Kat The Education Specialist

02/09/2026

Wednesday 3 September, 21:20 on MotswedingFM Learner Support Ep 29 with Lebo Mokgatlha, in Setswana. Topic: the right way for parents to monitor their child's academic progress.

27/08/2026

81% of our Grade 4 children cannot read for meaning in any language.
This morning I'm on The Journal with Mmatsheko Mosito on Channel Africa 📻, unpacking what literacy poverty really is, why it hides in plain sight, and what we can do as parents, as schools, as a continent to turn it around.
🕙 10:10 CAT · Channel Africa · Live across Africa 🌍

14/07/2026

Mandela said education is the most powerful weapon.

But a child who cannot read confidently cannot enjoy the fruits of education.

That truth brought two organisations together. 💚

This Mandela Day — Baroka Academy has fully funded 67 literacy assessments for South African families.

No cost. No catch. Just answers.

📍 37 in person — Centurion
📍 30 online — anywhere in South Africa

Grade 1 to Grade 4.

First 67 families to register qualify automatically.

This is your 67 minutes of Mandela Day impact.

Click the link in my bio. Fill in the form. Secure your child’s spot.

When they are gone — they are gone.

20/06/2026

Book your child’s slot today

19/06/2026

June reports are coming.
And parent teacher meetings are about to happen.
Most parents walk in and wait to be told how their child is doing.
I want to change that.
Because the most important information in that meeting will not be volunteered. You have to ask for it.
Screenshot these seven questions and take them into your meeting.
Is my child reading at grade level — and if not, exactly how far behind?
When my child reads aloud in class, what do you notice?
Does my child understand what they read — or do they just decode the words?
How do they perform in written tasks compared to verbal ones?
Has my child been flagged for any reading or literacy concerns — and if yes, what has been done?
What specific support are they currently receiving — and is it making a difference?
What do you recommend I do at home?
Listen carefully to the answers.
A teacher who cannot give you a number for reading level means the gap has not been measured. A gap that has not been measured cannot be closed.
If your child reads fluently but understands nothing — that is word calling. Not comprehension.
If they are stronger verbally than in writing — the thinking is there. The literacy foundation is the barrier. That is a gap. Not a ceiling.
If they have been flagged but nothing has been done — act now. The school has seen it.
The school tells you where your child is.
Paddles tells you why — and builds the exact plan to close it.
The June Holiday Programme starts in one week. 29 June.
5 days. Grade 1 to 4. Maximum 10 learners per week.
Week 1: 6 slots | Week 2: 7 slots | Week 3: 5 slots
In-person (Centurion): R2,800 early bird | R3,200 after 6 June
Online (anywhere in SA): R2,000
Sibling discount: 5% off total
Link in bio. 065 543 4663. [email protected] 💙

31/05/2026

30/05/2026

Every child can read, with early identification and interventions. They get an opportunity to blossom

30/05/2026

If your child is in Grade 1, 2, 3 or 4 — and they are doing any of these — the June Holiday Programme was made for them.
Guessing words — uses the first letter and guesses the rest. House becomes horse. Where becomes were.
Skipping words they do not recognise — keeps going as though the word was never there.
Memorising instead of reading — perfect in one book. Lost in a new one.
Reads fluently but cannot tell you what it was about — every word comes out. Nothing stays.
Reverses letters when writing past Grade 1 — b becomes d. p becomes q. s faces the wrong way.
Avoids reading aloud — suddenly needs the bathroom. Says they are tired. Asks someone else to go first.
Homework takes three times longer than it should — what should take 20 minutes takes an hour. And ends in tears.
Understands when you explain verbally — but the moment it is written down it is gone.
Copies from the board but cannot tell you what they wrote.
Has stopped trying — not lazy. Not difficult. A child who tried, kept failing, and decided it was safer to stop.
None of these are personality traits.
None of them are permanent.
Every single one is a gap in a foundation that was never fully built.
And every single one is closeable — with the right intervention — at the right time.
The right time is now.
The June Holiday Programme starts 29 June.
5 days. Grade 1 to 4. Maximum 10 learners per week.
We identify the gap. We close it. We report back to you.
Week 1: 29 June to 3 July — 6 slots left
Week 2: 6 to 10 July — 7 slots left
Week 3: 13 to 17 July — 5 slots left
In-person (Centurion): R2,800 early bird | R3,200 after 6 June
Online (anywhere in SA): R2,000
Link in bio. 065 543 4663. [email protected] 💙

26/05/2026

FINAL REMINDER — Seats are limited!

Don’t miss out on one of the most anticipated industry conversations of 2026.
Join business leaders, corporates, SETAs, training providers, entrepreneurs, and industry stakeholders as we connect around skills, alignment, and opportunity.

📅 28 May 2026
⏰ 10:30 – 14h00
📍 Berkley Office Park, Centurion

This is more than an event — it’s a platform for collaboration, networking, and meaningful impact.

🎟 RSVP NOW and secure your seat today.