Free app teaches children to read in 11 languages
Children can raise their literacy level to early Grade Two on a CAPS measurement.
Bellavista S.H.A.R.E, a division of Bellavista School, has introduced an app which addresses the basic building blocks of reading.
According to Bellavista School principal Alison Scott, one of the key stumbling blocks hindering the development of reading skills in many children is the absence of reading instruction or material in their home language.
“Language instruction is a complex issue in South Africa. The hard reality is that, despite laudable efforts to ensure that all official languages are represented in our curricula, we’re still faced with a lack of resources, from teachers to schools or materials.”
Consequently, most children find themselves learning to read in a language they have not yet properly mastered, which detracts significantly from their proficiency.
Feed The Monster presents reading instruction in English, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Tshivenda, Sepedi, Sesotho, Xitsonga, siSwati, Afrikaans, isiNdebele, Setswana and even Swahili in a gamified format, making it easy for readers, aged between six and eight, to match letters with sounds, understand how those sounds combine to form words, and see how words go on to create meaningful sentences.
In this way, children can raise their literacy level to early Grade Two on a CAPS measurement.
Scott says Feed the Monster offers a real solution to the learning and literacy challenges experienced by learners, teachers and parents alike.
On the other hand, confident readers may relish the opportunity to broaden their skills to include learning to read in another language, especially an indigenous vernacular.
The app is suited for physical distancing too as links can be shared over SMS and social media networks.
Bellavista S.H.A.R.E. partnered with the MTN Foundation and Curious Learning to launch Feed the Monster, an app created through a joint venture between the Apps Factory, the Centre for Educational Technology (CET) and The International Rescue Committee (IRC) in South Africa.
This award-winning app, which has been funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was first piloted in Syrian refugee camps. Now, its software has been declared open source.
For more information, visit www.bellavistashare.org.za
