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THRASS TWO-DAY
CERTIFICATE,
GTG, SOUTH AFRICA, OCT 1-2, 2004 |
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Portable
Document Format
I just felt it all made so much sense. It
structured and clarified niggles that I had about the systems presently in use.
I also feel we owe it to children to implement new methods if they are shown to
be better. This is better. I can’t wait to make myself fully au-fait with the
system. I am "blown away". I think your enthusiasm, commitment, confidence is
what made the course convincingly amazing.
Enjoyed the course tremendously. I found the grouping of phonemes interesting
and I believe the system should improve children’s spelling and word attack
skills immensely. I look forward to seeing the system implemented.
Thoroughly enjoyable. Very exciting "new/old" concept – great! Certainly makes
sense. You’re obviously passionate about it, which comes over very strongly. I
want to jump on board and embrace the system.
Gained insight into a number of questions relating to teaching of ‘similar
sounds’ and how children could remember them. Time was managed well, but too
much time was spent on the International Phonetic Alphabet. It would be
beneficial to see a lesson. Opened many doors for making the teaching of
spelling and reading fun.
Wonderful presentation, very practical and applicable to classroom practice. A
lot of material covered, and lots of material and information which can only
improve teaching practice in the whole school. Thanks very much for an excellent
and thought provoking programme.
Very interesting. I will have to learn the charts myself before I can help
children find their way around them. This is definitely a better way of teaching
sounds, reading, spelling etc but I have to unlearn what I have been taught and
have been teaching for the past few years, which is quite a daunting task!
This has been a thought provoking course. Alan – you are a vibrant and
enthusiastic speaker who is totally involved in your project. For me, there have
been moments of insecurity. I have asked questions like, "Is this for me?" Your
course makes a lot of sense and I am looking forward to working with it and then
having a follow up course to discuss how I’m doing and how effective has the
teaching become. Well done.
The children will benefit from one system throughout. Was covered quickly and
thoroughly, overwhelming at times, but exciting, stimulating and looking forward
– to looking back over the next ten years!
Many thanks for an incredibly stimulating and mind boggling two days. My only
regret is that I feel I need to learn more. It would be great to have focus on
‘age’ areas.
A highly thought provoking course. Just a pity for me I could not have had it at
the start of my teaching career as I think it is a brilliant system. Well done
on outstanding manuals etc. so logically set out. We feel we would like to have
some "back-up" e.g. being able to talk to someone actually teaching THRASS in
schools. Fantastic that the whole school will be on the same system. A very
exciting programme.
The course was very well presented. A lot of thought and work has gone into
making the English language (and spelling) less of a daunting task. Many of the
phases and curriculum were made clear, however, I do feel that I would have like
a more practical application in the form of workshops and the sharing of ideas
in the implementation of the curriculum. Many thanks for all the hard work!
An inspirational course. The system makes sense as it can be started in Gr 0 and
can be extended on right through the school. I have particular concern for the
weaker readers and spellers and I can see this will empower them to attack
unknown words. I thank you for all your practical ideas. It is a new method but
with all the support and helpful tips, aids etc. I feel confident to implement
it in my classroom. Your sense of humour and obvious love of children made the
course most enjoyable and the fact that you have obviously had many years of
experience in teaching help me to realize this system must work!
Your enthusiasm and excellent material make this course a winner. Continue to
tell teachers their phonics knowledge is lacking – IT IS! You convinced me that
THRASS is a ‘better way’ early on – I didn’t want to hear this throughout the
two day lectures.
I feel very lucky to have been allowed to do the course. I am looking forward to
implementing this approach into helping the children I work with. I am sure I
will have many questions as I go along and will probably need a ‘refresher’
course in a couple of months. It has been a lot to absorb in two days.
Excellent. It makes so much sense. Scary to think that all these years the
children have had to unlearn so much in order to read. Thanks for your
enthusiasm and passion – this is a brilliant concept – there is no other option!
Very beneficial, thank you. A lot to take in, in two days. A great system and
super to have a program that will progress throughout the school. A new
challenge – looking forward to implementing this in my class.
Excitement and fun!….turned into Doubting and Analysing, turned into Questioning
and Understanding, turned into Challenging and…..making sense! Thank you for a
wonderful two days – a passionate presentation.
Once you have introduced the children to the charts and they know the phonemes
and graphemes, at what stage do you start concentrating on specific phonemes?
What phonemes get covered at what level? In what order should they be covered?
For example, we cover certain phonics sounds in Gr 2, which ones should be done
at that level? If we cover the ‘ew’ sound, is it done with ‘oo’ and ‘ue’. Do
they only get done after stages T1-9 or are they integrated? How long do you
stay on a stage? Thanks!*
Very interesting and beneficial – will make an extreme difference in the way I
teach phonics in future.
A well presented, wonderful course. I am so excited and can’t wait to share my
new knowledge with the children. I have always felt I was not teaching spelling
correctly. I feel confident that I can make a difference.
I have found this course eye opening! As a teacher THRASS has given me a
comprehensive guide to explain English – "that funny language" – to my emergent
learners. I feel confident enough to make a start with THRASS and look forward
to further training and information.
Dynamic. Clear outcomes. Wonderful materials. Cross curricular scope. Exciting.
THRASS – a better way!
Most informative and interesting. Well presented! Makes sense regarding the
teaching of phonics. I learnt a lot and hope that my entire school adopts the
THRASS approach. I would like to ‘inherit’ children who have been exposed to the
programme.
Stunning. I thoroughly enjoyed the two days and learnt a tremendous amount. The
presentation was excellent. The entire THRASS system makes sense and I am
looking forward to using it. A big thank you.
An excellent presentation. I hope to use THRASS as soon as possible. I also hope
that all the teachers in our school come on your course. I would love to see you
demonstrate this to a class.
Extremely worthwhile course. Well presented. Definitely to be taken on board
across whole school.*
The scheme is very logical – like mathematics and computers. The package is very
comprehensive and covers different learning skills. I would be very happy to use
the method, if it is introduced at our school lower down. I could also use it,
in isolation, for pupils with particular difficulties. Adopting the program
throughout would assist senior primary teachers of all subjects. The course was
effectively presented.
Thorough. Well-presented. Materials good and well-coordinated. Big book not
necessary – high frequency words by definition will appear often enough in more
interesting books. Course could be condensed. Very rigid – more democratic,
interactive approach would be nice. Repeating words and tracing letters does not
constitute adult interaction.
Super informative course. I have learnt so much. Thanks.
I have found this course very interesting and well-presented. This way of
approaching phonics is revolutionary, after being trained as a junior primary
and remedial therapist and being told NEVER to call letters by names when
teaching reading and spelling – the traditional approach of single letter
(graph) makes one sound approach. I felt a bit overwhelmed by the volume of what
has been covered but feel with practise, this would be reduced. A practical
demonstration using a class of children would have been wonderful. I do feel for
THRASS to be successful it needs to be implemented throughout the school
environment. Thank you.
A most useful course that can be most effectively applied within schools where
learners aren’t exposed to the written word as much as they used to before
computers. Repetition of phonemes and graphemes in a structured way must allow
learner to recall, and teacher to aid the recall by using the reference chart.
I found areas of the course really interesting and helpful. I would be keen to
use THRASS in my classroom.
A well researched and carefully presented package that can be applied
efficiently throughout the school. IT software is excellent.
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