Funda Wande Reading Academy: Open Online isiXhosa Literacy Course

The Funda Wande Reading Academy offers an open online isiXhosa and English course for anyone interested in learning how to teach reading. The official course page currently has a Join this Course option and a curriculum covering both decoding and comprehension, followed by practical reading activities used in CAPS.

This is particularly relevant to people supporting early reading, including educators and other adults interested in literacy teaching. The open-course description does not restrict participation to qualified teachers. It should nevertheless be understood as skills development, not a promise of employment or a replacement for an initial teaching qualification.

Funda Wande Reading Academy: key details

• Provider: Funda Wande.
• Offering: Open Course: IsiXhosa Reading Academy.
• Languages listed: isiXhosa and English.
• Delivery: online learning through the provider’s Odoo platform.
• Scope: two main modules, with 42 listed course steps.
• Displayed completion time: 1 day, 17 hours and 5 minutes, equivalent to approximately 41 hours.
• Entry scope: anyone interested in learning about teaching reading.
• Closing date: no fixed closing date is published on the open-course page.

Who can join the Funda Wande Reading Academy?

The course is explicitly described as open to any individual interested in teaching reading. No formal qualification or minimum age is stated on the public course listing. Read any additional conditions shown during registration, and do not select a restricted district or cohort course if you are looking for this general open offering.

Language fit is important. The course is labelled isiXhosa/English, so consider whether you can follow the teaching examples and explanations comfortably. A course in an unfamiliar language may be less useful even when its subject is relevant. If you need a different language or a particular professional-development record, ask Funda Wande which option suits you.

What does the reading course cover?

The first module develops understanding of how reading works. Topics include sounds, phonics, word recognition, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. The second module turns to classroom reading activities, including teacher read-aloud, shared reading, group-guided reading, paired reading and independent reading.

The course’s orientation explains that lessons build on one another. Working in sequence is therefore more useful than jumping straight to a single activity. Videos and self-check quizzes are part of the learning, with assessments after the main modules. Follow the current platform’s instructions on attempts, completion and results.

As a practical study habit, keep a short reflection after each lesson: what the method is intended to achieve, what a learner needs before trying it and how you would know whether understanding has improved. These notes can make later revision easier and help distinguish a reading activity from its underlying teaching purpose.

If you support children in a school or community setting, apply new ideas within your role and the setting’s normal safeguarding and teaching arrangements. Do not share children’s names, school records or identifiable examples on a public learning forum. Fictional examples are usually enough to reflect on a teaching strategy.

Cost and professional-development recognition

Funda Wande makes free teaching resources available on its main website, including video and PDF materials linked to the Reading Academy. Its teacher-development page describes the Reading and Numeracy Academy as SACE-accredited. However, that description should not be turned into an invented number of professional-development points or a promise that every participant automatically receives a particular certificate.

If you need completion evidence for professional purposes, confirm the requirements for this exact open course with the provider before starting. Ask which assessments are required, how your learner details should appear and how any recognition is recorded. The separate formal qualification offered through Rhodes University is not the same thing as joining this online open course.

Budget for your own internet access and a suitable device. Free learning resources do not necessarily include mobile data or equipment. Around 41 hours is a meaningful workload: spreading it across several weeks can leave time to watch carefully, revisit unfamiliar ideas and complete the assessments rather than rushing through them.

How to join the Funda Wande Reading Academy

1. Open the official isiXhosa Reading Academy course page using the button below.
2. Read the overview and use the available orientation preview to understand the learning approach.
3. Select Join this Course and follow the provider’s sign-in or account-registration process.
4. Use your own accurate learner details and an email address you can access.
5. Work through both modules and the required assessments in the order shown.
6. Ask the learning-support team about any access or completion-record questions.

The public listing does not publish a certified-document application pack. Follow the actual registration prompts rather than sending identity documents or academic records to an unofficial intermediary. For support, use elearning@fundawande.org or call 021 180 4646 during the stated weekday support hours, 09:00–16:30.

Closing date

No fixed application deadline is displayed for this open course. The Join this Course option was present when checked on 21 October 2026. Availability and platform arrangements can change, so consult the live course page rather than relying on dates from a district-specific cohort.

Funda Wande Reading Academy FAQs

Must I already be a qualified teacher?

The open-course page says it is available to anyone interested in learning about teaching reading. It does not list a teaching qualification as an entry requirement.

Is this a full teaching qualification?

No. This article concerns the open Reading Academy course. It should not be confused with a university teaching qualification or registration as a professional teacher.

Can I complete only the first module?

You can use the overview to plan your learning, but the full course includes both main modules and assessments. Confirm all completion requirements if you need a recognised record of finishing it.

For another way to strengthen learning and research habits, explore the UJ Information Literacy course.

Source check: Funda Wande Reading Academy details were checked against the provider’s official information on 21 October 2026. Check the live platform for current access instructions.