Insights

Research, stories, and thinking on Foundation Phase education.

From the evidence base behind our approach to the voices of the teachers using kolab. every day.

Illustrated kolab. teacher character
Kole Montano, founder of kolab.
Foundation Phase

What teachers do with what they are given

Of 39 teachers asked how they set spelling tests, none reported a creative or differentiated format. Teachers work with what the system places in their hands.

Kole Montano · 13 September 2026Read more →
Kole Montano, founder of kolab.
Foundation Phase

Why South Africa's literacy crisis starts in Foundation Phase

South Africa's 2026 national reading survey found that 30% of learners in Grades 1 to 3 read at grade level in their home language. Kole Montano on why the earliest grades decide the rest.

Kole Montano · 31 August 2026Read more →
Kole Montano, founder of kolab., smiling in a headshot photograph
Foundation Phase

What One Teacher Carries Over a Career

Why the same number that makes teacher development attractive to funders, a teacher reaches an estimated 1 155 learners over a 35-year career, also raises the bar for what kolab. builds.

Kole Montano · 21 August 2026Read more →