Wordworks is an organisation dedicated to implementing projects that support the early literacy development of children from disadvantaged communities. 

 

We are committed to producing accessible, affordable materials and developing a body of knowledge about early literacy development in the South African context.  We also aim to address the broader needs of these children by attending to the consequences of trauma, violence and loss.  Wordworks projects serve as platforms for creating ‘communities of concern’ and providing access to therapeutic support.  

Wordworks was established with the aim of developing early literacy intervention programmes for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The organisation began with a volunteer reading project in 2004, which proved to be successful in improving the literacy levels of children in their first three years of school. The success of the volunteer project led to the creation of a reading centre and the production of materials through fundraising, parent support and community involvement. 

 

Wordworks aims to extend the early intervention project to other schools, preschools and community centres. Further materials development is also planned. Through getting to know the participants in the literacy project, we have come to recognise the resilience of those children who have experienced loss, violence and trauma. Wordworks is committed to creating opportunities for these children to have access to therapeutic support and a chance to co-author preferred stories about their lives. By giving children and parents opportunities to tell their stories and finding creative ways to document their courage, Wordworks actively engages in ‘doing hope’.

 

Both founding members of Wordworks are involved in doctoral research and are committed to ensuring that the work carried out by the organisation is carefully recorded and evaluated so that it can contribute to a research base that is specific to the South African context.