The THRASS synthetic phonics programme is already enjoying considerable success in the Caribbean and now the Government of Barbados is seriously considering implementing THRASS for all children aged three to nine, in order to increase literacy through the improved teaching and learning of English. 

This latest development follows three days of training involving 130 teachers, lecturers and Government officials on behalf of the Ministry of Education of the Government of Barbados, by British Educational Psychologist and Executive Director of THRASS UK, Alan Davies. The first two days were spent teaching the THRASS Accredited Certificate, and the third day was a Demonstration Day, with two primary school demonstration lessons on TEACHING THRASS, and a third with a high school class using THRASS SING-A-LONG, the exciting new THRASS Family Reading Project that uses 44 songs that parents and others can sing with children to explain the 44 sounds (phonemes) and 120 main spelling choices (graphemes) of English. There were also two presentations of THRASS SING-A-LONG for student teachers at Erdiston College and one for the Caribbean Dyslexia Association. 

THRASS UK has built a reputation for providing high quality professional development courses in many countries and the THRASS (Teaching Handwriting Reading And Spelling Skills) synthetic phonics programme is widely accepted as providing a revolutionary approach to teaching English; it is used in thousands of nurseries, schools, colleges and universities in many countries and is widely acknowledged as having the potential to more than double the normal rate of progress for reading and spelling in English.

The THRASS SING-A-LONG Family Reading Project and MOVE-A-LONG WITH SING-A-LONG workshops give parents and teachers the confidence to dance and perform actions to the 44 songs with children to help them read and spell. The SING-A-LONG songs, written by Janine Plunkett, are real fun for both adults and children, as they all have wonderful imaginative titles such as “The moon fell out of the sky”, “A great big gorilla” and “You don’t get pandas in Africa”, and really memorable tunes in different musical styles and dance rhythms such as such as African Round, Blues, Charleston, Hawaiian, Jazz, Ragtime and Reggae.

The project and the workshops are already having a major impact in South Africa and have just been launched in the Northern Hemisphere. “Exceptional.” “Educational, inspiring, refreshing and fun.” “SING-A-LONG was a fantastic experience that I can’t wait to use with my students.” “One of the most wonderful learning experiences I have ever had.” “Fantastic workshop that every teacher should have an opportunity to be a part of.” These were some of the reactions of those attending the workshops in Barbados, and SING-A-LONG is now also expected to have a major impact in Barbados and elsewhere in the Caribbean. 

THRASS is already used in the Caribbean for both mainstream children and also children with special educational needs, including dyslexia, and has already received extremely favourable reviews there. The response from those attending the three day training can only be described as overwhelming. “I have been teaching for 30 years and for the first time I have experienced a structured system that can assist me in meeting the many challenges of the teaching of reading.” “This workshop has been unlike any I have previously attended. Most were worthwhile, actually quite good. This however has excelled.” “THRASS has been a real pleasure to be part of. It is an excellent programme that should be implemented in Barbados.” “I am blown over by this multi-sensory approach.” “Day 1 great. Day 2 great. Day 3 fantastic!”

The Barbadian Government’s National Policy on the Teaching of Reading aims to increase the consistency with which high quality reading instruction is delivered across the school system; to provide supplemental, individualised interventions for students who have reading difficulties; and to create a love for reading as an enjoyable pastime. It is therefore easy to see why THRASS, with its multi-sensory approach and universal appeal is ideally suited to helping implement this policy.  

Alan Davies believes that parents need to understand and use four 'searchlights' for reading with their children: a ‘Word Recognition Searchlight’, a ‘Phonics Searchlight’, a ‘Context Searchlight’ and a ‘Grammar Searchlight’, rather than focusing solely on the ‘Phonics Searchlight’, an approach which is inadequate for both parents and young children. The THRASS SING-A-LONG Resources will help parents and others understand synthetic phonics alongside the three other ‘searchlights’ and make it much easier for children and adults to master the sounds and spelling choices of English.  

In Africa, THRASS has been welcomed as heralding the start of a new era in the teaching of English and has enjoyed considerable success in many different types of schools ranging from farm schools in the Kwena Basin, Mpumalanga to prestigious independent schools such as the Crawford Schools, the largest group of independent schools in South Africa. Over 4,000 teachers and student teachers in South Africa have earned the THRASS Accredited Certificate and Janine Plunkett has now been invited to train Foundation Phase student teachers in five South African universities, starting with the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

A further indication of the significance of THRASS is that in South Africa it is being sponsored by Absa Bank, a member of the Barclays Group, through the THRASS Absa TalkTogether Project that intends to introduce the programme into 1,000 schools using the SING-A-LONG Resources, and Pritt.

The THRASS extensive picture-based training website for schools and parents with easy access to a wide range of resources and support materials and extensive evidence of the widespread success of THRASS is at www.thrass.co.uk/teaching.htm

For information, videostreams and a radio broadcast about THRASS IN THE CARIBBEAN, visit www.thrass.co.uk/thrassinthecaribbean.htm

For information about the THRASS SING-A-LONG Family Reading Project, visit www.thrass.co.uk/sing-a-long.htm

For details of THRASS Professional Development Courses, visit www.thrass.co.uk/courses.htm


Issued by: THRASS UK News Media Centre www.thrass.co.uk/nm.htm

Mike Meade, Media Director, +44 1829 741413 Mob: 07970 151 738 mikemeade@thrass.co.uk

Chris Griffiths, International Development, +30 266 203 1207 chrisgriffiths@thrass.co.uk