterschool programmes such as ours. The research from PIRLS has quantitated what has been known for a while; that there needs to be a focus in developing reading skills and encouraging children to read in the foundational years so the skills are developed before it is too late.
This year, every day our kids will engage in some form of planned reading, whether it be through our individual reading programme (reading books and participating in activities developing reading skills); group reading in our sessions; story-time in our langauge sessions or quiet reading during homework time. We are hoping to continue building a love for reading that spills into the homes and to continue building reading and comprehension skills that equip learners to succeed in life and school. We will keep you updated with our reading progress and adventures during the year.
This year we are also going to be strengthening our relationships and links with the local schools many of our children attend. To begin with two high schools and three primary schools have been highlighted and our ES team have been allocated to a school each to build relationships with and explore how the support we give can work alongside the schools and teachers more. We are starting to build with the principles of each of the schools already and hope to build personal relationships with staff members. The hope is to also build a tighter referral system for the teachers to refer children for additional support or children with whom they have concerns about their well-being.
Last year, nearly all of children completed a basic health assessment (which will happen again this year). It was picked up in one of our kids that he was really struggling to hear. Here is his story of how Ethembeni ES was able to help him (as told by his mentor)…
Sipho (13) is from Mpophomeni township, and he has suffered hearing loss for years. It has been really hard for him at school and even at home. His caregiver has been trying to get him help but it hasn’t been easy as she herself suffered stroke few year ago. Sipho joined Ethembeni’s ES program last year and after few assessments done by our nurse Kathrine, she referred him to an Audiologist in Pietermaritzburg. After assessments with the Audiologist, it was decided that he urgently needed hearing aid. Measurements were carried out and also final assessments were conducted. On the 15th of January 2018 Sipho got his hearing aid and his hearing has been excellent. His family is really grateful and very excited that he is able to hear better.
Lessons. Experiences. Life. 