The program also has the support of the Western Cape Department of Education. The teacher prints the story as the students develop it, so that they immediately see their speech transformed into written words. The approach is adaptable to any language and is inherently culturally relevant, since the students have determined the book's content based on their own experiences. We believe that when children come from homes where there are no books and have parents who are not literate, a method must be used that introduces them to written language and to reading that is meaningful and that they can relate to. He says one of the early indications that the CLE program was having an effect was when he overheard children reading the signs printed on passing trucks during recess.
Teachers also seem to catch the students' enthusiasm.
The children are so involved, and you can accommodate every child, including the shy ones and those who learn a little more slowly. It's much freer. There really are no boundaries. At first glance, it appears to be recess at a typical preschool filled with happy, rambunctious youngsters. Nearby, a small group surrounds a table-top sandbox, methodically excavating caves and tunnels with their tiny hands.