Hanover Park-based organisation, Community Action towards a Safer Environment (CASE) hosted a spell-a-thon at Voorspoed Primary School on Saturday October 20.
Foundation phase pupils from Belmor, Blomvlei, Voorspoed, Athwood, Parkfields and Newfields primary schools, took part in the event.
Case also used this opportunity to showcase the work they do in the community.
About 200 people attended the event, which was supported by the national and provincial departments of social development, as well as the Western Cape Education Department’s Safer Schools.
The spell-a-thon forms part of Case’s Literacy Project, also known as “The Big Mom” programme, and it consists of 10 trained, previously unemployed women from the community who are based at the schools in Hanover Park.
Natasha Dial, the head of literacy project, said The Big Moms take the pupils out of the learning environment of the classroom, and use a different approach to learning.
“It was found that often learners brought their trauma experienced at home or community into the classroom, and that the practice of learning through constructive play was more effective. The goal is to stimulate children’s language development by introducing beautiful stories to them. Storytelling develops listening skills, enhances verbal expression, increases comprehension, creates mental images and highlights verbal reasoning. It also encourages the child to value books and stories,” Ms Dial said.