The ABC For Life literacy centre is a non-profit organisation based at Sentinel Primary School. Picture: ABC For Life
ABC For Life, a Hout Bay non-profit organisation working to improve literacy, says it has seen an overall 92% pass rate among pupils who wrote its end-of-year assessment tests this month.
Based at Sentinel Primary School, the organisation supports foundation-phase (Grades R to 3) pupils who are one or two years behind their required grade-level so that learning difficulties are caught early. It operates under the umbrella of the Hout Bay Educational Trust, according to project co-ordinator Gailyn Scarpa.
“At the start of the programme, primary school learners complete a pre-test, which was written in January, where we assessed their ability level, and this gives us an indication of where to start with the programme. Throughout the year, the learners complete shorter, interim assessments linked to the immediate content they cover,” she said.
“At the end of the year, the learners complete a post test where we are then able to see and measure the notable progress.”
Close to 600 pupils from Hout Bay Primary, Sentinel Primary and Ellerton Primary schools wrote the tests.
On average, Hout Bay Primary Grade 1s scored 80%, Sentinel Primary Grade 1s scored 80% while their Grade 2s scored 70% and Ellerton Primary’s Grade 3s scored 64% while their Grade 6s and 7s scored 63%.
“Across the three schools, we have reached 580 learners, and we are excited to see how our initiative - ABC For Life - will thrive and grow to help primary school aged children learn to read,” Ms Scarpa said.