THRASS TWO-DAY CERTIFICATE,
GTG, SOUTH AFRICA, AUGUST 4-5, 2006

Focus: National Union of Educators.

Thank you for an attitude changing course, for challenging old ingrained ideas and opening wonderful horizons. Having been teaching for 30 years, I have found THRASS to be stimulating and AWESOME. Looking forward to learning more and seeing positive changes.

THIS IS GREAT! Enjoyed every moment. I think every teacher needs to know what THRASS is all about. It is a fantastic approach! Thank you for giving me this opportunity!

The course was very interesting. At last everything made sense for the first time in my life. Phonics teaching really frustrated me because most of the children in my class failed the spelling test. Now I think I have the key for them to open every door within it. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Excellent! THRASS has changed my thinking regarding how to teach reading, handwriting and spelling skills. I am very excited about implementing it at school, within my classroom. I would have benefited from this program as a child and can see how it would have improved my language skills.

Congratulations!! Thank you for a fun, well presented course - very enjoyable 2 days. I am very excited and motivated to go back to school to teach reading and phonics through this method (correct method after teaching for 16 years). Hopefully this is just the beginning of a long-term relationship. Very interested to do further implementation training and to see THRASS 15 Minutes.

Thank you, excellent, mind boggling, I’m motivated and will definitely give THRASS a whirl.

When trying to help parents deal with reading and spelling problems, often I would feel helpless and explain that English is highly irregular. THRASS seems to bring about order and a means to dealing with this huge area which we previously left to memory. Thank you

I enjoyed the course, it was very interesting. I really didn’t expect this from the course. Please continue doing this wonderful course to the provinces. Thank you very much for this wonderful presentation. Teaching handwriting, reading and spelling skills will no more be boring for me.

Very informative and interesting. Certainly gives us food for thought. It was wonderful to have two presenters who were so enthusiastic and passionate about THRASS. Thank you for your efforts. We will certainly try to implement it in our foundation phase. We look forward to “15 Minutes a Day”.

You made sense of everything we have been trying to do. Thank you for being such interesting presenters, able to keep our attention for such long sessions.

Lively, articulate presenters! The course was inspirational – made us rethink the methods of teaching phonics that we’ve been implementing in the past. Wish we could start implementing it throughout the foundation phase immediately. Makes perfect sense!

Thank you for a wonderful two days. Eager to implement. Everything made such good sense and the resources are easy to work with!

Excellent and highly relevant!

Fantastic. It makes so much sense. I’m excited to start implementing THRASS in our remedial programme as well as in our primary school. A wonderful presentation- so much enthusiasm.

Very interesting. Course material appears to be excellent. I look forward to implementing this soon. Thank you so much.

Thank you for an incredible course. The enthusiasm and excitement with which the course was presented made me want to go out and use THRASS. It looks fantastic. All these years I have worked with children who just don’t seem to cope with the old way. Now we can make a significant impact in the lives of our children and country. Thank you

THRASS is the best thing to use in order to help the learner and I think that is what teaching is all about, helping children!! Thank you for helping me to help them. Alan = Brilliant!!

Very, very impressive, interesting, informative and exciting. More time for presentation. Alan and Laola did an excellent job (very vibrant), transferred excitement. Thank you so much.

A WOW programme! Can’t wait to implement it in the classroom. Especially feel it meets the need of children who have poor auditory processing skills. I am amazed at the wonderfuil technology used an all the work and expertise that Alan and his team have put into this programme. Also excited to see how this programme is reaching the underprivileged in Africa.

This is definitely the way to go. The course was extremely informative and lively. The material was hands-on. I would really like to introduce it into the grade R level and work at it right through the school. I also feel refresher courses would be good. Thank you for everything. I am extremely glad I managed to get on this course.

The course was an eye opener to me. I wish I can study more and more. But unfortunately the time was too short. I feel great to have attended the course. It will help me to improve my skills and methods of teaching.

I am inspired!! I cannot wait to get back to my yr 7s and help them (and me) to make sense of spelling and reading. Alan and Laola, you have really been amazing. I have heard so much about THRASS and at last I have seen it for myself. We really want to implement it in our school (and I really think I would like to tackle some research for a PhD in the implementation of THRASS!!) Thank you for a wonderful 2 days.

I came in fairly critical of yet another new reading approach, but have been completely convinced that this is the way to teach literacy skills to our children, regardless of their ages. Having been a victim of extremely poor literacy teaching methods, I am determined to ensure that I do not ever have any victims in my classrooms- I will be implementing THRASS from Monday morning. The presenters were dynamic, motivating and an absolute inspiration to us all and I thank you for solving my long term Letterland dilemmas! Thank you for a wonderful course and I look forward to seeing you at school!

Wow! What an amazing course!! I was kept entertained and busy for the full two days, I didn’t even realise the time had gone by. It was great to see and learn how phonics should be attacked and taught – it really made sense. Thank you! I cant wait to go onto the website to be taught more. I am looking forward to implementing THRASS into my Grade 1 classroom.

It was fantastic. I wish all educators can benefit from this presentation. Money talks. I also wish to have all materials to solve the problem at our school and in the communities. The presentation was lovely and well organised. Keep up the good work guys. PHAMBILI NGOMZABALAZO. We really getting there.

Thank you so very much for an excellent course. Alan Davies was an outstanding presenter who kept us all enthralled. The content was thought-provoking, challenging, inspiring and encouraging. I went away feeling very excited to take this new-found knowledge into my classroom. Thank you!

Exciting, thought provoking method of teaching literacy! Thank you!!

Excellent course, good presentation and presenters. Very excited and eager to use the programme at school and outisde the school environment.

Thank you for a very worthwhile 2 days. As a teacher it certainly makes so much sense. As a parent I wish my children had been exposed to this. I feel sure learning problems could have been avoided.

Puik!! Fantasties!

Thoroughly enjoyed the course. Excited to begin it. Thank you

The course was informative. I’ve gained a lot and wish you can organise that in other languages. E.g. S.Sotho as I’m teaching Grade One and our LOLT is Sesotho. As an SBST member this course has helped me. I’ll be able to handle or address the kids with reading problems in the upper grades. Thank you, keep up the good work hope to attend the other one soon.

Alan is a very dynamic man, a great presenter. Took us thinking out of our security zones!! The programme seems wonderful, the proof will be in the pudding. Looking forward to implementing it.

You have opened my eyes! Some good brain food! Great technology! I wish I had this system when I was at school, because I really battled. Thank you. Alan you were FAB!

Excellent. Brilliant. The work of a GENIUS! Good luck!

Well done, greatly motivated to go and try it. It would be nice to have a THRASS shop in JHB to browse and buy.

This course is very interesting and it has been enjoyable! Hope the children will enjoy it. Thank you

Very practical course, wish there were more. Loved that Alan was so hands-on especially with his teaching methods.

Loved the course. Ideal for use in multiphased and multigraded classes. Also an ideal programme for english second language speakers as an introduction to this course would ensure an honest approach from the beginning. I only wish that this programme can be implemented into Mpumalanga province.

Thanks for a wonderful teaching & learning method that wil be of tremendous help in my remedial classs. At last I have a solution to the problems of how to teach the English Language!

Very interesting. We only have black children at our school and they struggle with language. Hopefully this will help them to overcome their problems.

Thank you, I’ve learnt a lot!! An outstanding presentation. Excellent. Logical programme! Thank you I had a lovely time!

Thank you for great quality education!

The workshop has really got me thinking in a new way! I have enjoyed it tremendously and can’t wait to implement it with my students. Congratulations Alan you deserve a doctorate!

Wow. Inspirational. Great. Thank you

Wow! Please come to Potch! We would love to have the 15 min a day course Laola.

An extremely practical & informative course.

Extremely detailed. Very enriching, although I had wished for more emphasis, without compromising foundation phase, on high school as well. Otherwise, my approach to teaching, spelling, reading etc. will certainly change since I am more conscious now about the existence and the life of letters, words.

An exciting program which will meet the needs of children at high school who have not mastered reading at primary school, and are often a problem in class. I’m looking forward to trying to help these children.

Very glad that someone has put a lot of what we have been teaching into a sensible, cohesive basic plan.

Brilliant and very interesting. It sounds very convenient to implement. It is also fun. I wouldn’t mind implementing it immediately! Thank you so much to Alan, Laola, Jean and Marion. That was great!

I do believe this will help our 2^nd language children read and spell, as well as helping them to read with understanding. It will make the learning of sight words easier for all the children and their parents. It was a very exciting new concept and idea to implement. Once can never learn enough and everyday opens windows to new thoughts and minds. Thank you for making teaching exciting again.

Thoroughly an eye-opener. As a high school educator I am excited and can’t wait to improve the reading and spelling of GR 8 leaners who I have perceived as being illiterate. I have realised what the problem is and now I know it is not their fault. Can’t wait to start and record the progress. Will let you know. Our GR8 learners come from 65 different primary schools. Thank you!

Very interesting. Like the idea that it’s not one way of doing things. I.e. teaching phonics etc. Be interested in hearing about handwriting again.

Brilliant!! Wonderful personality. Very enthusiastic- hope we can implement it as we are a ‘poor’ state school, thank you for coming out and remotivating me.

The course was fruitful and positive. I hope every teacher and learner will benefit from THRASS, because of the problems we encounter in reading, spelling and writing.

Excellent course – we needed to know why previous methods were not delivering the result even though we worked our “butts” off. Thanks

Really dynamic presentation by Alan. Turned my outlook and knowledge of teaching, spelling and writing on its head. This was amazing. Very daunted to being with, afraid I would not get the full understanding. Amazing to know that I do a lot of these ideas/techniques anyway! Makes such sense!

Well presented. Enjoyed practical aspects. Well done to a wonderful way of teaching, can’t wait to start!

Good presentation, motivated and ready to use this system.

Very exciting. Can’t wait to get this started in our school.

A professional and dynamic course. We have learnt a great deal. An entertaining as well as educational experience. We look forward to seeing you in our neck of the woods. Leaving WITS pro. THRASS.

An eye-opener! Will be able to use fruitfully in our school. Look forward to implementing.

I enjoyed the course. Thrass is a wonderful programme and I can’t wait to start using it in my classroom. I am sure my learners will enjoy it.

I found the course very thought-provoking in that I feel that I have to go back to the drawing board and rethink my way of teaching spelling. I would love to go and visit classes in various schools to see how they have implemented it. I love the interaction between teacher and child, in this course as well as the active participation of the pupils in THRASS!

I am really feeling excited and empowered to implement THRASS at Maragon. I am the pioneer to do the course and know I can us it to make a difference. I think I am going to have a bonfire with all the old “Letterland”.

As a high school teacher of English and university-trained in literature, I am faced with pupils coming from the feeder schools who cannot spell or read. I feel frustrated as I have no remedial training and I know I am failing them. With this course there is light at the end of the tunnel for both parties - a definite sense of empowerment.

As a teacher of English in the senior prep. Section I found this very interesting. Makes a lot of sense and I now have a better understanding of the teaching of reading, spelling and writing. These basic skills are normally taught before the pupils reach me in grade 7.

Very informative, interesting. This has made teaching English fun, exciting and understandable.

Fantastic! Thought it was a great course and learnt a lot!

It was very fruitful and mind broadening. I wish that all our staff members will attend this course.

As a senior primary educator, I now understand why many learners filter through ths sytem with reading and spelling difficulties. At last, we can implement a program which makes sense. It is a fun and stimulating way of learning, reading and spelling. Presentation of program was excellent. I will recommend this course to other staff members.

I enjoyed the course very much, the presenters have a lot of knowledge about their course. I wish though that it was a 6 month course done 1 course per month for us to digest all these wonderful ideas.

Excellent course, very enjoyable. Both presenters were very knowledgeable in their field.

Brain-tickling stuff! I’ve been challenged and I am going to vist some “THRASS schools” to see the theory in action. The course itself was most interestingly presented. The time flew past and I found it stimulating and fun.

Excellent- well presented. Most informative. Can’t wait to implement it.

Excellent presentation – stimulating, interesting and entertaining. Love it! (even on a Saturday!)

THANKYOU – I wish I had heard or been taught this from the beginning of my career! So pleased to find someone who agrees with me about Letterland! Brilliant presentation- entertaining . We hope for improved spelling and reading success in our classrooms!

The course was excellent! Thank you for your time and hard work. I wish we didn’t have a month holiday so I can implement it sooner!! Thanks!

Thank you for clarifying all the problems I had with spelling as a child. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and am very excited to start it with my Grade Ones. Thank you, Alan I’ve always loathed Letterland. Now I know why. I’m so glad I never have to teach the “magic e” again.

Very interesting! Can’t wait to try it. Alan is very good. Well done on an excellent programme.

Very well organised. Time was used in an entertaining and informative way. This has reinforced my views on literacy in Grade R and given me further knowledge.

Very exciting and informative. Will definitely follow it up. Have asked to be part of Dr Place’s research schools to continue to learn about it and implement it in our school. Thanks for a great 2 days!

An excellent course and programme. I have really learnt a lot and am really looking forward to using it in the classroom. Thank you for all the learning material and teaching manuals.

Thank you for an excellent course. I look forward to using it and am eager to teach again.

Excellent! Thank goodness we no longer have to teach 3 things to get 1 result. The resources were wonderful and organised. The clarity of the presentation & enthusiasm were fantastic. An inspiration!

I felt that this was a VERY worthwhile course and we received loads of worthwhile information. It should be compulsory that every school teaches this way. It is the way forward. The speakers were fantastic and really passionate about THRASS which truly transferred onto us all.

The course was very informative. I really enjoyed it and I learned more. I’ll use the insight that I have gained in my classroom effectively.

Loved the whole school approach that THRASS presents. Presentation was insightful, interesting and inspiring. Finally more assistance to help our leaners with barriers. Many thanks.

This has been the most enjoyable phonic course. The presenters are passionate and extremely knowledgeable. Can’t wait to implement this with little ones but most of all with my two young children.

Very interesting and informative. Something to use straight away. I know I won’t be as good as the two of you but definitely as enthusiastic! Thank you very much! Thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

Showed me how to integrate many teaching strategies I was using in isolation, plus additional ones. I am impressed, as when THRASS had been explained to me incidentally it seemed confusing. Now – much clearer! I will use it with my learners.

I found the speakers to be extremely dynamic and the course to be of great value. I am very excited to be implementing this in any classroom. I found much merit in this course and hope that more students even on an honours and basic level can be exposed to such a logical approach. It equips me with a great foundation from which to work. I look forward to being able to purchase equipment directly in S.A in the future. A great 2 days, resources and great catering & facilities. Much appreciated.

An eye-opener - revolutionary course! We can’t wait to put it into practice.

Riveting, instructive, dynamic, intense and utterly inspirational. Oh – revolutionary too! Phonics has come a long way since I did my teacher training. Thank you – it was wonderful!

Absolutely excellent, as a maths and science specialist, it all makes absolute sense. Would like to have more info on connective writing, correct way to teach to join letters such as k, r, g ,y, f etc. I get the feeling you are hiding an advanced course with further graphemes to phonemes at a higher level. Please think about grading your material/charts with introductory phonemes and graphemes as well as more advanced grapheme examples which can be introduced at higher levels (add the missing ones). Please let me know of all follow-up courses – 15 minutes etc. Thank you so much for your scientific approach. I am very excited about passing the info to my fellow educators.

The presentation and presenters were absolutely excellent. I only got the hang of things on the second day which makes much more sense now. I’ve actually started to think of ideas on how to improve my current phonics by using raps and music.

My teachers raved about this course and now you have convinced me! This method makes so much sense. Thank you for a most enlightening course- I can’t wait to try THRASS on my pre-school grandson! You have inspired me!

Well done Fabulous. Alan and Laola have so much energy and enthusiasm and vision. Quite inspirational. I’m going to go for it!

Excellent course, very informative can’t wait to get back to school to implement what I have been taught. Makes a lot of sense.

Excellent presentation. Need more courses to be able to teach this well – very keen to start!

Most interesting. A lot to take in. Need more courses once we start. Excellent presentation.

Very stimulating and thought provoking! As a beginner language educator, I thoroughly enjoyed the course. Thank you for your time and efforts! God bless!

Thank you for two most enjoyable days. Excellent presentation!

This course was absolutely amazing! It has filled in so many gaps in my own understanding of phonics. Thank you so much. I cannot wait to put all I have learnt into practice.

This course was well-presented and excellent resources supplied. Presenters were enthusiastic and motivating. I look forward to the 15 min a day programme and course.

I have loved this course!! It makes so much sense and I cant wait to implement it at school. Would also like to attend the “15 min a day” course in October.

Great course. I am looking forward to using it with the kids I teach and seeing great results.

Thank you for the excellent course, it has provided me with a new way of looking at language, learning not just the teaching of phonics. Alan Davies is such a dynamic presenter and impresses with his amazing knowledge, skill and ability to make us feel we can succeed!

Alan, you are a genius and I sense that you already know how integral the THRASS programme is. If every school in SA was a THRASS school, we would have the most literate country in the world - so best you run for President! (Of the world!) We need your balance, humour and brilliance, it’s way overdue. Thank you for sharing this with us all.

I'm inspired! Enjoyed the training very much. Won’t forget how to spell stationery!

Very informative – I like the lateral thinking and making learning fun. Quite a lot of info to assimilate in two days. Look forward to implementing this in class and put it into practice. Well presented.

Very informative! Well done at keeping my attention, the course was up beat and entertaining. Information was clearly presented and working material is user friendly.

Very informative and well resourced. I’m very excited to start bringing this into Gr. 4 at school. Thank you for a great course.

Thank you for a brilliant course! Very informative.

What a fantastic two days. Very dynamic presenters who kept the participants well and truly involved. So many ideas to use, not only in the English or Literacy classes but also in other learning areas. I am most enthusiastic about ensuring that all my members of staff become involved and enthusiastic.

I now understand why the members of staff who were first trained were so excited to implement THRASS in our school. A wonderful two days - I am so inspired.

Very informative – can’t wait to experience it! Am looking forward to seeing good progress amongst the learners. Thanks!

This really makes sense! A highly informative course. It is really difficult not to get excited when it is presented with such enthusiasm, passion and obvious knowledge. Thank you – this will make such a success out of our children as readers and spellers!

A really positive and thought provoking course. Change is always difficult initially, but change enhances growth and I look forward to embracing the changes discarding our “old-fashioned” methods and marching on the road to true literacy.

Thoroughly enjoyable – very well presented by both Alan & Laola. Looking forward to this “new beginning” – find THRASS most worthwhile & value the strength it will be bringing to our literacy programme. Found it a little confusing at times- wonder if we should have had a general introduction and then split up into different groups pertaining to ages. Eg. Prep/ Gr R/ Junior. Prep/ Senior. Prep. Fantastic - many thanks.

Great! Entertaining! Mind boggling! I think it is great as we need a better system. So many children can’t spell. This has sparked an interest and a passion that I have and I am keen to start learning the raps to get it right and get the show on the road. Thanks Alan.

I really enjoyed these two days. I like this method of teaching because it gives me opportunity to positively reinforce concepts. Many children write said as “sed”. I tell them it is wrong but neither they nor I understand the reasons why. Now I can correct them using what they already know- said starts with s and ends with d. Thank you for having the guts to challenge conservative, traditional teaching methods. These past few days have been amazing. Thank you! I feel like teaching again!!!

I found the presentation to be well presented and thought provoking. Thank you.

Dear Alan, I think you’re a genius! I’ve been taught in Afrikaans in other words English second language. We’ve been taught English reading & spelling in context, never Phonics as such. I first came into confrontation with phonics in my first year of teaching and have hated the lot of it since that day over a decade ago. Finally someone came up with something that actually makes sense- probably because it coincides with the “mindmaps”! Formed in my own humble brain, learning english in context, with Afrikaans (where basically each letter does make one specific sound) as point of referral. Thus I think THRASS is brilliant! And to think of it you kept us busy for 2 days and I actually could go another. Well done! PS. I intend on doing THRASS at home with my own daughter, who attends an Afrikaans school and does English as a second language. I believe it will assist her as well. Thanks!

I think the workshop was informative. I’ve learned a lot. If it is possible to come to our school and teach other educators about this course so that they can also benefit. The workshop was good and organised. Thank you. God bless you.

Thanks once again. I am so excited about implementing it into our Grade R, and I am even more convinced about the value it will play in the grade 000/00 classes. I look forward to seeing it work. I love the kinesthetic, visual and auditory approach.

Letterland must go! A very thorough presentation. User friendly, no confusion, wonderful aids, can be used from Grd 00 all the way to matric.

Incredible! So informative and valuable- every teacher, parent and learner should be on this system worldwide. Would love to work as an agent around S.A. in this system. Will do my “Masters” using this information one way or another! Congratulations! I feel extremely privileged.

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