In 2014, FunDza launched a fourth programme Deepening Reading Practice which is being piloted in the Western Cape as part of the wider Year Beyond project, to provide academic and other support to high school learners. Through this programme FunDza will ultimately spur the development of reading curricula for grades 8 to 11 and develop a technology platform through which we’ll deliver the content and monitor progress.
FunDza plans to provide the reading modules to other organisations through a variety of service packages. To find out how to get involved, please contact the FunDza team.
FunDza is very excited to be able to provide extra-curricula activities for learners who are part of the Year Beyond project. AVA (Action Volunteers Africa) is running the programme, with Ikamva Youth responsible for the high school component. FunDza is providing the online reading and language sessions that will happen twice a week at the eight participating high schools.
Dorothy Dyer trained a group of 32 young volunteers who will be going out to the schools this month. “They were such a fabulous bunch of young people,” she said. “Motivated, interested, responsive and they themselves also loved the FunDza stories that they will be working with in the classrooms.”
Each reading module consists of a FunDza short story, an accompanying quiz, discussion questions, drama and roleplay activities as well as writing exercises based on the issues and characters in each story.
“There will no doubt be many challenges – load shedding could be just one of them – but there will be backup plans which will include the use of real books,” Dorothy says.
FunDza has had quite a few requests for support on how to use the stories in a more formal environment, and so hopefully this will be the beginning of an exciting development process.
Watch this space!