Paired Reading: A Simple Practice That Builds Real Reading Confidence
Many parents assume that learning to read is something that happens mainly at school, through formal instruction and phonics programmes. In reality, one of the most effective reading supports a child can receive is calm, consistent reading practice with an adult at home. Paired Reading
How Assessments Are Marked at Koa Academy
A mark tells you how a student performed on a particular piece of work. But on its own, it doesn’t necessarily tell them what they understood, where they went wrong, or what they should work on next. At Koa Academy, that thinking shapes how assessments
Strong Bodies, Calm Minds: How Movement Supports Self-Regulation
There are days when young children seem to have two settings. Full speed and completely overwhelmed. One minute they are racing through the house, climbing on the furniture and talking at top volume. The next, something small goes wrong and suddenly there are tears, frustration
School Readiness Is Bigger Than a Checklist
Parents are often asked whether a preschooler can recognise letters, count, follow instructions or sit through an activity. These skills are also only part of what helps a child settle into school and cope with what comes afterwards. “There is understandable pressure on parents to
Dino Ranch: Island Explorers returns with 13 new episodes on Cartoonito
Yeehaw! The Dino Ranchers are saddling up again. Dino Ranch Island Explorers new episodes premiere exclusively on Cartoonito on Monday, 16 November, airing Monday to Friday at 16:45 CAT. Back on legendary Dino Island The Cassidy siblings set their sights on Dino Island, a lost
A Hard School Year Doesn’t Have to Be the Whole Story
By the time November arrives, many families are tired. The year has had its moments: the homework battles, the mornings your child didn’t want to go, the report that didn’t reflect what you know they can do. It’s easy to carry that into the next
Sugar Bay’s December and January Holiday Camps: A Summer Away for Children and Teens
Sugar Bay is a sleepover holiday camp for children and teenagers aged 7–17 in Zinkwazi Beach, on KwaZulu-Natal’s North Coast, north of Ballito. Children stay in cabins with other campers, choose activities each day and join evening games and entertainment, with trained counselors looking after
Preparing for Baby’s First Foods: Feeding Tips & Mealtime Fun
For parents, introducing a baby to their first foods can feel like a big milestone. There are new flavours, unfamiliar textures, enthusiastic (and sometimes less enthusiastic) reactions – and plenty of mess along the way. But while nutrition is important, mealtimes are also an opportunity for babies to
Why BOUNCE Keeps Winning for Kids Birthday Parties
An awesome kids birthday party gives the birthday child room to shine and their friends plenty to get excited about. At BOUNCE Inc South Africa, that means active indoor adventures, party games and a team that helps parents enjoy the celebration too. Families can choose
Fever in Little Ones: What parents need to Know
Fevers can be scary for parents. When your child is burning up, it’s hard to think straight, let alone make a clear-headed call on what to do next. The reassuring part is that a fever isn’t always a sign that something’s wrong. Often, it is
When Summer Fun Turns Painful: Managing Children’s Sunburn, Pain and Fever
Summer’s back, and while your kids are busy cannonballing into the pool or making mud cakes in the garden, it’s easy to forget just how quickly soaking up those warm sunbeams can burn young skin. A little too much sun now and then is easy
Making Bedtime Music to Their Ears
Getting little ones to switch off their screens, put on their pyjamas and brush their teeth without a nightly negotiation can feel like a parenting achievement in itself. But what if bedtime became something they actually looked forward to? Meet Beautiful Bedtime and Beautiful Lullabies,
Positive Reinforcement: Why “Catching Them Being Good” Works
t’s easy to fall into a pattern where most of the attention a child gets is in response to misbehavior — a reminder, a correction, a raised voice. Good behavior, meanwhile, often passes silently, simply because it isn’t causing a problem. Flipping that pattern —
Who’s Teaching Your Teenager About Skincare? Chances Are, It’s TikTok.
From seven-year-old skincare creators to R2,800 routines and powerful active ingredients, new research reveals what young people are really seeing on their feeds. Your 13-year-old asks for a serum. Then an exfoliating toner. Then another product promising “glass skin”. It seems harmless enough. At least
Their First School Day. The Beginning of Everything.
A big beginning for little learners There are moments in parenting that stay with us forever. The first steps. The first words. And then, before we know it, the first day of school. For parents preparing to enrol their child in Grade R in 2027,
Halloween Fun at Playstation: A Day of Friendly Frights and Big Little Smiles
This Halloween, Playstation by Rush is inviting little monsters, tiny witches, friendly ghosts and brave superheroes to dress up and come play. Join us on Saturday, 31 October, from 11am to 4pm, for a bright, playful and family-friendly Halloween event in Kirstenhof. This is Halloween
Teaching Kids to Handle Disappointment and Losing
The board game flipped over in frustration. The tears after losing a race. The refusal to play again after coming second. Learning to lose gracefully and handle disappointment is one of the harder emotional skills for children to develop — and one of the most
