The incentive for learning any additional language is distinctive to every household. However, in the South African context, given the vast social, cultural, historical and practical benefits, isiZulu is a great language to choose and learning it has many advantages and benefits.
We at Brainline understand that some of our students and learners may be experiencing more stress than usual – due to fears about COVID-19. We would like to share some ideas and tips on how we as adults and caregivers can assist our students, learners and children during this time.
It is normal for children to be afraid of the dark at some stage or another. Preschoolers aren’t always able to distinguish between reality and fantasy. Couple this with very active imaginations and it becomes easy for them to believe monsters are under the bed or in the cupboards, waiting to pounce once the lights go out.
Proudly South African children’s clothing boutique, Keedo, part of the Cape Union Mart Group, operates with a passion for children, and a love for creating items that are best suited to their growth, development and comfort. With decades of experience in designing items exclusively for kids, “Keedo” has become a trusted name when it comes to child health, safety and care.
Home Education provider, Brainline, says it is very optimistic that a pragmatic solution will be found to the implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill, which is set to include some changes to the home education landscape in South Africa.
Opera, one of the world’s leading browser developers, together with international non-profit organisation – Worldreader, are keeping young South African minds stimulated during the country’s lockdown, as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, by giving them access to an expanded range of eBooks via the Opera Mini browser. Starting this week, Worldreader will offer a new selection of eBooks to Opera Mini users as well as a brand-new web app designed to offer reading material tailored specifically for young adult readers.
Being unable to be a part of the outside world has created a new trend #learnsomethingnew among adults and children, with most of these new skills being learned through technology. Technology has recently become many things in a household: an educator, a baby-sitter, a news source and quite simply, a view to the outside world.
The South African calendar is littered with events and days of commemoration with a safety or human rights theme – such as Human Rights Day, Freedom Day, Women’s Day, and the 16 Days of Activism Campaign to name but a few. Safety and security is a topic that deserves regular discussions and focus, and parents should keep this conversation going throughout the year.
It is no secret that practice is a crucial element in the learning journey and is effective in many different educational contexts. Proverbs such as “practice is the best master” and “practice makes perfect” all contain a grain of truth, and in this article, we discuss why this is the case.
Knowing your living values are important because they inform the truth of who you are at your core! We are more valuable than we have given ourselves credit (not in an egotistical narcissistic way) but truly as an individual you bring something beautifully unique to this world – that is you – and it has been alive in you since you were a child. By staying true to our living values in our personal lives, we are able to maintain a high level of integrity in our relationships, health, career and finances.
As we start our online learning journey, there are so many things to consider. Schools are social environments and as such function on the interaction between all the role-players, the pupils, parents and the staff. This has been disrupted, so we are working hard at ensuring that everyone remains positive and embraces whatever may come our way.
The world is reeling! Panic buying due to the lockdown on Thursday has left most people feeling overwhelmed, helpless and a little frightened. It is unprecedented and we are all trying to cope with the uncertainties of our current reality as best as we can. Cindy Glass, Owner and Founder of Step Up Education Centres explains, “We are all in the same boat and it is essential to understand that, at this time, there are things that are out of our control – the virus itself, other people’s reactions and government’s decision to lock down institutions, borders and other activities. The GOOD news is that there are many things that we CAN control – our own attitudes and reactions, personal hygiene, social distancing and of course, homeschooling!”
Some elephants are better at social distancing than others, prides of lions are useless, especially at mealtimes, and giraffes are fickle, moving from one group to another.
Well I used to look at those parents who chose the home school option and thought wow that is impressive. I would never be able to do that. This is a lesson indeed, excuse the pun, but homeschooling has come knocking at my door very quickly. Well it was pretty much the only thing knocking at my door for weeks, so I had no choice but to reluctantly let it in.
Setting goals and knowing what you are working towards, is always a good idea. Younger students need to understand the difference between a wish and a goal – I wish to eat ice cream everyday – but My goal is to drink enough water every day.
It is unarguable that education in this country has, for the most part, largely been stuck in a rut. Until now. There are signs suggesting that Covid-19’s disruption of the education sector could have a lasting impact on the way we teach and learn. Our current education model is very much top-down in its approach, where a teacher instructs and provides information, usually only utilising one teaching modality. Yet Educational Psychologists have always contended that children learned best when they constructed their own knowledge, and learnt tasks that are culturally relevant.
As parents, our greatest wish is to protect our children from anything that will cause them pain, be it physically or emotionally. But in reality, tragic things happen. That is life and unfortunately there is just no getting around it; it’s tough and it’s going to be hard. However, there is a way we can be there for our children when this does enter their lives. Every event that is considered “tragic” has to be dealt with as its own individual event, so the way one would break the news of a death of a loved one would be different to the way one would break the news of a person getting divorced. There are some things one must consider though when breaking sad news to children…
The popularity of weighted blankest has increased in the last couple of years. However, these blankets have been around for quite some time, especially in the Occupational Therapy field.
We often hear messages in the media that children aren’t getting enough physical activity. But what exactly does “being physically active” mean when you are an infant, toddler or pre-schooler? And is it important for their health now and in the future?
As a pre-school child, I was always eager to be outside, “helping” my parents wherever I could. I would watch as my mum and dad used to potter in the garden for hours at a time. Always having plenty decisions to make. Where in the garden should they place the newly bought plants? How deep should my dad dig the hole? The list is endless. Looking back, I now realize the patience they had, allowing me to “help”, the accommodations they would make so I would feel like a big girl with responsibilities for our garden to look beautiful.
In the previous article, some arguments regarding socialisation were investigated. Home education, as an alternative approach to education at a school, has become a progressive development in South Africa and across the world. Homeschooling, however, is also often criticised regarding the social skills and socialisation opportunities of the home educated learner.
They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit – the exact time we have been told to stay at home in order to flatten the curve. Memes all over social media have suggested that most of us have one fear being at home – the refrigerator! And, our fears are not unfounded according to Catherine Clark, Owner and Founder of the Harvest Table. She says that a study conducted by Dr Sandi Mann from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) showed that people who are bored crave fatty and sugary foods.
After the announcement of school closures by President Cyril Ramaphosa, many parents are worried that their children might fall behind with their schoolwork. This as public schools closed two days earlier and are likely to only reopen after the Easter weekend.
The kids are at home, and the family is following government advice: staying indoors and only venture outside when necessary.
Here are 21 activities that you can plan with your children and the perfect opportunity to spend some quality time together.
“Looking at the year from the vantage point of January, Matric finals seem a long way down the road, and eight months feels like ample time to get to grips with your work before you have to sit for your finals,” says Natasha Madhav, Senior Head of Programme: Faculty of ICT at The Independent Institute of Education, SA’s largest private higher education provider.
Having been a pre-school teacher for twenty-five years and a mother for eleven, I am convinced that in the end, communication and God’s love are the keys to a successful relationship with your children. The catch is – how do we successfully communicate this love to our children?
For a learner to get information from the textbook into their long-term memories requires many cognitive functions. In this blog article, we’ll explore the role of a dedicated study space for a homeschool learner and try to answer why this is important. To answer this question, we look to cognitive load theory.
Sugar Bay is a luxury holiday camp in Kwa-Zulu Natal, for children between the ages of 7 and 17 years old. We offer over 100 activities, including surfing, skate boarding and ropes courses. Our newest activities are airsoft (which is similar to paintball) and tie dye. None of our activities are compulsory and children are given the freedom to choose what they would like to do. We have qualified staff known as camp counselors, who look after the children 24/7. No child is ever left alone and we have a strict supervision ratio of one counselor to every three children.
With every new generation of school going kids, comes the important topic of healthy school lunch boxes. What are some of the healthy things to include in the lunchbox? Why is it important for kids to eat healthy foods while they are at school? What are the best drinks for lunchboxes?
