Starbound Reading Centre · Noordheuwel, Krugersdorp
Reading takes you places.
Starbound Reading helps children of all ages become stronger, more confident readers through joyful, educator-led programmes in English and Afrikaans. From early-literacy and phonics foundations for Grade RR and Grade R, to personalised reading support for readers who need to strengthen, rebuild or extend essential skills, we meet every reader where they are and help them move forward. Whether they are just beginning, have lost confidence, learn differently, are homeschooled or simply love reading and want to keep growing, there is a place for them at Starbound—and plenty of fun to be had along the way.
Starbound Reading is home to Launchpad, our flagship early-literacy and phonics extra-mural for Grade RR and Grade R children. Available in English Home Language and Afrikaans Home Language, Launchpad brings stories, movement, games, sensory discovery and hands-on learning together to build strong reading foundations, lasting confidence and a genuine love of reading—all while children are having fun.
For readers of any age who need more individualised support, Starbound also offers Boost: personalised, educator-led reading support designed around each reader’s strengths, needs and goals.
Our wider Starbound universe includes Liftoff (Grade 1), building reading skills and independence; Orbit (Grades 2–5), exploring ideas and making connections; Navigate (Grades 3–6), developing strategies for understanding real-world texts; and Beyond (Grades 5–7), reading for growth, purpose and impact.
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The Starbound journey
Welcome to the Starbound universe.
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Launchpad
Grade RR–R
Curious explorers discovering letters, sounds and the joy of learning through play.
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Boost
Any age
Targeted, personalised support for readers who need to strengthen, rebuild or extend important reading skills.
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Liftoff
Grade 1
Ready to learn; building confidence, independence and new reading skills.
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Orbit
Grades 2–5
Exploring deeper ideas and making connections across new worlds.
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Navigate
Grades 3–6
Using strategies to understand and find a way through real-world texts.
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Beyond
Grades 5–7
Confident, capable and visionary; reading for growth, purpose and impact.
From one small sound to a whole world ahead.
Every sound unlocks a word. Every word opens a sentence. And every sentence can lead a child somewhere they have never been before.
At Starbound, phonics provides the launchpad. From there, children build the fluency to read with ease, the understanding to make meaning, and the confidence to explore ideas for themselves. Reading becomes more than a school skill—it becomes a way to learn, imagine, discover and find their place in the world.
The Starbound journey is designed to grow with each reader, from their very first sounds to wherever reading may take them next.
Why Starbound exists
“For some children, reading begins with excitement. For others, it begins with uncertainty. But every child deserves to be seen, understood and encouraged as they find their way.”
Founders, Starbound Reading
That belief brought Nathalie Devenish-Doman and Ronel van der Berg together to create Starbound Reading. Combining teaching experience, language expertise and thoughtful programme design, they have built something deeply human: a place where children are known, learning feels joyful and confidence grows alongside every new sound and word.
Because learning to read is about far more than letters on a page. It is the moment a child begins to believe in their own ability—and discovers all the places reading can take them.
Inside Starbound
The moment children step into a Starbound session, reading becomes an adventure waiting to unfold.
One week a story may carry them somewhere new; the next, they may move, sing, create, play a part or hunt for sounds hidden in a game. There is always something new to discover—and that is why they cannot wait to come back.
Beneath the magic, every lesson is carefully designed. Familiar sounds return, new skills are gently added, and learning grows almost unnoticed through play, imagination and discovery. Children are not simply taught to read. They begin to experience the joy of what reading can open up.
- movement
- sound
- stories
- games
- craft
- texture
- letters
- imagination
Astro and Nova
Every journey needs a guide. Ours grow with the child.
Astro and Nova are the programme guides of the Starbound universe. They accompany children as they move through each stage of their reading journey — from their first sounds and early word-building to greater fluency, confidence and independence.
They are designed to grow with our learners too.
In the early stages, Astro and Nova can feel playful, curious and reassuring — familiar characters who make learning feel safe, imaginative and fun. As children progress through Starbound, their world develops with them. The activities become more sophisticated, the challenges become greater, and Astro and Nova mature alongside the learner rather than remaining characters aimed only at very young children.
That matters.
Children form strong connections with familiar characters, stories and worlds. By creating guides who remain part of the experience across different programmes, we give learners a sense of continuity:
you may be moving on, but you still belong here.
It also means the Starbound experience can evolve without losing its identity. A five-year-old discovering sounds and a much older learner strengthening reading skills should not feel as though they are in exactly the same programme — but they can still recognise that they are part of the same universe.
Astro and Nova help us make that possible.
They can appear in programme materials, challenges, rewards, stories and activities, helping children understand where they are in the journey and what comes next.
The learner grows. The challenge grows. The Starbound universe grows with them.
Reviews
Starbound Reading may be new, but the programmes we present are not. They have been carefully crafted over a number of years with numerous children successfully completing an earlier version of what is now known as Launchpad.
In our programme experience, children completing the early foundation have demonstrated sound recognition, blending, early decoding, simple-sentence reading, early word writing and growing reading confidence.
What parents and teachers say about Nathalie’s programme:
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“What we love most is how much our daughter’s confidence has grown. She no longer guesses words based only on pictures; she is sounding them out.”
Lindia, Kayleigh’s mom -
“His progress has been incredible, and we are so proud of how far he has come.”
Matteo’s parents -
“He looked forward to every lesson and always came home excited to tell us what he had learned.”
Chantelle, Elijah’s mom
Starbound Mission Control
Good reading decisions begin with good information.
Visit Starbound Mission Control for short, clear conversations about how reading develops, why we teach the way we do and how adults can support readers without creating pressure.
