The Readucate Trust is a nonprofit organisation (NGO) which focuses on education and literacy.
Readucate is accredited with the ETDP SETA and has a Section 18A certificate.
The Trust was established in 1991 but its work is based on over 80 years’ experience in teaching children and adults how to read; using pioneer Rebecca Ostrowiak’s multi-dimensional approach to reading.
Readucate is comprised of two words; reading and educate, since one cannot educate people who cannot read. Its vision is to create a literate society throughout Southern Africa and its mission is to fight crime through:
- Prevention (upgrading teachers, giving qualified teachers the opportunity to improve on their own reading, teaching and study skills which they can impart on their learners). The Readucate Trust believes that in so doing it nurtures the culture of continuous learning;
- Rehabilitation (training literate prisoners to teach fellow illiterate inmates, contributing a sustainable manner towards the process of rehabilitation);
- Job Creation (helping Readucate instructors establish Readucate); and
- To achieve social justice (by improving literacy amongst disadvantaged people, “disadvantaged’ has two connotations here, children reading below grade level at school and adults with little or no education).
The core work of the Trust is training both teachers and prisoners to become Readucate Instructors. Readucate Instructors complete an intensive training course. Completion of the course means that the Instructors are now capable of teaching and can start their own Readucate Centres as small businesses. After passing the final examination, which is moderated by Professor Brenda Spencer of the University of South Africa’s English Department, the Instructor then becomes a Readucator who can train others to become Readucate Instructors.
The Trust aims to take quality education to all South Africans. By offering communities in rural areas and townships access to good quality education in their areas, Readucate aims to impact on the fact that these communities spend large amounts of money sending their children to schools in towns.
The Rebecca Ostrowiak Home Reading Programme is a complete home or school reading course that consists of; five teaching guides, five reading workbooks, alphabet chart, easy-to-clean folder and explanatory cassettes and compact disks (CDs).
The programme teaches on how to read, write, spell, memory training, comprehension, thinking skills, good teach approach and good relationships. It is specifically designed and will therefore only benefit the following people:
- Pre-school children;
- Grade One (foundation phase) initially-to prevent later problems;
- Primary and High School Pupils remedially;
- Adults with reading or spelling problems;
- Illiterate English and non-English speakers;
- Dyslexics; and
- English Second Home Language (cassettes and CDs give correct pronunciation).
The programmes and methods initiated by the Trust are effective with a wide range of ages because of the approaches that they use whether one is studying remedially or initially. These approaches are:
- Positive teaching philosophy;
- Logical synthesis of the best of all available methods;
- Simplicity of the language used;
- The method is a springboard to the pupil's own life;
- The unique way in which the spelling code is related to reading leads to:
- Independent, fearless reading in any context;
- development of cognitive skills;
- self-confidence;
- healthy self-image;
- development of lifelong love of reading and learning;
- Simplicity of the language used;
- The method is a springboard to the pupil's own life;
- Careful structure of the system;
- Emphasis on "playing school" for pre-schoolers; and
- Multi-dimensional aspects make it universally successful.
To view the Readucate Trust in the Prodder NGO Directory, click here.
