Empowering early literacy

The Lesedi Solar Park Trust, in collaboration with Wordworks, is making strides in early childhood education by implementing the Stellar Home Language Programme in Grade R classrooms across the Lesedi area. This initiative is part of our commitment to improving literacy outcomes and supporting foundational learning in local communities. 

The Stellar Home Language Programme is an interactive, story-based curriculum designed to enhance language and literacy development in young learners. The programme is aligned with the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) and focuses on strengthening Setswana language skills in early education. Previously implemented in schools across in other provinces, Stellar has proven to be a valuable tool in promoting literacy at a foundational level. 

The Lesedi Solar Park Trust partnered with Wordworks in 2023 to introduce the Stellar Programme in four local schools where Setswana is the Language of Learning and Teaching (LoLT) in the foundation phase. This two-year initiative includes: 
✅ 2024 – Training for Grade R teachers, implementation support, and classroom observations. 
✅ 2025 – Ongoing mentorship, Community of Practice (CoP) sessions, and strengthened teacher development. 
✅ 2026 – A review of key learnings to guide future literacy interventions. 

 The first year of implementation saw positive engagement from teachers and learners, with some schools rapidly embracing the Stellar methodology. However, challenges such as teacher attrition due to new qualification requirements and inconsistent programme adoption in some schools required targeted interventions. Despite these hurdles, the programme’s success has drawn interest from the Northern Cape Department of Education (NCDoE), opening discussions on expanding Stellar to all Grade R classrooms in the province. 

In 2025, the Stellar Programme will continue to equip teachers with the resources and support needed to foster early literacy. The addition of Community of Practice (CoP) sessions will allow educators to share insights and best practices, ensuring sustained progress and impact. 

Through initiatives like Stellar, the Lesedi Solar Park Trust remains committed to breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty by providing quality education opportunities for young learners in our communities.