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A student learns to read using technology offered by the Click Foundation

Click Foundation Uses Technology to Close South Africa’s Literacy Gap

Project Overview

South Africa is facing a literacy crisis. Students often begin learning in their native / home language, but that changes in grade four when 90% must switch to English for instruction. For those with low reading comprehension prior to grade four, this switch exacerbates the issue and leads to poor learning outcomes in later grades.

To lessen the literacy gap, the Click Foundation implements online English literacy programs in low-income primary schools across South Africa. The programs integrate technology into the learning journey through fun activities that teach students to use a computer while enhancing their reading capabilities. The Click Foundation leverages technology to make the education experience fun, efficient, cost-effective, and scalable.

Through digital education, we not only address the literacy crisis in the country, but also provide young children with the digital skills needed for future success.

Nicola Harris, CEO of the Click Foundation

How it Helps

The Click Foundation is addressing the literacy gap while equipping learners with technological skills needed to succeed later in school and in life. The organization provides primary schools across South Africa with computers, headphones, and proven curriculum so each learner can log on and learn at their own pace. The programs are designed for each learner to reach basic literacy by the end of grade three, when the students move on to use a more advanced reading program to continue building their comprehension skills.

The Click Foundation curates and implements successful online reading tools to. help learners develop five literacy competencies that are essential for mastering reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. The tools use a combination of games, songs, and rewards to motivate children as they guide themselves through the platform, learn new skills, and move forward in their literacy journey. This builds confidence among learners – not only in their ability to read, but their ability to use technology as a tool for learning. The programs also enable real-time, quality measurement using both assessment and improvement metrics so teachers understand more about student performance.

Further changing the landscape of communities across the country, the Click Foundation also employs young adults in facilitator roles. Facilitators support teachers in the classroom, increasing the ability for more one-on-one coaching that may be needed. Facilitators also help learners maximize their time using online tools in computer labs by answering questions and getting students settled. As of September 2020, the programs created nearly 350 jobs for unemployed youth in South African communities.

The Click Foundation operates in primary schools across five South African provinces, serving more than 100,000 learners.