The THRASS synthetic phonics programme has been welcomed as
heralding the start of a new era in the teaching of English
in Africa and now Zimbabwe is the latest country where
THRASS is helping to change children’s lives.
The THRASS (Teaching Handwriting Reading And Spelling
Skills) programme, pioneered by British Educational
Psychologist Alan Davies, is used in thousands of nurseries,
schools, colleges and universities in Africa, the UK, Europe
and the Caribbean to help learners of all ages, and is
widely acknowledged as having the potential to more than
double the normal rate of progress for reading and spelling
in English.
Dr Melodie de Jager, author of ‘Mind Moves’, is one of many
professional African commentators who have publicly stated
that THRASS is changing the way that English is taught in
Africa. She and Dr Jean Place, Principal Tutor, University
of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, agree that THRASS is a
revolutionary approach to teaching English that provides
learners not just with handwriting, reading and spelling
skills but also with valuable life skills training. Dr de
Jager says "A workforce that is literate is vital if our
rainbow nation is to grow and prosper. Once THRASS is part
of our culture in schools we can look forward to a new era
in the teaching of English in Africa."
In Zimbabwe, World Links Zimbabwe works with schools,
educational institutions and communities with a vision to
engage all learners in the appropriate use of technology in
learning and development. It is now working with THRASS UK
to introduce to three pilot schools the recently launched
THRASS SING-A-LONG Family Reading Project that uses 44 songs
that parents and others can sing with children to explain
the 44 sounds and 120 main spelling choices of English. The
songs have really memorable tunes in different musical
styles and wonderful imaginative titles such as “The moon
fell out of the sky”, “A great big gorilla” and “You don’t
get pandas in Africa”.
The schools have received THRASS SING-A-LONG and other
THRASS resources through the THRASS Absa TalkTogether
Project, part of Absa Bank’s MAD (Make a Difference)
initiative, and the children and staff will also be
receiving training. Eliada Gudza, executive Director of
World Links Zimbabwe, is delighted with the support the
schools are receiving: “We are very grateful to both THRASS
UK and to Absa Bank, and feel very honoured that three of
our schools are among the first in the world to receive the
brand new SING-A-LONG resources. We feel that this is the
start of something really big and see enormous opportunities
for further collaboration among schools, teachers and
students who are part of the THRASS community in Zimbabwe
and South Africa.”
It is an indication of the significance of THRASS that in
South Africa it is being sponsored by Absa Bank, a member of
the Barclays Group, through the THRASS Absa TalkTogether
Project launched in July 2007. The project is a unique
educational partnership that is aiming to revolutionise the
teaching and learning of language in South Africa through
partnerships between primary schools, universities and other
organizations. To date, over 4,000 teachers and student
teachers in South Africa have earned the THRASS Accredited
Certificate, with approximately 600 having been sponsored by
the THRASS Absa TalkTogether Project.
And Absa Bank intends to introduce THRASS to hundreds of
schools during 2008 using the SING-A-LONG Resources through
the TalkTogether Project.
In Southern Africa the success of THRASS is such that the
THRASS Accredited Certificate is already a compulsory module
for Foundation Phase student teachers at five universities,
including both the University of the Witwatersrand,
Johannesburg, and the University of Pretoria. THRASS is also
sponsored in South Africa by Pritt, the art and craft ideas
company and
one of
the major global brands for consumer adhesives.
But it is not just in Zimbabwe that THRASS is set to change
lives. It is also about to make a major impact in Namibia,
where the Government is now rolling out its programme to
introduce THRASS in all schools. Last year 40 education
advisers completed their THRASS Accredited Certificate
training, with the help of USAID, and they are now about to
start a programme of regional training.
In addition, THRASS UK is looking to work with the four
teacher training colleges in Namibia to provide an
opportunity for Foundation Phase student teachers to gain
experience in the same way that it is working with teacher
training colleges in South Africa.
THRASS is already changing the lives of many African
children from a wide range of backgrounds and in all types
of schools. With a small amount of additional investment, it
has the potential to change the lives of all children in
Africa.
The THRASS extensive picture-based training website for
schools and parents with easy access to a wide range of
resources and support materials is at
www.thrass.co.uk/teaching.htm
For information about the THRASS SING-A-LONG Family Reading
Project, visit
www.thrass.co.uk/sing-a-long.htm
For more information about the THRASS Absa TalkTogether
Project, visit
www.talktogether.co.za and
www.thrass.co.uk/talktogether.htm
For information about World Links Zimbabwe, visit
www.worldlinks.org.zw
For details of THRASS Professional Development Courses that
are held regularly in the UK, Europe, West and Southern
Africa and elsewhere, 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
