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I
believe that the THRASS course has filled in the missing pieces. This course was
interesting and the concepts are beneficial in teaching English. The facilitator
was knowledgeable and her enthusiasm showed that she enjoys talking about THRASS.
In my first teaching practical, I had difficulty in teaching the Grade R class
the foundation principles of spelling, reading and writing. The THRASS teaching
guide is structured and easy to use, which will help me to locate topics of
interest with ease. The knowledge and methodology learnt from this course will
be used throughout my lifelong learning and teaching of children.
Wow, what a great programme. This course is probably the best, most insightful
course I have attended. As a student, I have always worried about how to teach
English to young learners correctly and effectively. I strongly believe, after
attending this course that THRASS provides teachers as well as learners, an
effective learning and teaching experience. Our lecturers are always talking
about life long learning – well it was proven during this two day course. THRASS
has taught me things I didn’t even know and I’m about to finish my degree. I
definitely feel that it is of utmost importance that all schools incorporate
THRASS in their system.
I found this course as a big door being opened for me. I am an Afrikaans
student, but want to be able to teach in English in Cape Town or perhaps
overseas. This course has given me the courage to teach English as a language,
but also to teach everything related to English in a school. The lecturer was
excellent and she did a great job in sharing her knowledge with us in a way we
can use it. Well done everyone involved in this course research.
I see THRASS as being a very valuable and unique learning experience. It is a
totally new way of approaching language and the teaching of language. A valuable
paradigm shift has taken place and now even I can make the link between words
and their pronunciation. I feel that THRASS will make the teaching of English so
much more fun with a new way of learning something old.
A worthwhile course. I learnt a lot and look at the way I’m pronouncing words,
seeing that my mother tongue is Afrikaans. Laola is a great presenter, very
positive, making you want to teach English and make it fun! I feel privileged to
have attended.
THRASS is a wonderful way of teaching English. I feel that it covers all aspects
that children may struggle with while learning English. It is a great programme
for both teachers and learners. The knowledge that both the teacher and learner
acquires through this course will accompany them for the rest of their lives. I
love it!
This course was very relevant and I wish it was around when I was at school,
seeing how I struggled with English as my second language. I am definitely going
to implement these strategies in my life and school classroom. What I have
learnt here, I wish I knew years back – my life would have been so much easier.
I am very excited because I want to tell everybody about this wonderful
programme. I will definitely be implementing the programme in my classroom and
will tell the whole school about it. Thank you for opening a door to
understanding the English language spelling for me.
Extremely fascinating – I can’t wait to start! I don’t know if this course
exists in German yet, but I’d love to get involved with that. This course has
helped me to grasp the basics of the English language successfully! The
facilitator is a ball of energy and enthusiasm – what a joy to listen to her! I
learnt a lot and will definitely delve into it some more. Children will
definitely benefit and I think everyone should do this!
This is an excellent course. I am much more comfortable with the idea of
teaching learners to read, write and spell. It is a great responsibility to
teach young children to be literate in a language. I feel that the THRASS course
has equipped me to approach this learning area with more confidence.
I would like to make use of this opportunity to thank you for a fantastic
course. The knowledge acquired in this course would definitely help me in
practice and has opened a creative side for making learning fun for learners.
THRASS is very helpful for any teacher. It will surely be used and it will be
great to get THRASS into all the schools. There was some stuff said that I
didn’t even know because it wasn’t taught in the school I attended. I believe
THRASS can help any child.
This course gave me a whole new perspective about teaching a language –
especially English. It is a wonderful course with excellent resources, which
helps the teachers as well as the students. It’s a very creative programme. Some
of the stuff I have never even heard of, so to me is was very valuable! Thank
you for sharing THRASS with us.
This has been a worthwhile experience. Laola was an excellent mentor and
teacher. She made the course interesting. THRASS is a great idea – it makes
sense to teach children in this manner. I can’t wait to try this out in the
classroom situation. The way the course was presented and the material supplied,
has made this way of teaching easy to understand and use. Thank you.
I really enjoyed the THRASS course. Lots of information was received during the
two days. It is really interesting and a new and different way from what I am
used to in teaching English. Mrs. Altschul is a really good teacher, good at her
work and one can see she enjoys it. I learned a lot from her. I think that this
THRASS course will help me in school, as it is another method that children will
enjoy while learning at the same time.
I found the course very informative and interesting. I also think that THRASS is
a wonderful methodology to use in the teaching of English as a first and second
language. I would definitely implement it in my classroom. The course was very
well presented.
This was a great training course and as a future teacher, I will use this
training in my English classroom. This course has helped me a lot to teach
learners with English as a second language.
THRASS is a unique way of teaching the English language. It focuses on the way
words sound, so therefore might appeal more to younger children. It is a method
the teacher needs to know thoroughly, making it difficult for second language
speakers.
This is a phenomenal course – a total paradigm shift from what I was initially
taught as a child. I see the value of THRASS, but I do believe that it will take
me quite a while to learn how to implement THRASS within the classroom. I
believe that once I have become familiar with THRASS, that I will use it
successfully within my own classroom one day. Thank you!
It was a successful course. We will use it in the future as THRASS training will
help you to teach English in a good way and will help me when I do my practical.
It was eye-opening to learn nice, new ideas for learning a language that has so
many rules. I feel the course will take many hours of hard work, but the end
results will last a life time.
THRASS is something you have to practise with your children and be interested in
and believe in. It can definitely work and be very effective. The course was
insightful and the breaks helped a lot to get our focus back and to concentrate.
The THRASS course is an interesting new way for me to teach English. I love all
the material, but I think it can become expensive, Thanks for the new way of
thinking. It opens up a lot of doors.
I enjoyed the course a lot and I am certain that I will use it one day in the
classroom. I can’t wait to use it in my practical and see the difference it will
make in how Afrikaans kids talk English.
This course will be highly beneficial to young scholars as it forms the basis of
learning and speaking skills. THRASS can be implemented in many schools and will
help understanding of basic concepts before building on them.
This course is very helpful. I think I will be able to implement the information
we received in a fun way. This course will help us to improve the children’s
learning abilities for the future and make it a life long ability. I really want
to try and get as much of the THRASS resources that will help me to implement
the new way of learning. This course will really help me to teach learners in
other languages as well. Initially, I wasn’t sure how to approach the English
learner, but I feel that I’m now better prepared.
I enjoyed learning a new method of teaching language. I really had to undergo a
whole paradigm shift concerning language teaching and I am thankful for this
experience. I think this programme can easily be integrated into the National
Curriculum and it is easy to use in the classroom.
The THRASS programme has really opened my eyes to a new way of learning. It will
help any teacher and show them where to start, at what point and in what order
to teach a child to read and write. I like to teach in an orderly way and THRASS
has great structure. It is not something that the teacher can rush into – it is
going to be tough over a period of time – but making sure the child knows every
phase will help them tremendously. This programme has helped and taught me a
lot.
The THRASS course was very useful and will assist me in my teaching practice one
day. It opened my eyes to new horizons and made me aware of interesting and
exciting ways of promoting English literacy. I like this method of teaching
because it incorporates not only one style of learning, but includes many
different techniques and senses, promoting holistic learning.
THRASS is a wonderful course for both teachers and students. This course will
help me to teach learners to use the English language properly.
The course was very interesting and well presented. I believe that THRASS is a
good programme and should be implemented at all schools. I am positive that
THRASS will be successful as it provides a fun way of learning to read, write
and spell. Attending this course was enjoyable.
THRASS training was meaningful and interesting. I’ve learned how to use it in
the classroom and help children to spell correctly, as a lot of children
struggle with spelling.
Fantastic course. Very interesting. I learnt a lot about the English language. I
wish we had been taught that when we were in school. THRASS should be compulsory
for all schools in South Africa. What a great facilitator. Than
This is a very good course that can be successfully applied in schools. I am a
bit concerned about the cost of the programme. I hope that I can teach this
course to children with the same effect it had on me.
This course taught me how to apply my own knowledge in teaching the English
language. The different sounds you hear in words made it easier for me to
understand the different ways to teach the children. The course is WOW!
To teach English as a language to a new, fun way so that they can acquire the
correct pronunciation and use the correct spelling is important. This can
certainly be done through THRASS!
THRASS is definitely a great course as it brings to such a different level of
thinking. It has improved literacy knowledge and learning in a major way. This
course was not only informative, but was also presented in a fun way. It will be
such fun for the children. THRASS integrates all learning areas and is very easy
to incorporate THRASS into any lesson.
I enjoyed the course and learnt a lot of useful skills that can be used in my
future career as a teacher.
I learnt a lot from this course, alhough I don’t feel 100% confident. The course
content and layout was professionally handled. I am looking forward to fully
implementing the programme.
It was interesting and I think it is going to help us all in the classroom. The
programme is useful and effective. This course was very comprehensive.
I think the THRASS training course was very interesting and I learned a lot
about how to teach children how to read, write and spell. I think this new
approach is very relevant and more ‘do-able’. It is a better hands-on experience
for young children and will help them be successful in school.
This is an amazing course and programme. I was most impressed and highly
motivated to use it. It is a fun, exciting way to teaching writing, reading and
spelling. I look forward to trying it in my teaching. Thank you, Laola, for
presenting it in a positive, exciting and passionate way! I am not sure how I
actually learnt to read and spell without this programme.
We/I appreciate all the effort you put into this course. I learned things that I
did not know before. I feel that I can use this course to my own advantage.
Thanks a lot!
Hands-on, easy to follow, thorough programme for teaching any person English. It
makes more sense to teach English to children in this manner with a modern
outlook like the rap, to involve children to learn through play. I think
children are privileged to learn English as a second language, like this,
because it is meaningful and promotes life-long learning. I will try my best to
recommend this programme in Namibia, where I will be teaching next year. Thanks
for an amazing opportunity.
Thank you for a well-prepared and meaningful course. I see this working all over
the world. Yes, although the materials aren’t available everywhere and are
costly, I will definitely be able to use the 10 steps of THRASS. This training
has broadened my knowledge of English and I will be able to use that and help
learners with greater understanding of the English language. Thank you for
giving me clear guidelines on how to teach English across the globe.
I found the course truly enriching! People can never know too much – this course
is definitely a tool that I can use in schools one day. I also enjoyed the way
in which the course was presented. All the hands-on activities contributed to my
knowledge.
This course is based on a very good concept but some areas of English are left
out. I will take some concepts and integrate it into my own classroom. The
materials are just too expensive and not all schools will do away with their
traditional ways. But I will use it when I tutor student one-on-one.
The THRASS course has really been very useful and interesting. It has provided
me with an effective method to teach learners a new language. It is practical
and user-friendly and focuses on what is really relevant for the children. As
children progress through the ten stages, they reach new levels of competency in
the English language. The lecturer has really presented the course well and has
encouraged me in increasing my own knowledge.
Very informative course. Great presentation. It will definitely be useful if I
were to teach in an English school.
It was very interesting and will be a great advantage when I start to teach.
THRASS will also assist me personally to better my English, since I speak
Afrikaans. Thank you for the beautiful guide.
I feel this course to be very efficient concerning the teaching of English to
children. It highlights the possible barriers children and even adults may have
with reading, writing and spelling. This is surely valuable information and
methods that I will use throughout my teaching career.
THRASS has given me a new perception on teaching children how to read, write and
spell. I think it is very useful and makes a lot of sense. It’s a different
approach and it might really work!
This was an interesting course and I am sure that I will use THRASS once I start
teaching. It is an interesting way to teach children and I’m sure that they will
enjoy it. It’s a new way of teaching, therefore it will get some getting used to
using THRASS.
This was a very interesting course. I have learned a lot and so many fantastic
activities to do with the children. I also think that THRASS can be taught to
children with English as a second language. THRASS also included all the
different learning techniques that are required in the curriculum. I really
enjoyed it and can’t wait to start teaching THRASS to my own class one day.
THRASS is a new way of teaching English to young children in a fun and
interactive way. THRASS is not only learning and teaching English – it is also
about integrating other learning areas. What I like about the programme is that
you work from basic to more advanced concepts, starting with pictures and then
words and then formal reading. The children are learning even if they don’t know
it!
This is a brilliant programme. I have come across a similar programme that shows
the different sounds with symbols like: ă – antelope; ā – ape; å – armadillo,
but this course is certainly the best yet. I think children will be able to
start reading much sooner and understand the English language much better, which
would be an asset to them for their whole life. The THRASS system is so neatly,
professionally and user friendly set out, which makes it even more encouraging
to use it. The lecturer, Laola, certainly knows what she is doing and gives the
best non-boring, exciting, wonderful lessons filled with so much wisdom. This
truly was a great opportunity that will assist me as a teacher, with some
extremely good knowledge and skills, to give every child the best which they
deserve.
THRASS is the most logical way of teaching English. It makes so much sense, as
many confusions experienced by learners can be avoided by using this method,
which appeals to the auditory, visual and kinaesthetic aspects of acquisition.
This was such an interesting workshop. I not only learnt what THRASS is about
and how to use it, but Laola gave so much extra information that I have found
useful. THRASS really seeks to not only teach children to read and speak
English, but develops the whole child. Thank you for a very useful and
informative workshop.
THRASS teaches learners handwriting, reading and spelling skills in a new,
logical and meaningful way. If this programme is introduced and applied
correctly, it will contribute to developing totally literate adults, who, in
turn, will be able to contribute positively to his community and country. A
win-win situation for all involved. From a teacher’s point of view – it will be
extremely rewarding to assist learners in developing the THRASS way.
I have found this two day course a very valuable and interesting experience. I
have some mixed feelings about myself having to implement this one day, but I
also look forward to the challenge. I personally feel that in the future SA
education, this technique could help our country to become a better place with a
higher level of education. I have enjoyed this course and have found that what I
have learned will not only help me to be the best teacher I can be, but it has
also given me a great sense of confidence. Thank you for this opportunity. I
can’t wait to use what I have learned in a classroom with young children. It is
a great course.
Very interesting. Material too expensive to buy, but I hope to use it in my
class one day.
I think that this is a fantastic course. I found it easy to understand because
of the different stages. You never get lost because you only have to look at the
stage before to understand the next. I found it very insightful seeing that it
is a unique way of teaching learners the lingua franca of the world – something
all of them should be able to do.
I found this course very interesting and informing. I am very excited after
doing the course to get into a classroom and teach children to read, write and
spell. I think it is a pity that we cannot get into a classroom immediately to
use the principles of THRASS, because I am afraid I will forget the main
principles by the time I get to teach! Is there a short refresher course? Thank
you so much for broadening our knowledge.
I feel that children who get exposed to THRASS will have a better knowledge of
English as a language. They will know how to pronounce as well as spell words.
This course also taught me a lot about pronouncing words that I never knew. It
was presented in such a fun way that you want to take part and learn everything.
This programme should be used in all the schools!
I think this programme captures the essence or basis of the English Language and
this is why it will work in practice, because it’s easy to understand. It will
work if all the schools incorporate this method. The only problem I have is with
the font type – If I teach it to my Grade R’s and they go to a school that uses
another font, they will experience problems. This method develops thinking
skills and will challenge not only me, but the learners as well!
Because THRASS concentrates on the basic everyday words, it can be used in South
African schools where we have English 2nd/3rd language students.
The course was a very meaningful situation for me especially since, as I am a
second language user of the English language. I am now better prepared to teach
children in English and make them equipped language users. It will also help me
with my own pronunciation as I am forever struggling.
This course was very insightful. It’s a very good approach to teaching learners
how to acquire and learn English, as it looks at a variety of learning styles.
Learners can have fun while learning. The lecturer was very informative and
enthusiastic about THRASS and made it interesting.
I found this course to be very enjoyable especially because the English language
and the acquisition of it, amazes me. I look forward to implementing THRASS in
the classroom in the future. What I particularly like is that this programme can
be used to teach English to adults as well. I now know more about graphemes and
phonemes. The lecturer/presenter of this training course was very informative
and knowledgeable about THRASS.
A really great programme which I can see awesome potential for in schools. I
have a renewed outlook on learning the spoken and written English language as
well as teaching it in schools. I am hoping to also use and apply this approach
in the enthusiastic manner of our presenter and should I be teaching an English
class, I would encourage the school to purchase the programme. Never will I
teach children the alphabet in the same way again, even in Afrikaans. The
importance of phonemic awareness is something I will most definitely remember
and interactively teach in my class one day.
This is a brilliant course. English is my second language and I always wondered
how to teach English to Foundation Phase pupils. I feel very excited to put this
into practice and experiment with this new method of teaching. I hope that more
and more South African schools will become aware of THRASS so that the teachers
will be able to get hold of the materials and resources needed to implement it.
It will be a bit too expensive to do it on your own, but I’m glad to have
received the precious ingredients to be capable to make a difference as a
teacher.
THRASS is an excellent course that can be used wonderfully in the classroom. I
have not experienced this course in the schools as yet. However, I feel that it
in due time I will. What I learnt in this course will allow me to contribute to
schools that use it without feeling inadequate. It is an excellent way to teach
children how to read and spell with success.
I definitely believe that THRASS is a paradigm shift in education. Learners are
able to remember the alphabet, words, phonemes etcetera through means of play as
well as educational lessons. THRASS enables children to be lifelong learners,
which is a very important aspect concerning their education. I personally think
that THRASS is a very meaningful programme for young learners.
The course was very informative and interesting. I found that this is a much
better way of teaching and it will help me in the future. The information was
very appropriate and very practical for learners to see while they are having
fun. The lecturer put a lot of effort into presenting THRASS. It was inspiring
and I look forward to using THRASS in the schools.
I found the course very interesting, especially because it is a lot different
from other methods of teaching English to young learners. I really found the
charts interesting because I appreciated the fact that the letters have
different sounds and these have been included. As a teacher who wants to travel
and teach English, I really appreciated receiving this training because it gives
me a mind shift. The last five stages were very difficult and found it hard to
grasp immediately. I am looking forward to trying to implement all the stages
and see if children can grasp it, since Laola informed us that children can do
much more than we expect. Overall, this was a valuable experience.
This course was very interesting and insightful. I think that it can be
implemented in the Foundation Phase with great success. It even gave me a better
understanding of the English language. Laola did a brilliant job presenting the
course. The handwriting is effective and practical.
I think it’s a wonderful way to teach 2nd language learners. I see learners
enjoying the methods. The fact that you can make it easy or more challenging for
the learners is a good point.
I feel very positive about making use of this brilliant course’s methodology in
my future teaching career. This course makes English make a lot more sense!
Before completing this course, I felt very unsure of how to go about teaching
Handwriting Reading and Spelling skills, but now I feel enthusiastic and
confident about the whole process. Thank you for sharing this wonderful course
with us and for equipping us to be the best teachers we can be.
I appreciate the efforts of the lecturer presenting this opportunity to all
individuals. This was an interesting and very informative experience for me. To
implement such an advanced means of learning in a school can create ample
opportunity for the developmental abilities for young learners.
THRASS is a fantastic new methodology. I can’t really imagine how I learned to
read, write and spell when I was younger using the other systems taught in
schools here. It is a logical and fun way to approach teaching English and I
like the fact that it is interactive. This fits the OBE approach followed in
South Africa. The course presenter was professional, well prepared and very
dynamic! Thank you for making me excited about the possibilities available in
getting young children excited about English. It has been an invaluable
experience.
The course was valuable. I have learned so much and I am sure that I will be
able to use THRASS in the near future.
Even though English is a very difficult language, it has been my dream to become
an English teacher. This course has given me the understanding of how to take
English and present it in an easy, fun manner. The Phoneme Machine has shown me
how I can improve my own English as well as my learners’ English. Before this
course, I never realised the fact that the letters make more than one sound
confuses learners. In the future I will start implementing THRASS the moment I
step into my new classroom. THRASS has taught me to use as many varied resources
as possible. I look forward to implementing THRASS into my school next year. The
THRASS Teaching Guide is user friendly and will always be close by to use. What
I like about THRASS is that everything works together – the charts, as well as
the assessments. I am very excited to use it and to help children with their
handwriting, reading and spelling skills at the appropriate pace.
As an English major, one of the modules I was required to study as part of my
English course was phonetics. During that time, I was uncertain about the
relevance of that information in the Foundation Phase. The THRASS training
course has not only put that information into perspective for me, it has given
me an idea of how to implement English at the Junior and Senior levels of the
schools I teach at in the future. Prior to this training course, I was insecure
with regards to how to begin teaching English to learners. I feel more confident
and better equipped to deal with young minds, as I consider myself to have more
knowledge about what learners need to know.
I must say, I’ve gained a much broader understanding of the English language and
feel confident to go out and teach what I have learned. The resources received
are truly wonderful and very user friendly. I look forward to using THRASS to
improve my own teaching skills.
I think that the course is wonderful. It is a positive approach to teaching
learners. I feel that I can implement it in my classroom and that it will help
me as a teacher to enhance learners’ potential in acquiring English in a fun
filled manner. It is an interesting and new concept in learning a language.
As an Afrikaans student, I am grateful for this programme because it has
provided me with some basic knowledge of teaching English which I am going to
use. This course has given me an overall idea of and what English is about and
also a method of presenting and teaching it. The presentation and media we
received is wonderful and I’m inspired to learn more and to implement these
ideas and methods. Thank you for this learning opportunity and experience.
I found this course extremely interesting and exciting. It made me feel a lot
more equipped and a lot more confident with the idea that I have to teach young
children English. I think that it is a pity that most schools or colleges don’t
use the THRASS programme and that THRASS won’t have been implemented into most
of the schools in South Africa by the time I start teaching. I truly believe
that THRASS will improve the English language and that it can be implemented
into almost every situation. I loved the course.
I found this course interesting, eye-opening and extremely practical. The
application of this programme into the classroom seems to be relatively possible
and I believe will be effective. I do, however, feel that the content shouldn’t
be condensed into two days – information overload. I will definitely consult the
website and am aiming to receive further training in THRASS if the opportunity
arises. Well done to the facilitator, Laola.
I personally think that this course was very interesting. We really learnt a
lot. In these past four years, we have learnt what we need to teach children,
but we have never really been taught HOW to teach. I think this course has shown
us how to teach such a vital and important work to children. It is a very
important stage which children have to go through and without having the first
blocks laid down, children will struggle. This is a brilliant programme!
This course was a great learning opportunity – mind shifting to the approach of
teaching English. Although it was a lot of valuable information in a very short
period of time, I am a little overwhelmed and need to sit down on my own and go
through everything again before I would feel confident to implement it in my
classroom. Thank you so much.
This was a very valuable and insightful course. It definitely helped me very
much and is going to help me in the future as a teacher. As an Afrikaans
speaker, it helped me a lot. It would be nice if this course could also be
presented in Afrikaans. I would suggest an Afrikaans course after the English
course, because the information given is valuable for future teachers! This is
surely a system that is going to work in all schools!
A wonderful course. I know it will be very exciting to implement it in primary
schools. THRASS is a nice new way to educate kids, especially here in South
Africa, as most of the kids do not speak English as a first language. I found
some of the concepts a bit difficult, but with the well prepared lecturer’s
help, it all became very clear. The course was presented to us in a very
interesting manner with lots of fun. I enjoyed this course a lot and will
implement it in my classroom – especially the handwriting is far more reasonable
for kids to use.
This course was a very interesting one. I think that THRASS could be
successfully applied to teach English as a second language to learners. The
programme covers all the aspects of learning for a young child and makes it
easier to do. There are some aspects of the programme I don’t agree with. I
think that the pronunciation of words is not suitable in a South African context
and the writing script even though it does make sense to teach writing that way
to children. I enjoyed the programme very much and learned a great deal. Thank
you.
As an Afrikaans first language person, I feel very positive about the course and
have benefited from it. The only obstacle I see is getting the schools to buy
the materials needed to teach THRASS. The methods using pictures is especially
useful for the more visual learners. Children will especially benefit from
correct pronunciation, as I know that a lot of us struggle with this aspect.
Thank you very much for adding to my knowledge and assisting me in making THRASS
available to children.
The THRASS course is very useful for young learners because they are constantly
taking part in the learning process. Children get the opportunity to make
connections between words and sounds and THRASS provides learners with a good
foundation to find English manageable. The methods used to teach learners are
very creative and fun, which will ensure that they participate in the learning
process. This was a very valuable course because my own understanding of English
improved and I regard this as a necessity if I want to teach learners.
I really enjoyed the course, especially the first section on how to introduce
the ABC in a new way. I think by doing THRASS with Electronic Communication
Devices, children will find language more enjoyable and valuable. I also
specialise in Special Needs children and this will help them with reading,
writing and perceptual problems. It’s very helpful that THRASS can be integrated
to all learning areas – especially with teachers having so little time and
having to use OBE. I really learnt a lot and the presenter did an excellent job.
I found the course to be very interesting. What we learnt here, I will be able
to apply when I teach. I think that the course should be presented over more
days because the amount of information that is taught is a lot to take in. This
way of teaching will enable more learners to be able to read and spell. The
course was well presented.
A very interesting course. I enjoyed the facilitator’s enthusiasm and I feel the
THRASS system is a wonderfully inspiring initiative. The concepts and
explanations have great potential in improving spelling skills worldwide. As a
tutor, I often find that children grow dependent on the phonetic system they are
taught from Grade 1 and by the time they reach Grade 4, their spelling is
shocking! This system helps to establish the logic behind spelling and will help
understanding. Thank you very much. I will definitely use THRASS in my future as
an educator.
At first I was very sceptical about this course, but after only a few minutes
with Laola, I started to get very enthusiastic about THRASS. In the little
experience that I have, I have found that most learners in the class had
difficulty with spelling. I, as an English language teacher from a different
cultural background, found it difficult to explain to learners why and how
English words are spelt. But with THRASS, I have found a magical and exciting
new way on how to teach English. I can’t wait to use it in class!
The course was an eye-opener to how you can successfully teach learners a 2nd
language. I have learnt a lot and gained more insight into the English language.
Children will definitely gain a lot more if teachers implement THRASS in their
classrooms. I feel more comfortable to go out and teach learners a second
language.
The course was very interesting and I have learned a lot over the two days.
Laola was very enthusiastic and well prepared. I will definitely try this
approach in the classroom as I think the children will like this way of learning
a language. I loved the THRASS rap and you can really involve children actively
in the classroom. I’m sure it will be successful in SA schools. I can’t wait to
try it!
This was a very informative, interesting and useful course! It has added greatly
to my knowledge and I have found it to be an amazing programme that I will use
in my class one day. I will definitely start using THRASS and I know the pupils
I work with will benefit enormously. I want to make THRASS a part of my class in
future, as I feel it involves learners having fun whilst learning – and I think
that fun is an essential part in the classroom. This course was amazing!
The THRASS method of teaching English will improve the learner as well as the
teacher’s English and can be used with learners from a very young age, which
other methods don’t allow. It is one of the few methods which can be taught in
many different contexts - useful in a country like South Africa.
This THRASS course was very worthwhile and enjoyable. I was previously aware of
the concept of THRASS, but not near to what it really is about. I feel more
informed and definitely more enthusiastic to go out and teach more of what
English is all about. I hope to teach my learners in the very best way and I
strongly believe that THRASS will help me do that. Thank you very much. This was
a lovely two days of learning and insight.
The course is both practical and useful and will be relevant in a South African
context. I hope that I will be allowed to implement the method in class one day,
as it will be a logical way to teach English in a faster and meaningful way and
will eliminate poor spelling. This course is fantastic to teach to all learners,
as it incorporates all learning styles, ages and the eight intelligences. It is
also a worthwhile course to include in higher education, as English is my major.
Teaching reading, writing and handwriting to young children has been something
that I feel terrified of doing – at least it has been until now! In the past I
have felt incompetent and intimidated at the thought of teaching spelling. I now
feel, after having completed the THRASS training, that I am more than capable of
being an effective teacher of the English language to young learners. Thank you
very much for sharing this great programme with us and for helping us to improve
the lives of our children.
I feel very challenged and excited after a very interesting course. My mind
feels full of knowledge and ideas. There were so many new ideas to take in, so I
have a lot to think about and absorb. I think it will work and help children,
but in some ways I feel quite overwhelmed because it is so different from the
teaching styles I am used to, but that is good and it makes sense to me. I
especially like the idea of the Phoneme Machine, especially as it is also being
developed in other accents and languages. I have learnt so much and look forward
to integrating it into my classroom.
After having completed the two day course, I believe this course will prove
truly beneficial to our careers as future teachers - especially in South Africa,
because of its diversity, which means that English for some learners is an
additional (2nd and sometimes 3rd) language. The THRASS methodology is based on
a phoneme approach which caters to the needs of all learners and gives them an
equal start. The charts are a brilliant way of both summarising and presenting
information to learners thereby promoting their own construction of knowledge.
Overall the course was informative, helpful and very relevant to issues teachers
face regarding learning English.
I really think that THRASS is a very good programme. I wish that I was taught
THRASS at school because I now know how to integrate everything and learn a new
language. The Phoneme Machine is really great and interests me a lot! The use of
pictures and the ability to link them to words and then use those sounds to
interpret and say other words is great! Thank you Mr. Alan Davies for helping
“teachers to be” like me to teach English in a fun way!
In the beginning, I was not sure what THRASS would be about. Now at the end, I
can say that I’ve learnt a lot. The course was presented in a manner that
enables me to teach English in a practical and fun way. I think THRASS is a good
course and the 10 steps are brilliant. Thank you. THRASS has definitely changed
my view of English.
I enjoyed the course. I now have a way to teach English in a fun way in an
enjoyable way and make a difference in my classroom. This has given me new ideas
on where to start and being able to teach a child from a different language. The
presenter spoke well and gave us a good understanding of what THRASS is. English
was not one of my strong points, but after this, I look forward to teaching it.
I have seen a new way to teach the alphabet – most enjoyable. THRASS will be
good for South African schools.
Enjoyed it! I learnt so many useful skills that I can use in future as a
teacher.
This is a great method and process to teach children to read, write and
understand the language. These are skills that the children can use for the rest
of their lives. I am happy with the whole structure of this philosophy. I think
it’s very well planned and organised and gives you plenty of ideas and skills
for future teaching.
Even though I am not a Foundation Phase student (I am doing Senior Phase –
Grades 7-9), I have found the information and techniques helpful for my future
profession. Learners who are Afrikaans 1st Language speakers have a lot of
trouble pronouncing and spelling in English. I will definitely implement
elements of THRASS in my high school classroom. I am excited at trying my hand
at THRASS as I can see it working.
The THRASS course was fascinating. It approaches English holistically and gives
children a well-rounded view and introduction to English. I am excited about
trying the THRASS approach in the classroom and see the results. I was afraid of
teaching language as it is such a great responsibility and did not feel
adequately aware of HOW to teach English, but THRASS has equipped me and I now
feel confident to teach English.
The THRASS training was a great inspiration to me. I have really learnt a lot
and now I will be confident to teach English. I will recommend this training to
everyone that needs to know about the English language.
The course was very interesting. It is something that I will use one day with my
class. This is also learning English in a fun way. Now after this course, I
understand English far better and am glad I did it so that I can help young
children to understand and learn it as well. Thank you. It was great.
Because my English spelling is not that good, THRASS has helped me to go back to
the beginning and learn why words are spelt that way. I will definitely use this
to teach the children in my class so that they won’t struggle like I do at this
age. It was great.
It is a very useful course. I never knew how to help children to learn to read
and spell in English. After this course, I feel more assured that I will apply
my knowledge to the best of my ability. It was wonderful and I will definitely
make use of THRASS in my classroom. This was a pleasure.
THRASS makes English more accessible for all learners at a level at which they
can receive lifelong learning skills. It gives learners the opportunity to learn
English correctly and use it with confidence.
Very interesting! It is a new way to look at teaching language as well as
teaching strategies to use in the classroom. I worry about the implementation
across government schools or going from a school that uses THRASS to a school
that does not. The presenter was dynamic and had so much energy which was very
motivating. Although this was a lot to take in, I will read the manual slowly to
grasp the basic concepts again.
At the beginning of this course I was excited about this new method. The first
five stages are an excellent method. The second five stages were a bit harder to
grasp. However, if I were to read it over again, I feel that I would be able to
grasp it better. It’s a real paradigm shift because we were taught in a
different method. I believe as a teacher, however, that one needs to move on to
better methods and not be scared of trying it.
It was a very useful course. I’ve learned a lot and this will definitely help me
in years to come. It was a good presentation with complete information that made
everything clear and understandable.
This course was well organised to teach us as much as possible. I learn a lot
and will definitely apply this information to my class. It is a great way to
teach children to speak and learn about English.
This was an insightful course. I will know how to work with students who
struggle with English as a second language in the future. This is such a fun and
playful way to do English as a subject. THRASS should be implemented in our
curriculum.
This method makes it easy for children to learn about words and their sounds. It
will help them to feel comfortable that different letters can make different
sounds. I received a lot of extra knowledge and information.
This was a really interesting course. I’ve learned a lot and believe that this
training will help me in the future when I have to teach English in a school. It
is a new way of teaching and I believe that it will make a difference in schools
across the world. I’d never heard of THRASS before doing this training and
wasn’t keen on doing it, but I’ve learned a lot of valuable information that I
will be carrying throughout my career as a teacher.
An interesting and invaluable workshop. This will definitely help in taking away
nightmares regarding the teaching of the phoneme-grapheme relationship of the
English language. This approach came at the right time, especially for 2nd
language learners in English who find it difficult to comprehend different
spelling choices for one phoneme. We appreciate your input and hope to have a
long relationship with THRASS.
The word THRASS really confused me and I truly did not know what to expect, but
after these two days, I realise that THRASS = THE FUTURE. I truly think this
whole system is wonderful and practical. I cannot wait to implement it in my
class. I see THRASS becoming the bar with which all future literacy programmes
will be measured.
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