Velle012

A milestone moment for Mathematical Literacy!

We were honoured to be part of the *first-ever Provincial Mathematical Literacy Conference* held at Tlhabane West Primary School in Rustenburg — a powerful gathering of educators, subject advisors, and education leaders in improving learner outcomes.

The day was rich with insight and collaboration, guided by a strong lineup of speakers:

🔹 Ms N.C Motshoane (DCES: Mathematical Literacy) welcomed delegates and set the tone for the day
🔹 Mr I. Komane unpacked the purpose and vision behind this groundbreaking conference
🔹 Ms T.F Tladi (Moretele SES) shared practical strategies on integrating diagnostic reports into everyday teaching
🔹 Ms S. Nicol, renowned Mathematical Literacy author, explored *the duality of Mathematical Literacy and achieving in Finance*
🔹 A keynote address by Ms G.M Nkwinika (DBE CES) inspired educators to rethink impact and delivery in the classroom
🔹 Mr Naude A (SMD Technologies) empowered educators with essential *calculator skills by Sharp*
🔹 Mr T. Loate (VELLE) highlighted *Mathematical Literacy beyond the classroom*, introducing resources and the PaLESa Club & Rewards programme

From curriculum mastery to real-world application, the conference created a space for meaningful dialogue, practical learning, and strategic collaboration across the province.

Mathematical Literacy is more than a subject — it’s a critical life skill. And together, we’re making it count.

Day 2 of the Free State AMESA Congress continued to inspire meaningful learning and professional reflection. Educators engaged in an insightful session on addition and subtraction through rounding off and compensation, expertly facilitated by Mrs Twala and Mrs Mofokeng, creating an interactive space for shared learning and practical classroom strategies.

A key highlight of the day was the keynote address by Dr NV Sithole from the Central University of Technology, who challenged educators to reflect deeply on their practice by asking: “Why do we do what we do?” — a powerful reminder of the purpose and impact of teaching.

Day 1 of the 2025 Annual Free State AMESA Congress set the tone for two impactful days of collaboration, learning, and professional growth. Hosted at Koppie Alleen Primary School, educators from across the province gathered to strengthen Mathematics education through shared expertise, practical teaching strategies, and meaningful dialogue.

Teachers, academics, and district officials in attendance, the congress—led by the Association for Mathematics Education of South Africa—created a powerful platform for empowering educators from Grade R–12. Day 1 featured inspiring presentations, networking opportunities, and parallel sessions facilitated by expert teachers committed to improving learning outcomes in Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy, and Technical Mathematics.

Here’s to building stronger classrooms, empowered educators, and brighter futures through education.

Day 4 of 4 training of our Vellenteer facilitators continued. In parallel the Velle Youth Impact and TLT team had a debrief.session with the Curriculum team from the Moretele Local Education Office to review program impact. The results painted a clear picture of impact across all 10 schools with 58% of the 1163 learners who are part of the program having mustered at least one new mathematic basic operation(+-×÷) after just 30 days of contact.

TaRL Training Day 3 - Today, the training focuses on equipping TaRL Facilitators with a structured approach to literacy instruction. They are being guided on how to help learners break down a word into its component sounds, including consonants and vowels, and understand how these sounds form the word.
From there, learners are taught to connect the word to its meaning, use it correctly within a sentence, and then expand that sentence into a coherent paragraph. Ultimately, the goal is for learners to confidently communicate their understanding by articulating the paragraph to their peers in a clear and meaningful way.

Days 1&2 of our 4-day TaRL practitioner Literacy Training at Moretele. These are methodologies & practices which are to be implemented in the 10 partner schools we work with on the 2nd term of 2026

TaRL Free State - 2 Day Training

From strengthening literacy and grammar foundations to sharpening lesson planning, assessment, and facilitation skills, our TaRL Free State team continues to level up! 💪

Day 1 focused on building strong language skills through sentence construction, grammar accuracy, and storytelling using *The Lion & the Mouse* to spark critical thinking and real-life connections.

Day 2 shifted to professional readiness, equipping facilitators with tools for lesson planning, learner assessments, and digital tracking using TeampactApp — all in preparation for impactful classroom delivery.

🚀 With clear next steps in place, the team is ready to step into schools, support learners, and drive meaningful improvements in literacy and learning outcomes.

Dear future Vellenteer... Keep your eyes peeled for WhatsApp and email updates to see if your application was successful. Expect next steps towards becoming a Vellenteer & joining our exciting school community campaigns.
Wishing you the best of luck!

Velle Management Team.

it takes a community 💙

We recently visited one of our own — the Bidvest McCarthy EduPods at Tembisa High School — for a site visit aimed at strengthening our partnership with the school.

Most importantly, we wanted to ensure that the EduPods systems are fully functional and continue to provide learners with the quality academic support they deserve.

Because when a community comes together, meaningful learning becomes possible.

TaRL Free State | Week 2 Coaching in Action

Week 2 of our Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) coaching sessions kicked off with a strong focus on active pedagogy and strengthening foundational numeracy skills. Our facilitators and coaches explored innovative teaching strategies designed to move learners beyond memorizing rules toward deep understanding and critical thinking in mathematics.

A key highlight was the “Socratic Shift”—encouraging more student-led learning through the 4-Question Problem-Solving Framework:
🔹 What information is given?
🔹 What is being asked?
🔹 What will you do?
🔹 Why does that method work?

This approach empowers learners to break down complex word problems, particularly those involving currency and regrouping, while strengthening reasoning and confidence in mathematics.

The coaching sessions also applied the CRA (Concrete–Representational–Abstract) learning model, helping learners build mathematical understanding step-by-step. Facilitators demonstrated how to move from hands-on tools like bundles, sticks, and play money to visual representations and ultimately abstract number operations. This method ensures learners grasp the “why” behind place value, addition, and subtraction rather than simply memorizing procedures.

To keep learning engaging and interactive, the team also incorporated numeracy games such as:
🎲 Number Jump
📓 Number Diary
🪜 Multiplication Ladder

These activities help learners develop number sense, numeracy speed, and confidence, all while making mathematics fun and accessible.

As the team continues to refine these strategies, they are strengthening their ability to support learners in building strong foundational numeracy skills that will last far beyond the classroom.