“Learning to read is like learning to drive a car. You take lessons and learn the mechanics and the rules of the road. After a few weeks you have learned how to drive, how to stop, how to shift gears, how to park, and how to signal. When you are ready, you take a road test, and if you pass, you can drive.” 
SmartBrain’s phonics works the same way. 
“Memorizing words, works differently. The child is then taught to read before they have learned the mechanics – the sounds of the letters and the blending of the letters. It is like learning to drive by starting your car and driving ahead……and the mechanics of driving? Apparently you would pick those up as you go along.” – Rudolph Flesch, “Why Johnny Still Can’t Read, 1981.”

Children are thriving with SmartBrain’s Phonetic approach.

Ismail Aziz is busy with SmartBrain’s Sound Empowerment Book 2 and scored 12/12 for this worksheet. He also achieved 100% in his school’s Spelling Bee competition.

We are very proud of him.

SmartBrain is accredited with the ETDP-Seta and is an accredited training provider. SmartBrain’s Train-the-Trainer course was this September holiday provided to Tamryn Muller for the SmartBrain Sasolburg centre as well as Lorne Erasmus for the SmartBrain Grabouw centre.

The training includes practical sessions with students from SmartBrain Head Office as well as theory.

These trainees had to learn how the brain assimilates information, how to assess a learners reading ability, how to solve dyslexic problems, how to make a pre-school child literate, how to solve reading related problems such as slow reading, hesitant reading, lack of concentration while reading, etc.

Here Tamryn is working with Kirsty-Joy and Lorne with Liam.

Ek het my seuntjie op SmartBrain begin toe hy omtrent 6 weke oud was met 1 woord per dag. Op 9 maande het ek hom eers werklik op die jaarprogram begin en dit maar elke 2e dag gedoen. Hy is nou 15 maande oud en HY skreeu nou vir my hy wil Smartbrain doen. Ons moet nou elke dag alles kyk – die hondjies, katjies, perde, vrugte, groente, voeltjies tot die wilde diere, vliegtuie, masjiene en die diere- en kosboek! Dit vat my nou al ‘n goeie uur om dit deur te gaan soos wat hy dit weer en weer wil sien. Met elke nuwe stel lag hy van opgewondenheid!
Dit is onbeskryfbaar watter ‘spark’ daar in my baba se brein is! Hy snap goed ongelooflik vinnig en sy assosiasie en woordeskat is ver bo sy ouderdom se gemiddeld. Daardie liefde vir leer en lees is al klaar vasgele. Hy kan nie sy boekies uitlos nie en smag na nog inligting. Hy het nou letterlik ‘n Smartbrain!

Grade R is on everyone’s lips and it is as if they have suddenly realized the importance of a good start. SmartBrain’s NEW GRADE R Phonetic reading and writing program can make all the difference . Research at SmartBrain has proven that when Zulu speaking children can be exposed to this programme on a Grade R level, the class average increased from a regular 40 %, year after year, in their Annual National Assessment tests to a phenomenal 96 % of the class who scored above 60% for the same test. Think what could happen if every child in this country could have been exposed to SmartBrain’s excellent foundational reading and writing program! The program runs over four terms, with three half-hour lessons per week. The program is written in such a format that the facilitator can easily follow it step by step. There are also worksheets for each lesson.
SmartBrain’s Early Learning Programme has been operating for the last 19 years with great success. The Grade R program has been run in a private school these past 2 years also with great success.
This in actual fact then is a MUST for every Grade R class if we are going to change the educational results in this country.

Caden Snyman improved a lot since he started with SmartBrain. 

At SmartBrain we teach children phonics. We do this in Afrikaans and/or English. Our youngest student is 4 years old and our oldest 68 years old. No matter how old you are, we can improve your or your child’s reading skills.

Between the ages of 4 years and 6 years, we prevent reading problems from ever happening with your child and we make them skillful readers before they go to school.

For those of you who have children who dislike reading, we can also cure reading related problems, such as dyslexia, slow reading, hesitant reading and reading without understanding.

Bring your child to your nearest SmartBrain centre, for a free assessment, today!