To introduce a new one to one reading support programme to promote accelerated English reading progress for pupils across the Project Zulu partnership.
This project ran in 2019 across our rural Dundee partner schools, drawing on best practice from similar initiatives in the UK, the programme involved one-to-one diagnostic reading support and progressed pupils through a levelled reading scheme. In South African schools the medium of instruction is English and accessing learning materials, following text books, completing tasks and undertaking tests all require fluency in English reading. Many pupils in our partner schools find this a challenge, not least because English is not their first language.
UWE Bristol Education academics have led workshops for teachers on how to facilitate the programme, and UWE Bristol students led the first sessions with pupils in each school throughout August 2019. We hope this practice will become embedded across the partnership and improve vital reading skills for pupils. Education academics from the university are gathering and analysing impact data and we look forward to their report on the positive develops arising from this initiative.
University of the West of England, Room 2P50, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY
projectzulu@uwe.ac.uk
+44 (0117) 328 1403
