At Tina Cowley Parow Reading Centre, we help learners develop stronger reading skills through individualised support focused on their specific needs.
We work with learners from 5 years old, in both Afrikaans and English. Our focus is on helping learners develop the skills they need to read more accurately, fluently and with better understanding.
Read more accurately
Read more fluently
Read with better understanding
5+From 5 years oldAfrikaans & English
Reading matters
Reading is one of the foundations of learning.
Learners use reading skills not only in language subjects, but also when reading instructions, answering questions, solving word problems and studying.
When reading is difficult, other schoolwork can start to feel overwhelming.
Let's understand what makes reading difficult for your child.
Reading instructions
Answering questions
Solving word problems
Studying
Reading in South Africa
Reading in South Africa: the numbers tell a story
Reading difficulties are not always easy to see from the outside.
A learner may be able to recognise some words but still struggle with reading fluency or understanding what they read. Recent South African reading data highlights why reading support deserves attention.
43%
of Western Cape Grade 3 learners met the home-language reading fluency benchmark.
That means 57% did not meet the benchmark.
31%
of Grade 3 learners nationally met the home-language reading fluency benchmark.
That means approximately 7 out of 10 learners fell below the benchmark.
54%
of Grade 4 learners had still not reached the Grade 3 home-language reading benchmark.
Moving into a higher grade does not necessarily mean that reading foundations are secure.
15%
The 2026 Reading Panel report found that 15% of learners could not read a single word correctly by the end of Grade 3 in the assessment.
That is approximately 1 in 7 learners.
The Funda Uphumelele National Survey covered ordinary public schools and excluded independent and special schools. These figures refer to reading fluency benchmarks and are not the same measure as the comprehension assessment used by PIRLS.
What does this mean for parents?
It means that reading struggles deserve attention.
If your child is finding reading difficult, you do not need to wait until the problem becomes overwhelming before asking for help.
Understanding where your child needs support is a useful first step.
Our vision
Professors in the Making
Our vision is to support learners as they develop the reading skills, confidence and understanding they need for their educational journey.
Our mission
A stimulating, motivating and supportive environment
To provide a stimulating, motivating and supportive environment where learners can develop their reading skills and work towards reaching their individual potential.
About Tina Cowley Reading Centres
The Tina Cowley Reading Centres use established reading methods designed to address the foundations of reading, including decoding and word recognition.
At the Parow Reading Centre, our focus is on providing local, individualised support to learners according to their specific reading needs.