Parents and teachers from George Dickerson Primary School have forged a partnership to transform their children’s lives through literacy.
Parents and teachers from George Dickerson Primary School have forged a partnership to transform their children’s lives through literacy.
Wordworks Home School Partnerships introduced the programme at the school six weeks ago and has seen strong support from both teachers and parents.
The programme helps parents better understand the learning process. Through training workshops given by the teachers, the aim is to help children gain knowledge, make learning fun, and to assist parents to learn more about child development.
“It’s about how you interact with your child. Sometimes you feel tired or don’t have time, but these workshops have given me a better understanding on how to be patient and how to help my child,” said Joanne Stokes, one of the parents at the workshop.
She also feels that help from the teachers is beneficial because it provides a better understanding of what a child goes through at school.
It wasn’t just mothers that were present but fathers as well, including Mzukisi Peter who joined the programme because he is interested in his child’s education, “I want to be an example for my child when he goes to school,” he says.
The lively workshops include teaching parents about the link between physical development and reading and writing, as well the importance of having direct learning experiences with their children.
These include talking with them every day, listening, reading, and sharing activities with them. The course is initiated and facilitated by The Lebone Centre and is led by the centre's Angela Hibbert.
The workshops will be running at St Mary’s and Grahamstown Primary next term.
The Wordworks motto is sung at every workshop and captures the spirit of the programme: Children talk by talking, they listen by listening, they do by doing and they read by reading.
For more information contact Angela Hibbert at angraehibbert@gmail.com.
