Early Learning - Parenting Hub

leading expert advice from Dibber International Preschools

Managing Temper Tantrums in Toddlers

Every parent has faced the challenge of managing their toddler’s temper tantrums. These intense emotional outbursts are not only common but also a natural part of a child’s developmental journey. Dibber International Preschools, known for its nurturing approach to early childhood development, shares insights into why tantrums occur and practical strategies to handle them effectively. “Temper tantrums are a form of communication for toddlers,” says Ursula Assis, Country Director of Dibber International Preschools. “While they may feel overwhelming in the moment, they present opportunities to teach children emotional regulation, patience, and effective communication skills.” Why Do Tantrums Happen? Toddlers, typically between 1 and 3 years, are learning to navigate their emotions and express themselves. Tantrums occur when they experience frustration, disappointment, or a desire for control. “At this age, children are still developing the language and emotional tools needed to convey their feelings,” explains Assis. “Tantrums are their way of processing big emotions when they feel overwhelmed.” Strategies to Manage Tantrums Assis advises parents to remain calm and empathetic during a tantrum, emphasizing that a parent’s response significantly influences the outcome. What to Do After a Tantrum Assis recommends using calm moments after a tantrum to guide your child toward better emotional awareness. Preventing Tantrums While tantrums can’t always be avoided, proactive strategies can minimize their frequency: “Children thrive in environments where they feel safe, loved, and understood,” Assis emphasizes. “Mutual respect and patience are key to helping children develop healthy ways to process their emotions.” Building a Strong Foundation for Emotional Growth At Dibber International Preschools, tantrums are seen as an opportunity to nurture emotional resilience and psychological growth. “Our goal is to create a supportive environment where children learn to channel their emotions positively,” Assis concludes. “With love and patience, we help them build the skills they need to navigate their world with confidence.”

December 23, 2024

Top Seven Advantages of Early Childhood Care and Education

The early years of a child’s life are filled with wonder, curiosity, and adventure. At Dibber International Preschools, we believe these formative years are the perfect time to nurture a child’s innate curiosity through early education and care, laying the foundation for lifelong learning and development. “Early childhood education is not just about preparing children for school; it’s about setting them up for success in all areas of life,” says Ursula Assis, Country Director of Dibber International Preschools. “When we engage young minds early on, we help them build essential skills, develop confidence, and foster a love for learning that lasts a lifetime.” The Benefits of Early Childhood Education and Care Research and experience show that early learning has a profound impact on a child’s cognitive, social, and emotional development. Here are seven key advantages: Creating Holistic Learning Experiences At Dibber International Preschools, our approach to early childhood education goes beyond academics. We provide children with opportunities to explore, create, and connect through play-based learning and carefully designed activities. “Every moment in a preschool setting is an opportunity for growth, whether it’s discovering new concepts, building friendships, or understanding the world more deeply,” says Assis. Dibber’s commitment to holistic development ensures that children receive the emotional, social, and intellectual support they need to thrive. “Parents can trust that their child is not only gaining knowledge but also developing the skills and values needed for a fulfilling life,” Assis concludes.

December 17, 2024

Preparing your Toddler for Preschool – Practical Tips

Starting preschool is a major milestone in a child’s early development, and for many families, it comes with a mix of excitement and apprehension. Dibber International Preschools is here to support parents through this transition with expert advice to help toddlers feel prepared and confident as they begin their preschool journey. “Preschool is often a child’s first step into the world outside the comfort of their home, and this transition is significant for both children and parents,” says Ursula Assis, Country Director of Dibber International Preschools. “By focusing on preparation and creating a sense of security, we can help young learners embrace this new chapter with enthusiasm and curiosity.” Building Confidence Through Play and Familiarisation Preparation begins at home, and playful activities can make a big difference. Assis recommends using pretend play to simulate typical preschool routines. “Take turns being the parent, child, or teacher, and act out scenarios like saying goodbye, singing songs, or playing with toys,” she suggests. “This role-play helps children feel more in control and eases the anxiety of stepping into a new environment.” Books about starting preschool are another effective way to spark conversations. Reading stories together can help children understand what to expect and provide an opportunity to talk about their feelings. “Ask your child how they think the characters in the story feel and relate it to their own emotions,” adds Assis. Practising Independence Preschool encourages independence, and parents can support this by teaching simple self-help skills. “Activities like hanging up their coat, unzipping their backpack, or opening a lunchbox can be turned into fun games,” says Assis. “These small practices build confidence and help toddlers feel capable on their first day.” Visiting the Preschool Visiting the preschool before the first day is crucial in familiarising children with the new environment. “A tour of the classroom and some time on the playground can go a long way in making a child feel comfortable,” advises Assis. “It’s about helping them see this new space as safe and welcoming.” Easing Separation Anxiety The first day can be emotional for both parents and children, but there are strategies to make goodbyes smoother. “Plan to stay for a short while, exploring the classroom together before saying goodbye,” suggests Assis. “It’s also helpful to create a special goodbye routine, like a secret handshake or a kiss on the palm to ‘hold’ throughout the day.” Assis emphasises the importance of maintaining a positive and confident tone during drop-offs. “Children take their cues from their parents, so staying upbeat and reassuring can make a world of difference,” she says. Supporting the Transition Even after the first day, some children may show signs of worry or regression. Assis encourages parents to be patient and understanding. “Acknowledge their feelings, offer extra support, and celebrate their small victories,” she advises. “This helps children navigate their emotions and adapt to their new routine.” At Dibber International Preschools, the team understands the significance of this transition and works closely with families to make it a smooth and positive experience. “Preschool is the start of a lifelong love for learning,” concludes Assis. “By preparing children with care and intention, we set the foundation for a successful and joyful educational journey.”

December 10, 2024

Raising Environmentally Conscious Children

As the world faces unprecedented environmental challenges, fostering eco-consciousness in young children has never been more critical. Dibber International Preschools is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of environmentally responsible citizens by instilling sustainable values and practices from an early age. “Children are the stewards of tomorrow,” says Ursula Assis, Country Director of Dibber International Preschools. “By teaching them to respect and care for the environment, we are not only empowering them to make a difference but also ensuring a more sustainable future for all.” Building a Connection with Nature One of the most impactful ways to raise environmentally conscious children is by fostering a connection with nature. Spending time outdoors, whether exploring a local park or planting a garden, helps children appreciate the beauty and abundance of the natural world. “Children who develop a bond with nature early on are more likely to grow into adults who protect and nurture it,” explains Assis. Teaching Resource Conservation Understanding the efficient use of natural resources is another key aspect of environmental education. Assis advises parents and educators to demonstrate how small actions—like turning off lights when not in use or conserving water—can collectively make a big impact. “Children are naturally curious and eager to learn. By involving them in simple conservation efforts, we can instil habits that last a lifetime.” The 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Introducing the concept of waste management through the principles of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle helps children understand their role in minimising waste. “At Dibber, we incorporate these principles into everyday activities, turning them into fun and educational experiences,” says Assis. “For instance, children can create art projects using recyclable materials, combining creativity with environmental stewardship.” Practical Activities to Inspire Eco-Consciousness Hands-on activities like gardening or planting saplings provide children with tangible ways to engage with nature. Caring for plants teaches responsibility and nurtures a sense of pride in contributing to the environment. “It’s through these small, meaningful actions that children begin to understand their role in nurturing the planet,” Assis explains. Additionally, fostering a love for animals helps children develop empathy and a broader understanding of the interconnectedness of life. Visits to conservation parks and safaris offer opportunities to teach children about the importance of protecting wildlife and their habitats. Leading by Example Children learn by observing the behaviours of adults around them. “If we want our children to care for the environment, we must model sustainable choices in our own lives,” says Assis. Simple actions, like reducing plastic use or choosing eco-friendly products, demonstrate the importance of making thoughtful decisions. Dibber’s Commitment to Environmental Education At Dibber International Preschools, environmental education is a cornerstone of the curriculum. “We believe that by unlocking children’s creativity and curiosity, we can encourage them to think beyond textbooks and embrace the importance of sustainability,” Assis notes. Dibber’s initiatives focus on three key areas: “Our goal is to show children that small, everyday actions can lead to significant change,” says Assis. “By embedding these values early, we’re helping to shape a generation that will prioritise the health of our planet.” A Shared Responsibility Raising environmentally conscious children is a collective effort that involves families, schools, and communities. “Together, we can teach children that they have the power to make a difference,” concludes Assis. “It starts with simple, intentional steps—steps that not only protect the environment but also instil hope for a brighter, more sustainable future.”

December 4, 2024

Tips for Potty Training Success

Potty training is a milestone that brings both excitement and challenges for parents and toddlers alike. Dibber International Preschools offers practical, easy-to-follow strategies to make the process as smooth and stress-free as possible. “Potty training isn’t just about timing; it’s about building trust, consistency, and creating a positive experience for the child,” says Ursula Assis, Country Director of Dibber International Preschools. “By following some essential tips and remaining patient, parents can make potty training an enjoyable journey for their toddlers.” One of the key tips for potty training success is consistency. Toddlers thrive on routine, and establishing a regular potty schedule – such as after meals or first thing in the morning – helps them adjust to the idea more quickly. “The familiarity of a consistent schedule makes toddlers feel secure, making it easier for them to understand and embrace potty training,” explains Assis. Incorporating rewards can also be a powerful motivator. Simple incentives, like stickers, a small treat, or even a congratulatory high-five, reinforce the child’s success and make the process more enjoyable. “Using rewards teaches toddlers that each successful potty trip is an achievement worth celebrating. It builds a foundation of positive reinforcement, encouraging children to continue developing their new skills with enthusiasm,” says Assis. Making the potty-training process fun is another effective approach. By introducing a potty-training song, reading a favourite book, or creating a playful atmosphere, parents can make the experience feel more like an adventure than a task. “The goal is to ensure that children feel relaxed and comfortable,” says Assis. “When toddlers associate potty time with fun, they are much more open to engaging in the process.” Dibber also emphasises the importance of recognizing each child’s individual readiness. “Not every toddler will be ready at the same time, and that’s perfectly normal. If your child is showing interest in the potty, waking up dry from naps, or indicating they’re uncomfortable in diapers, these are signs they may be ready. But if they’re not, giving it a little more time can prevent frustration for both parent and child.” Potty training is a unique journey for every family. Dibber International Preschools encourages parents to approach it with patience, positivity, and a willingness to celebrate each small success. “Every child’s potty-training journey will look different, but with consistency and encouragement, you’ll reach that milestone together,” concludes Assis.

November 26, 2024

How Mealtimes Shape a Child’s Heart for the World

The simple act of sitting down to a family meal can sometimes feel like a lost tradition, but the transformative power of shared mealtimes in shaping a child’s sense of connection, confidence, and belonging is as essential today as it was in the past. “Mealtimes are so much more than just nourishment for our bodies; they’re a time for children to feel truly seen and valued,” says Kelly Eyre, Quality and Pedagogy Lead at Dibber International Preschools. “When families and educators make time for these moments, they create a space where children learn that their voices matter, instilling confidence and a sense of belonging that prepares them for the world.” At Dibber, mealtime is a cherished part of each day, providing sustenance and an opportunity for fellowship and connection. By encouraging children to set aside screens and distractions, Dibber creates an environment where children can fully engage with each other. The table becomes a vibrant place of learning and bonding. Conversations are encouraged—about the food they are eating, where it comes from, and how it nurtures their bodies. “These discussions allow children to connect with their food and each other, gaining a deeper appreciation of the world around them,” explains Eyre. The experience of shared meals also fosters independence in young children. At Dibber, children are encouraged to serve themselves, use utensils, and make choices about their meals. This practice, often mirrored at home, helps children develop a sense of autonomy and confidence. “When children feel empowered to make their own choices at the table, it gives them a sense of responsibility and pride that they carry beyond mealtime,” adds Eyre. Dibber believes that mealtimes are equally valuable for families. Sitting together as a family without screens or interruptions opens up moments for genuine conversation. “When parents take this time, they discover so much about their children’s worlds—their joys, worries, and curiosities. It builds a foundation of trust and emotional security that is vital to a child’s development,” says Eyre. Regular family mealtimes also establish a comforting rhythm in a child’s life, creating a shared space for stories, traditions, and values that shape who they become. “What happens at the table extends far beyond our school walls. When families continue these mealtime conversations and practices at home, they’re nurturing their child’s physical growth and emotional and social development. These are the moments where memories are made, and traditions are born.” At Dibber International Preschools, mealtimes are about more than eating—they are about nurturing children’s hearts and souls. We give children the foundation to thrive in a connected, compassionate world through simple, intentional acts at the table.

November 19, 2024

Advice from the experts

The importance of age appropriate stimulation

There have been many studies that focus on the importance of infant stimulation. It is a well-known fact that impoverished environments, under stimulation and the lack of rich and varied experiences can impair children’s development in all areas. Thus, there are many projects that focus on helping these communities and giving them the tools through training and equipping them to be able to change the cycle. But what about over stimulation? It has been shown that environments that overwhelm children with stimulation beyond their current capacities interfere with the brain’s potential, much in the same way that under stimulation does. Our society has become increasingly focused on stimulation. Expensive early learning programs, competitiveness and early achieving have become the norm. We have so over scheduled our children with activities that they do not have time to simply be kids and play. We do not expect a 5 month old to walk or run, why do we then expect a 5 year old to read and write? Many children have not developed or practiced their creativity one should through boredom, as they have not had the chance to be bored. There is actually no evidence that any of this has yielded smarter, better, super babies. In fact, priming infants with stimulation that they are not ready for may cause them to withdraw, thereby threatening their interest in learning and creating conditions much like stimulus deprivation. In addition to this parents may become disappointed when despite the excessive stimulation, their children do not become little geniuses. This creates the danger that parents may view their children as failures at an early age. This in turn could result in infants being robbed of a healthy psychological start while also depriving parents of pleasurable and relaxing interactions with and participation in their children early years. The question this leaves us with is, what would the best conditions be? Let kids be kids. Do not put too much pressure on them or expect them to do things that are not age appropriate. The ideal is to provide age-appropriate moderate stimulation in a loving environment with lots of social interactions. This has proven to be much more beneficial than expensive toys and gadgets. The Skidz Clever Activity boxes provides a program focusing on this exact finding. Each set contains all the equipment needed to complete over 100 activities in each box. The age ranges are as follows: 0-6 months 6-12 months 12-18 months 18-24 months 2-5 years. For more info or to purchase your box go to www.skidz.co.za or follow us on facebook at www.facebook.com/skidzsa

July 15, 2019

Process Art and Early Childhood Development

Process art is all about the experience children have when they are creating. We encourage it at Toptots to enable the child to explore and be exposed to different mediums. Process art needs to be open ended and the child should be left alone to explore and create without any adult interference. Children learn through play and open-ended activities – this gives them the chance to explore and ask questions and see how things work. Process art is all about the actual process and not the end product.

July 1, 2019

How to choose Pre-Primary School

Choosing a school for your little one should not be a last minute, hasty decision. Start looking at least three months before you need to enter your child, if you are looking to place a baby. If you want your child to join a good school when they turn three, you should start looking at birth. This may seem ludicrous but the top Pre-Primary schools have waiting lists several years long! The first decision is whether to place your child in a school near home or near your place of work. Small children suffer from many little illnesses and most schools want a sick child to go home as soon as possible. Choose a school that is close enough for someone to fetch them promptly if they fall ill. No matter how loving the care at school, a sick child just wants the comfort of home. Choose a school whose hours suit your schedule. If the school closes at 5.30pm, you must be able to reach it with time to spare, regardless of the traffic. Does the school open early enough for you to get to work? You cannot leave a small child outside the gate and assume that someone will take responsibility! There are so many places of care to choose from at the moment that you may be bewildered by the choice. Take the time to visit the school unannounced. Check the security first, it should not be possible for you just to drive in. Are there cameras at the door and an entrance procedure? Next, how are you greeted and dealt with by the receptionist? This should be efficient, friendly and with an offer to show you the school, either then or by appointment. An appointment does not mean they have anything to hide; good schools have to allocate time and staff to deal with parents effectively. Is the reception clutter free and efficiently run? Are the admittance forms neatly printed and requesting sufficient background detail on your child? When you look around, watch the children. Under-fives should be playing freely and busily with clean, unbroken toys that are well displayed to enable choice, or engaged in activities that are stimulating creativity or enhancing number or literacy skills. There should be no worksheets or cloned art work. Is the classroom clean and attractive, with good natural light and ventilation? Is there sufficient space for the children? Crowded rooms lead to fights and stress. Has the teacher (who should be SACE registered) an assistant to manage bathroom visits, messes and to support play? Is there evidence of an overall theme that the children are investigating? Are there good quality books in a comfy spot for reading? Are the carpets and floors clean? Beware of schools that are too tidy and immaculate as this could mean that the equipment is for display, not the children’s use. Children should be aware of your presence but not clamouring for your attention. What is your language policy for your child? If they are to attend Primary school in a specific language, they will be at an advantage if their early years are spent in the same language. This does not mean that you should forsake your home language. Bi-lingual children have a cognitive advantage, but do not confuse your child by subjecting him/her to a constant mixture of languages. Choose a school that will help your child enter grade 1 with a strong vocabulary and comprehension, as well as an ability to engage in their intellectual education with understanding. What do you require in the way of meals? Not all schools serve breakfast, lunch and snacks and the price should reflect what is provided. Check out the kitchen, the kitchen staff and the certificates from the local authority indicating that the school is licenced to provide meals. Look at the menus. Is there sufficient variety and fresh fruit and vegetables? Ask about who feeds the little ones and how meals are conducted for the older ones. Are the children forced to eat their meals? Can the school cater for genuine allergies, (Not fussy eaters!) If your child is still a baby, check the policies on formulas, nappies, wet wipes etc. If the school supplies everything, it may be a little more expensive but well worth your while in terms of convenience. Look at the nappy changing areas, where everything should be neatly labelled and the area safe and well ventilated, with proper disposal facilities. Potty training areas should be bright and welcoming, with small toilets for children aged two plus. Are the baby rooms warm enough for the babies to play and crawl on the floor and not be kept in a cot all day. Who provides the cot linen and how often is it washed? There should be a nursing sister available for very young babies, as well as well-trained carers who will talk to and stimulate your child. The outdoor area should have grass, sand, water, shade and wheeled toys, as well as safe climbing and swinging equipment, appropriate for the different age groups. Children are stimulated by their environment so the garden should be attractive, bright and well supervised. Gross motor development underlies all other development at this age so there should be a minimum of an hour per morning and afternoon set aside for active, outdoor play. Last but not least, the atmosphere of the school should be welcoming and child friendly. Do not be swayed by the latest technological devices and lessons if the staff seem aloof and uncaring. With proper research your child should be happy and well stimulated in the chosen environment until it is time for Big School. Written By: Barbara Eaton (Academic Development Co-ordinator of ADvTECH Pre-Primary Schools)

June 18, 2019

New Research on the Importance of Learning through Play

The LEGO Foundation and Sesame Workshop Highlights the Importance of Learning through Play in Parent-Child Relationships in South Africa in Celebration of World Play Day The ‘Play Every Day’ program empowered caregivers to effectively guide children in learning through play in South Africa In celebration of World Play Day, the LEGO Foundation and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organisation behind Takalani Sesame, announced the results of a multi-country research evaluation of Play Every Day, a program designed to shift parent and caregiver perceptions about the educational value of play and to encourage play that contributes to children’s early development and learning outcomes. The impact evaluation, conducted by an external evaluator, found significant changes in parents and caregivers’ perceptions of play and play-related behaviour, as well as improved confidence of parents and caregivers as play mentors for their children. Over the course of a 12-week intervention in low-resource communities in South Africa, India and Mexico, Sesame Workshop conducted weekly in-person play workshops or home visits, in addition to reminders utilising WhatsApp and other digital platforms and community events. The research in South Africa was conducted in IsiZulu, IsiXhosa and Sesotho in the communities of Orange Farm, Alexandra, Diepsloot and Braamfontein. Caregivers participating in the Play Every Day program in South Africa reported: Increased frequency of play by 15% Increased confidence as “play mentors” for their children through quality play time, with an increase of 18% Increased confidence using recycled materials such as plastic bottles, cans, and cardboard rolls as play objects, with an increase of 19% in South Africa An increase of 19% in the ability to make everyday activities playful An 11% increase in the link between pretend play as a foundation for academic learning The research findings will inform the upcoming Takalani Sesame ‘Learning Through Play’ Initiative, which will reach millions of children and caregivers across South Africa through television, digital media, and targeted community engagement. The findings will also inform a USD $100 Million Humanitarian Play Programto support children affected by the Rohingya and Syrian refugee crises. The Play Every Day program empowered caregivers and children to learn together, rather than in parallel, providing valuable insights for the development of caregiver-child programming. “With such a large portion of the South African population being in low-resource settings, this research is invaluable and will guide Takalani Sesame programs in South Africa. We continue to educate caregivers and teachers on the benefits that Learning through Play provides, as one of the most powerful ways for children to learn, develop and overcome setbacks,” said Innocent Nkata, Managing Director of Sesame Workshop South Africa. The facilitated workshops, implemented through local community partners, provided primary caregivers with content that is easy to replicate at home to improve caregiver confidence in playful learning techniques and provide new ideas for engagement with children, such as building toys with recycled materials and playing pretend using everyday household items. To ensure culturally relevant and effective interventions, the 12-week intervention was preceded by three pilot phases between November 2016 and May 2018 that tested a variety of play activities, materials, and methods of facilitation for each country. “The LEGO Foundation is working to build a future in which learning through play helps all children grow into creative, engaged, life-long learners. Parents and other primary caregivers are fundamental to this aim as they are children’s first teachers and playmates. We are excited about the positive results from the Play Every Day program. We hope that these insights will inspire and empower primary caregivers in in South Africa to harness the power of learning through play,” said Kerry Kassen, LEGO Foundation Initiatives Lead for South Africa. The findings have been announced as we celebrate World Play Day on 28 May. To mark this important day, Sesame Workshop and the LEGO Foundation are partnering with Cotlands and Kagiso Trust to host an event at the Multipurpose Centre in Sasolburg on 1 June 2019. Takalani Sesame Muppets Zuzu and Kami will join over 300 children to highlight this year’s World Play Day theme, “Play is a right.” The event will feature songs, dancing, and play activities for children. “We’re deeply committed to bringing learning experiences to children across South Africa through Takalani Sesame, and we too believe that play is a right for all children,” adds Mr. Nkata. “This World Play Day, we have a lot to celebrate; with the new research findings, we will be able to build upon our work to ensure that every child has access to positive, playful experiences.” Additional highlights from the Play Every Day impact evaluation can be found online here.

June 4, 2019

Capriccio! Arts Powered Schools – Learn@Home

Learn@Home, our school’s arts inspired online learning programme, has been specially devised to facilitate and integrate the holistic development of pre-school learners through a unique Play & Learn approach that mimics our school’s fun-filled arts powered curriculum presented on site.

May 26, 2019

The Value of Performance Arts in Healthy Child Development

Although some might view arts education as a luxury, creative expression is in fact a prime basic building block of healthy, well-rounded education in the early years. Learning to create & express is greatly beneficial to all children. Benefits of Performance Arts Motor skills: Many of the motions involved in dancing and gymnastics constitutes the foundation of gross motor development. It incorporates balance, weight distribution, strength, coordination and awareness of our bodies. And while these physical benefits are convincing in themselves, the mental and emotional effects of an environment where you are both challenged and encouraged, are of unparalleled value to a child’s development. Not many achievements are more rewarding to a child than learning and creating something, working hard and successfully mastering skills. Language, social & emotional development: Drama has long been used by childcare therapists; the benefits are countless. When exploring movement and emotion, children learn to appropriately express themselves with both verbal and non-verbal communication. This in turn gives them a head start when it comes to social interaction and interpersonal relationships. With poetry and speech, as teachers, we’re given the opportunity to lay a foundation for speech, the way it should be. During pretend play and improvisation, children learn about decision-making and responding to situations as they arise. They get the opportunity to broaden their vocabulary, improve articulation and intonation and develop breath control, to name just a few advantages; all of this whilst building self-confidence and healthy self-esteem. Visual, audio and cognitive development: Playing a musical instrument, drawing, sculpting, threading beads and painting all develop fine motor and visual-spatial skills, which are more important than ever in treating and avoiding sensory processing disorders, as well as holistically raising a well-rounded, expressive, creative and happy child. For more information on our school’s arts powered offerings, please contact Capriccio! Arts Powered Schools for more information, be it our extra-mural programs in the afternoons, or arts powered pre-school & primary education.

April 5, 2019

Creating a curious mind and fostering life-long learning by having a growth mind-set

You can teach a student a lesson for a day, but if you can teach him/her to learn by curiosity, he/she will continue the learning process as long as he/she lives – Clay P. Bedford Children are naturally curious. They are constantly exploring the world around them; constantly asking questions, and constantly wondering how things work. The question, therefore, is not how do we create a curious mind, but how do we nurture a child’s curiosity so that they have a continued passion for learning throughout their lives. Learning is about discovering how life works, and children are not afraid to ask the “How?” and “Why?” questions. A curious mind is a hidden force that drives learning, critical thinking, and reasoning. It’s about having an open and active mind. It puts the brain in a state that makes learning easier, more enjoyable, and longer-lasting. Stimulating a child’s curiosity impacts their learning and development for a lifetime. Curious children explore their environment, devour books and information, ask questions, investigate concepts, manipulates data, searches for meaning, connect with people and nature, and seek new learning experiences. So how do we nurture this curious mind? Model interest in the world, and teach them to be good observers When walking around wonder out loud about the things you see. The trees, the sky, etc. Follow the child’s lead Encourage their natural interests. Children learn so much more through activities that capture their attention and interest. Encourage them to ask questions Answer their questions simply and clearly, in a way, they will understand. Before answering though, first, ask them what their thoughts are. If you do not know the answer let them know that not knowing is also ok, and then model how they can go about finding the answers (eg. Internet, talking to someone, etc) Introduce your child to the library and foster a love for books and reading, whether it be story books or about rockets. Stimulate your child with open-ended questions that can’t be answered with only a “ye”, “no” or “fine”. Create an interesting environment, continuously rotate your supply of toys to keep things “fresh”. Redirect behaviour instead of discouraging it. For example, if they like pouring out water from their cup onto the floor from their highchair, move them to the floor or backyard with a bucket in front of them so they can continue experimenting with a water. This will also teach them problem-solving skills, creative and acceptable ways to do and get what they want. Allow time for open-ended activities Do not tell them what to do with materials like boxes, blocks, water, sand, etc; how to do it; or what it should look like in the end. Curiosity broadens a child’s mind, and a broader mind helps in the holistic development of the child. Curiosity should therefore never be suppressed or else it can have an adverse impact on a child’s early development. As John Holt says: “Children do not need to be made to learn” since they are already born with what Einstein called “the holy curiosity of inquiry”. By Lauren Holton, Teacher at Trinityhouse Northriding

March 11, 2019

Does your child have enough space to play?

Play for a child, prepares them for adulthood with all life’s delights and contests. What better way to learn as a child than to be given the chance to play freely in large areas? One of my best memories as a child was of running around the field at Pre-school with my friends in tow, the real excitement at finding new treasure troves, making up games, and the tangible fear we felt, like when we had to climb a high jungle gym or run away from a scary dinosaur! Being brought onto the playground, where we would get stuck in exploring all the new possibilities there for fun, games and imagination. What a treat! Because I was fortunate enough to have a home with a large garden, I remember how liberated I felt being free to meander around without my parents watching me all the time, and how nature became my learning ground. However, I would imagine that this is not the case for most children because of the way society has changed and with many of us now living in townhouse complexes, some with very limited space. Today’s children get so few opportunities to play freely, because we understandably fear for their safety, be it the road or “stranger danger.” My own interest in play and children’s development stems from my experience of working as a Teacher and Principal for the past 27 years, where I meet the most amazing children and their parents every day and fortunately are willing to help them with any issues, usually related to their development, emotions or behaviour. From my work, research, studies and experience, I have gained a good sense of what children need to develop to their full potentials. Not a lot has been written on the benefits of playgrounds, which is surprising given that our children spend so much time in them. Below are 7 good reasons why children should have space to play, based on different aspects of a child’s development: Social, Brain and Language Development Children of all ages develop their social skills on a playground through the creation of “games”, like catch or make-believe play, where the equipment is turned into something else (e.g. obstacle course, hospital, school, etc), where children give themselves roles and they work out the “rules of the game” in cooperation. Playgrounds provide an opportunity for children to practice their social skills, to come up with solutions to problems, and to learn self-control in working out their conflicts. Play also encourages language development, as children often talk aloud during their play (e.g. “Look at me going down the big slide!”), and the interaction with their peers allows them to express their thoughts and feelings and to develop their understanding and spoken skills. I’ve noticed that children who don’t even speak the same language can get on just fine during play! Physical Development and Good Physical Exercise As children progress, they are drawn to different systems of play which encourage their development, like rough and tumble play. Children naturally seek this form of play, which helps them to work out their physical space in the world, where their body begins and where it ends. This is crucial for the development of their motor skills and spatial awareness. It’s FUN! Large open spaces encourage your children to get out there and move! It’s so much fun and exhilarating for them! Playing is your child’s most natural form of expression, regardless of their age, and when they are engaged in it they forget everything else and really enjoy the moment. By Elizabeth Steenkamp, Principal of Junior Colleges Castillian

March 6, 2019

MYSCHOOL MYVILLAGE MYPLANET AND GROW PARTNER FOR QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

The MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet community loyalty programme has launched a new partnership with the GROW with Educare Centres project to establish 21 high-quality early childhood development centres (ECD) in under-resourced communities of Cape Town and Gauteng over the next two years. With funding of almost R5 million, this is one of MySchool’s biggest commitments to a single project to date. GROW with Educare’s unique model takes a multi-faceted approach to solving the ECD crisis in South Africa in a sustainable and scalable way. The organisation is establishing a successful chain of ECD centres in under-resourced communities; managed by capable independent principals with trained, qualified teachers. GROW with Educare is bringing private school level ECD, as well as sustainable job creation, into communities where quality Educare is currently not accessible or affordable. “Through the use of best practice principles such as social franchising, ongoing mentorship and both business and personal development, GROW with Educare is progressively helping the women who run Educare centres move from a place of dependence to dignity,” says Tracey Chambers, CEO of GROW with Educare. The first five years of life is the most critical of all child development phases; with nutrition, care and opportunities for cognitive, physical, social and emotional learning laying the foundations for future adult behaviours and abilities. Deficits in ECD result in a lifetime of being disadvantaged. Worldwide, delivering quality ECD has been identified as a key strategy to break entrenched cycles of poverty and inequality. GROW uses a tool developed by the World Bank (the MELQO – Measuring Early Learning Quality Outcomes) to evaluate whether children in GROW schools are achieving internationally benchmarked milestones of development. “MySchool welcomes the opportunity to partner with GROW and see 21 new high quality GROW Educare Centres get off the ground over 2019 and 2020,” says Pieter Twine, MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet General Manager. “This is a project that brings together vital education and child care, as well as entrepreneurship, employment and sustainable community development. Each year, under-resourced pre-school centres in Gauteng and Cape Town will be transformed and brought into the thriving GROW brand community. There will be the upgrading of facilities to meet mandatory ECD standards; leadership, business and education training for the micro-franchisee; educational training for child caregivers; provision of outstanding educational resources through GROW Learning; a healthy, balanced nutrition programme, ongoing monitoring and evaluation, as well as active mentoring, and parent and community outreach. Each school will also start the process of registration with the Department of Social Development. It’s the kind of project that matters to MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet cardholders who can support GROW by simply nominating them as a beneficiary and then using their card every time they shop at our retail partners. GROW was established in 2013 to counteract the extreme lack of access to quality ECD in marginalised South African communities where there are hosts of working parents and pitifully few safe, quality childcare options available. Many GROW with Educare Centres have stemmed out of grass-roots, home-based care for very young children where the infrastructure is sub-standard, child caregivers are untrained, over-crowded classrooms are the norm and educational resources are severely limited. With its ‘education-in-a-box’ and ‘business-in-a-box’ concepts, GROW delivers a deep, ongoing intervention which results in well-supported inspirational centres of excellence that have positive ripple effects and help turn the tide against poverty and inequality in their communities. “GROW is delighted to join hands with MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet and become a cause that matters to the loyal cardholders,” says Chambers. “We are in an important phase of building an aspirational brand using the best principles of franchising to boost education in the country. This enables us to manage and maintain the standards in GROW Educare Centres while business owners are empowered to earn a decent salary and also offer others gainful employment. By the end of 2019, our impact will include almost 1900 learners across 77 classrooms in 52 schools in the Western Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, and 218 jobs will be created.” To support GROW, add them as one of your MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet beneficiaries. If you don’t have a card, sign up for free at www.myschool.co.za or download the App and nominate GROW as one of three possible beneficiaries.

February 22, 2019

FROM PLAYSCHOOL TO BIG SCHOOL: HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITION

Moving from pre-school into a formal schooling environment is a big step not only for young children, but also for their parents. Doubts and anxiety often accompany this major move, but parents should aim to ensure a conscious transition which addresses specific issues that may arise, so that their child starts their school career on a solid foundation, an expert says. “Some of the practical things can be very exciting – sorting out school uniforms and supplies, learning about the new routine, meeting the new teacher and exploring the new school grounds,” says Trudie Gilmore, General Manager at ADvTECH Junior Colleges. “However, the increased demands and unfamiliar environment can be daunting, and children need to be eased into the new situation. Additionally, parental expectations can cause unnecessary pressure at this young age,” she says. Gilmore says when embarking on this exciting new life chapter, parents and guardians should remember the following: ALLOW FOR MAKING MISTAKES The lesson is in the learning, not only the outcome, notes Gilmore. “At this age, parents should encourage their children to be more independent and, where possible, to think for themselves. Encourage your child to practise small ways to look after themselves such as dressing themselves, ensuring their bookbags are packed, and looking after their belongings. Encourage and praise them for trying, even when they don’t get it perfectly right.” PRACTISE PERSEVERANCE “It can be tremendously frustrating for young children if they are unable to complete a task to their satisfaction. Teach your child that when learning new things, it’s important that they keep on trying, even if they find things challenging. Don’t step in and ‘fix’ the situation, but rather guide, encourage and motivate.” PLAY NICELY Junior school is an important social milestone, and the time when children need to start working and engaging in meaningful play with their peers, even if they don’t automatically get along. Encourage your child to be inclusionary and kind, which will help them develop emotional maturity, as well as confidence. “You can also prepare together by acting out different situations with toys. Playing games that involve turns or rules, such as board games, are good for practising how to get along with others. This way, children can try out some of the skills they’ll need later to make friends.” ENCOURAGE CURIOSITY “Being interested and curious about the things around us is really important for learning. Encourage your child’s natural sense of curiosity by talking to them about things, people and places when you are out and about. New research has shown clear benefits for children whose parents engage them in productive conversation, that is, where each takes turns to listen and respond appropriately,” says Gilmore. “Listen to and answer their questions, nurture their love of reading – an exciting and empowering new skill – and look things up on the computer together. Try to see the world through your child’s eyes, and talk and wonder about the everyday things you see and hear.” Gilmore says parents must be prepared to help their children navigate and manage increased stress levels caused by more challenging schoolwork, homework, assessments, diversity within the school environment, after-school activities and possible bullying. “Ensure your child is able to respond to the challenges they will face every day, by limiting any additional pressure,” she says. “And remember, sleep is key. Children who get enough sleep are likely to be less short-tempered and better able to handle school stress. Also beware of piling on extra-mural activities. We’ve come to believe that busy equals happy, but over-scheduling means less free time and family time.” Our society is expecting more and more from children at younger ages, says Gilmore. “Our job as parents and guardians is to help them understand and respond appropriately to these demands, and develop their emotional intelligence to set them up for a successful and productive school career.”

February 15, 2019

Values in the Classroom

As technological advancements have swept through classrooms in the last decade, the way in which children are taught has changed, shifting towards a modernized approach. At Capriccio! Arts Powered Schools, we acknowledge the numerous benefits of technology in the classroom and create a pro-tech learning environment. We are however of the opinion that value-based learning should form an integral part of the foundation upon which children are educated. Our uniquely designed curriculum fosters the cognitive, emotional, physical, social and artistic development of little ones and young children. As such, our specialized enrichment programmes focus on preparing children for life by instilling within them important values, which form one of the cornerstones of our learners’ educational journey. Combining elements of Montessori, Reggio Emilio and Waldorf, we have developed a number of unique enrichment programmes aimed at: Instilling values like honesty, integrity and sincerity by means of story-telling, games, puppeteering and role play. Introducing grace, courtesy, etiquette and social skills, reinforcing learning through role play, stories, puppet theatre and other media. Preparing our children for life via practical lessons learnt from the Bible. Our Christian ethos provides a consistent foundation upon which is built to instil family values – Practical lessons from the Bible form part of equipping our learners for a meaningful life. For more information on our integrated, innovative and creative approach to providing wholesome and well-rounded pre-primary and primary education, visit: www.artspreschool.co.za.

February 7, 2019

Playing Smart

From the moment they can see, feel, smell and hear, your baby is learning. What can you do to help the process along and make sure your baby is getting just the right stimulation? Toptots Early Learning offers these wonderful tips. 0-3 months: At this age babies can’t grab or move toys around so their experience is through sight, touch and sound. Although mobiles will attract your baby’s attention they do get bored looking at the same thing each day, so choose one with interchangeable items or put a mirror where they can see it whilst on their tummy – great for looking at “the other baby” and developing neck muscles. Different rattles with different sounds also help to stimulate hearing, whilst at the same time making baby try and turn sideways to see where the sound’s coming from. Home-made ideas for the 0 – 3 month old: Encouraging babies to stay on their tummies isn’t easy but by half filling a 2 litre plastic bottle with water, adding some food colouring, glitter confetti, tinsel or anything brightly coloured and then sealing the lid with nail varnish, you will have a great new toy. This toy will keep baby amused for some time but also be helping to strengthen those neck muscles whilst he is on his tummy. 4-7 months: They’ve discovered their hands which, when covered with bright socks or a wrist rattle, can be great fun. They need different textures to try and grasp, so use soft toys and squeaker toys making a noise for them to reach for. Hold things in different positions for them, encouraging hand eye coordination and strengthening muscles. And don’t forget the old favourite – blowing bubbles which helps strengthen tiny eye muscles. Home-made ideas for the 4 – 7 month old: A helium balloon, filled with some rice and tied onto your baby’s foot not only makes a great noise but will encourage kicking. Please remember that balloons and their strings are a choking hazard, so if the balloon pops, please discard the pieces immediately. 8-12 months: Now baby is sitting and enjoying toys that he can manipulate. Babies love putting things in and out of containers and finding hidden objects. Cardboard, cloth or vinyl books with different textures make great toys as well for this age group. Who doesn’t remember the joy of a simple ball? Give baby balls of different shapes and sizes, soft and hard, even spiky, then roll the ball back and forth between you – learning to share starts with mum and dad. Large blocks are also a win as baby knocks down the tower you built, teaching them about cause and effect. Although they may not be able to completely master knob puzzles, they will be able to take the pieces out, which is a great fine motor skill. Although the thought of musical instruments may sound daunting a xylophone is great for learning different notes and associating them with different keys to develop good listening skills. Home-made ideas for the 8 – 12 month old: Give baby half a cup of frozen peas to play with. By picking them up one by one they’ll learn fine motor coordination and to eat by themselves. Become a magician with a cardboard paper towel tube by posting items down one end and to baby’s amazement showing how they come out the other end! 13 months – 2 years: At this stage they’re up and about, following you around, imitating your movements and looking for things to challenge their manipulatory abilities. They’re starting to talk and understand a lot more than they can say. Reading, maybe even the same story over and over, is a great source of joy for babies at this stage. Reading aloud to children stimulates their interest, their emotional development and their imagination. Remember readers are not born, they are made! Stacking rings and nesting beakers help dexterity and spatial visualisation, teaching them about size. Push and pull toys, carts with rigid handles to load and unload are great and sorting buckets with basic shapes will teach shape recognition, encouraging hand eye coordination. This is also the time to encourage imagination. Tea sets for boys and girls, dolls, brooms and mops. Babies don’t know about gender and it’s important not to stereotype them at this age. They see daddy making coffee and want to play with a tea set or dad holding a baby and want to imitate that as well. Boys with sisters get the chance to experiment with dolls but generally we don’t buy dolls for our sons – whereas we wouldn’t think twice about buying a car for our daughter… Tunnels make wonderful birthday gifts bringing hours of fun to the mobile toddler and wooden blocks, as against plastic interlocking ones, take a lot of manipulation whilst learning to stack them. Home-made ideas for the 13 – 24 month old: Using an old formula tin, cut a circular hole in the lid, add some practice golf balls with holes in and you’ve got a shape sorter. Then try squares and triangles, varying the shapes as they get older. 3 – 5 years: A child of this age is testing his independence, control of language and learning new skills every day. They need to be watched constantly as they have no sense of caution or fear. Dressing up clothes encourages imagination. Paint, play dough, stamping and stickers are great creative hits at this age. Puzzles, preferably to match their interests, like trucks maybe, will encourage them to build it. Playing and sharing activities is important now so make sure there’s ample play dates. Dolls houses and garages are wonderful gifts amusing them for hours on end. A love of nature, collecting bugs and looking at butterflies and animals can be encouraged with books. Home-made ideas for the 3 – 5 year old: Don’t forget to re-enact nursery rhymes like Humpty Dumpty and all the other old

December 14, 2018

12345…maths for your toddler!

If you always thought that mathematics only revolved around numbers, think again! “There is a myriad of concepts that can help to prepare your child for school related mathematics,” says Liz Senior, Founder of Clamber Club and Occupational Therapist. “Pre-arithmetic readiness includes memory and sequencing abilities, the ability to understand shape, form and volume,” explains Liz. “It requires the child’s understanding of size, position, length and quantity,” she adds. Montessori found that learning about numbers requires 3 stages: The ability to sort objects into sets. Before your child can identify for example, 3 cars as being part of the same `set’, he needs to understand why they belong together. To do this, he needs to recognise the properties that cars have in common. The ability to match or pair one set of objects with another set. For example, there is one bead in this set and one shell in that set. Give the child another bead and another shell and see if he can match them together with the first set into pairs. This means that he will have 2 beads, and two shells. The ability to compare. A child needs to understand that two stones are less than 3 stones, and that 4 stones are greater than 3. Once he can do this, he can put things in an `order’. Liz shares with us a few activities that will give you some ideas of `mathematic fun’ on a daily basis. Use them as the opportunity arises, remembering where possible to talk about what you are doing, as the physical experience and the verbal reinforcement can help to consolidate many basic concepts. As you go, provide your child with opportunities to touch things, move them around, compare them, to climb over, through, under and on top. Allow and encourage him to experiment! Numbers Rhymes such as “1, 2 buckle my shoe,” or “12345 once I caught a fish alive” can be sung with your child even before he has a concept of the words. This verbalisation helps your child to memorise the names of numbers, particularly those from one to ten. Songs, finger exercises and rhymes with rhythmical number verbalisations all help to establish basic `rote’ counting and provide an introduction to numbers. Gradually your child will learn to count objects and understand the meaning of two or three. Quantity When you talk to your child, include quantity in your conversation – He has “lots” of books, and I have only a “few.” He has “more” hair than you have. You have “less than” him. Put different amounts of cereal in two bowls. Discuss which one has the most cereal and which one has the least. Which one would he prefer? Position and sequence When walking around together, try walking in a row. Who is in front, who is in the middle and who is last? Who is behind who? Swop positions and encourage your child to say where he is – in the middle, at the back or in the front. This game, once played on a physical level, can also be played using dollies and teddies or building blocks Understanding position and sequence is essential to understanding numbers and mathematics. For example, which number comes before number 5? or which number comes after seven? Length Take out some playdough and make roly poly worms together. Make long worms and short worms. Which worm is the longest and which is the shortest? Look in the mirror together and compare heights. Who is the tallest, who is the shortest? Size Collect some cardboard boxes – shoe boxes, apple boxes, fridge boxes, and cereal boxes. Ask your child to put objects in the biggest box, the smallest box. See how many objects do you have to put in the box until it is full. Which box can he fit into? For the older child, put boxes in a row from biggest to smallest. Mix beads together of different size. Show your child how to sort the beads by size into different containers. Start off with only 2 sizes and then add as your child becomes more adept. (The ability to sort into sets is a basic mathematic requirement) Shape Shapes described in mathematical terms are everywhere. Diameters, circumferences, to the square of, measurement of space – all relate to shape. Look out for square and rectangular boxes (cereal boxes, tea boxes, shoe boxes) circles (bowls, bottles, balls) and triangles (Toblerone chocolate!) Point them out to your child, discuss the shapes. Go on a shape hunt in the kitchen. Put some containers with different shape and size lids out for your child to match. Mass Look for heavy and light objects to experiment with. A bag of stones can be heavy, and you need to be strong to carry them. A balloon is light and can be hit up in the air. Explore the same concept in the bath with floating objects and sinking objects. Which object is the heaviest and which the lightest? Guess which one will float or sink. Volume Put some Tupperware containers into the sandpit to play with. Make some full of sand and leave some empty. How much sand will fit in the bucket until it is full? The same concept can be used in many ways. Your cup is full and now that you’ve drunk the water it’s empty. Show your child how to pack things in and out of boxes. Thickness Baking activities are wonderful for describing many of these concepts! Squash the dough until you have a thin layer or make a thick layer instead. Make thick biscuits and thin biscuits, big biscuits and small biscuits – and of course, count the biscuits! Cut a thick slice of bread and a thin slice of bread, look at a thick book that has many pages or a thin book. Discuss the thickest and the thinnest. Fractions Use the idea of fractions in your daily activities. Cut the bread in half, or into

November 30, 2018

How to prepare a child for an older sibling

Expecting the arrival of your second child is an exciting event, but this may not be so for your older child, especially those between two and six years old. Start by telling your older child about the arrival of his or her new sibling. Use age-appropriate language and pictures to explain how the baby is growing so the connection can be made from about the 5th month of your pregnancy. Encourage your child to talk to and sing to your bump. Explain that the baby will not be a playmate right away and will sleep and feed most of the time but can also cry a lot because that is a baby’s only means of communication. It is important that children and parents learn together about what it means have a new sibling in the family. Let your child take part in the preparations, but constantly talk about all the excitement and preparation you made for his/her arrival. Get out the family photos and talk about how you had to feed, change, rock and cuddle him/her. Be honest about how tired you sometimes felt and that you may get tired again and not be able to play so many games together, but just for a while. When the new baby arrives allow your child to visit you and the baby in hospital. Do not hold the baby during this time until you have given undivided attention to the older child. Introduce them and allow the child to gently stroke and maybe even hold the baby with you. Now is the time to talk about how careful you must be with a small baby. Very young children could be upset, simply because their routine has been disrupted and Mom is in bed in a strange place. For them, do not put too much emphasis on the baby but spend the visit cuddling and talking. Regardless of your older child’s age, make sure that he or she gets individual attention when the new baby arrives home. (Do not arrive with the baby in your arms!) Remember to include him or her in photographs or videos you take of the baby. Sometimes children will act out with arrival of a sibling. Praise positive behaviour and give love, understanding and assurance rather than corrective discipline. They may have toilet training accidents, want to drink from a bottle or ask for a dummy. These are normal reactions that require tolerance during regressive episodes. If you make no fuss and little comment, the phase will soon pass. No one goes to big school with a dummy! Encourage your older child to be gentle with the baby and include them in activities that involve the baby such as bathing, changing and dressing. Encourage singing and talking to the baby. Babies are usually fascinated by older children. Praise him or her when they are helpful and always try and plan one on one time with them, so they feel equally important and cared for Help your child develop a sense of why they are a valuable member of the family by focusing on what they can do, and the baby can’t. Tell them that each member of the family is important for what they bring to the unit and the family needs each person for it to be whole. Raising your child to accept and adapt to new conditions within the households will assist them in future changes that may be challenging. Raising resilient and collaborative children is a priority in our world. Written by: Academic Development Coordinator of ADvTECH Schools Division, Barbra Eaton And Bev O’Shea, Principal at Junior College Preschools Tiny Town.

July 2, 2018

Arts Powered Learning: choosing a pre-school that fosters creative thinking and a life-long love of learning

Who Are We? Capriccio! Arts Powered Pre-School is a registered Montessori inspired ECD independent school in Milnerton. The Italian wordcapriccio has two interpretations: A lively piece of music; short and free in form. A painting or work of art representing a fantasy or a mixture of real and imaginary features. Both of the above interpretations are representative of our approach to education in the early years, which is designed to harness the full benefits of early exposure to the arts. At Capriccio! our focus is on nurturing each child’s cognitive, emotional, physical, social, and artistic development in a loving, creative and holistic learning environment. We are passionate about the role of art in education and recognise the power it has in instilling within little ones a life-long love of learning. What Are the Benefits of Arts Powered Learning? Studies have shown that exposure to arts education from a young age accelerates positive brain development. Art in all its various forms – music, drama, dance and visual art, has an infinite capacity to affect both the brain and the body, acting as a unifying force that supports and enhances cognitive, physical, emotional, and social skills in young children. Ainissa Ramirez once said, “Creativity is the secret sauce to science, technology, engineering and math.” Exposing young learners to arts powered education creates an open learning environment that fosters curiosity and encourages creative thinking and problem solving. These are transferable skills that are essential to building a strong foundation in other learning areas. We believe that children possess an innate property for appreciation and enjoyment of the arts. By engaging this appreciation from a young age, little ones are provided with a means by which to express themselves, which allows them to progress, self-actualise and foster healthy self-esteem throughout their lives. Our Approach to Arts Powered, Montessori Inspired Learning At Capriccio! the expressive needs and individual developmental abilities of each of our little ones are taken into account. By incorporating arts-driven learning and Montessori principals into our curriculum we create a learning environment which provides each child the opportunity to flourish at their own pace. Montessori is a child centred philosophy of education, which recognises that each child has the innate eagerness to acquire knowledge and a deep love of learning. In keeping with this philosophy, we are focused on following the individual child and acknowledging his or her ability to direct their own learning journey in a carefully prepared learning environment. We have incorporated the traditional Montessori areas of learning such as, practical life, education of the senses, literacy, numeracy and arithmetic, knowledge and understanding of the world, creativity, and outdoor learning, into our methodology and materials. As Sydney Gurewitz Clemens said, “Art has the role in education of helping children become like themselves instead of more like everyone else.” It is our belief that art has intrinsic value in giving each child the freedom of self-discovery throughout their learning journey. For more information on our philosophy and approach please visit our website:www.artspreschool.co.za

June 26, 2018

Play is crucial for early child development

Only 29 percent of South African children have access to safe, child-appropriate play areas in their communities, this according UNICEF, but a local organisation – Play Africa is championing for this change countrywide. Gretchen Wilson-Prangley, CEO of Play Africa – a social enterprise organisation driving inclusive public learning for the country’s most vulnerable says play is “exceedingly important” for children of all ages and an integral part of early learning and healthy social development. “Neuroscience has confirmed that the first few years of a child’s life is crucial for early learning. And play forms part of early learning and is far more valuable than we realise,” she says. Wilson-Prangley says play sparks imagination, enhances creativity and problem solving capacities, promotes teamwork and helps to instil empathy and compassion for others. “I believe in the importance of helping to advance children’s basic rights and this includes the right to play,” she says. And since many South African children lack toys and other learning materials that can help stimulate a range of child-initiated, open-ended activities which bolster cognitive, physical, social and emotional development, Wilson-Prangley explains that her organisation seeks to promote one single message – there is no cost to play. Their workshops encourage parents and children to make use of everyday materials when playing. “We demonstrate just how to transform everyday items into play materials using the imagination. Few people know that you’re able to make a robot or a rocket ship using clean milk containers, or a car out of empty loo paper rolls. What’s important is the process and the imagination and creativity it stimulates,” she says. Further, she says play is a “good way to engage” and helps children make use of their imagination; she also describes it as “pleasurable and enjoyable”. “Playing overall gives children an opportunity to stretch their thinking and imagination, it also invites repeated active engagement which is highly beneficial for children of all ages,” Wilson-Prangley says.

January 19, 2018

Some games are good for cognitive development – experts say

Certain toys and games play an integral part in a child’s cognitive development and one of the best ways to nurture a young brain is through play – it challenges thinking and the ability to process information. The body as an “architect of the brain” Parenting expert Nikki Bush explains that the body is an “architect of the brain” during childhood and in order to best understand the world around them, children need to be exposed to a range of scenarios to ensure the brain remains stimulated. She says that school, home and the outdoor environments are important; and so are toys and games with educational value, like Lego, and arts and crafts. Engaging in conversation with both adults and children is also a “big advantage” and encourages interaction and open communication. Different stages; different needs “Children go through different stages of development that all play a role in their ultimate cognitive development. Different environments, different people and different toys with value help to stimulate the young mind and assists children to interpret new information accurately,” Bush says. And a young brain learns easily, she explains that during childhood the brain is “extremely plastic and elastic” and with the result, learning is much easier for young children than older people. “Ever hear the saying that a child’s brain is like a sponge? That’s because it’s 100 percent correct, much learning happens when they’re young as they’re able to absorb information and understand things quite easily,” she says. Phases of learning: Concrete Semi-concrete Abstract The concrete learning phase is most important, Bush says no images on screens or in a book can substitute the real thing, “real trumps everything in early learning”. The Child Development Team at Toy Kingdom South Africa says stocking toys that are good for cognitive development is high on its priority list. The range of Hape products, along with Lego are just few developmental toys on the store’s shelves. “Children thrive on three-dimensional learning. And the concrete phase allows a child to interact with a real object with their bodies. They are able to feel that an apple is round, see its colour, taste and smell it,” she says. Bush says children should be able to internalise and experience with their bodies for an ultimate memorable learning experience.

November 14, 2017

Early School Years Crucial for Cultivating Emotional Intelligence in a Child

Of the twelve years that children spend at school, the foundation phase – years one through four – are the most critical for cementing the long-term potential of children and enabling them to become successful adults, an education expert says. “It goes without saying that academic excellence is important, but developing children’s emotional intelligence may literally make the difference between success and failure in their lives,” says Chris Van Niekerk, head at Founders Hill College, part of Africa’s largest private education provider, ADvTECH. He says that when undertaking the important task of investigating schooling options, parents and guardians should consider more than the academic or sporting achievements and track record of a school, and also enquire about a school’s approach to instilling vital life skills. “Nurturing emotional intelligence should be considered as important as teaching children to read, write and do arithmetic – if not more – and schools, parents and communities have a duty to ensure this fundamental life skill is not left by the wayside,” he says. Van Niekerk says the younger the age at which children acquire these insights and skills, the better. “It’s in years one to four that children learn to love learning; learn about a world that challenges and rewards; and learn what makes them who they are: unique human beings who hold a wealth of potential and who can do anything they put their hearts and minds into. “It is during these years that these skills become part of the child’s character and personality: guiding their decisions, helping them make sense of the world, and being the foundation of their relationships with others. Starting with five-year-olds is the best place to start.” Emotional intelligence can be described as a set of softer skills that help children grow up to become “likeable”, successful human beings who can accept that not everybody in the world is going to be like you, agree with you or think like you. More than this, it’s understanding that this diversity is not only good and desirable, but to be celebrated and embraced. “It’s learning how to give and take: to compromise and to negotiate. It’s learning to relate to others: to empathise and communicate your own feelings in a situation. It’s learning to listen to what other people say, and how to speak your own mind. It’s acquiring the skills and the confidence to articulate your feelings and ideas, and it’s learning to identify what it is, exactly, that makes you respond the way you do to people and situations around you. Critically, it’s learning how to manage those feelings, instead of letting them manage you.” Van Niekerk says that emotional intelligence skills aren’t ones that can be taught in lesson slots on the timetable. Instead, they should form part of all interactions, whether they be during academic, social or physical activities. Additionally, provision should be made for assisting children who show signs of needing early intervention to reach emotional intelligence milestones. “Success cannot only be measured academically and professionally. It is measured by the quality of our relationships, and by our ability to lead meaningful, effective lives,” he says.

November 9, 2017

Why is early childhood education so important?

By… Chantelle Anderson – Head Directress and Owner at Montessori Nosipho pre-school As an early childhood educator I often come across concerned parents who ask the question, when is the right time for my child to start school? There are many things to consider when answering this very important question. Maria Montessori believed that children pass through different stages throughout their development when they have a sensitivity to learn a specific skill, hence she came up with the term ‘sensitive periods’. Children are in their sensitive period for many things between birth and 6 years of age so it is important to make sure that when they enter into each stage that their needs are met and they are stimulated correctly and sufficiently in order for them to develop in all the ways necessary, cognitively, intellectually, socially, emotional and physically. Different sensitive periods include, sensitive period for order, language, movement, refinement of senses, grace and courtesy, numbers, just to name but a few. A child’s sensitive period for language is between birth and 6 years, actually believe it or not from 7 months in utero to 6 years old. The prenatal influence on language is important as this will allow a child to start making sounds and speaking small simple words at the age of 7-8 months to being able to communicate with 3-4 words sentences by 3 years of age. In saying this, this is an important part of a child’s life, as they need to be able to use words or language in order to communicate, a vital part in our everyday lives. I have heard concerns from many parents that because their child isn’t of speaking age, it is atomically assumed that they cannot attend school because they cannot communicate. This is not the case at all as children will only learn faster and be more advanced being around children of their similar age and having the stimulating environments influence on them, especially in a Montessori environment were children are encouraged to develop through many different ways and experiences, so why can’t they be at school? Why can’t they listen to their older siblings or school peers speak and teaching them how to do so in turn? Children will often copy a child of similar age better than that of a much older sibling or parent so school would give them the best opportunity for this. Another important sensitive period that cannot be missed and certainly won’t be tented to being at home stuck in front of the T.V or not having an adequate environment to help them through this stage or to help the child develop is the sensitive period for movement. A child may learn to crawl, walk and run in their home environment but in the unfortunate event that a child lives in a home environment where they don’t have a garden or play area how will a child learn other necessary skills or how will they meet their sensitive period for movement (birth to 4 years). An early childhood setting will help them by meeting their needs by providing the child with playground equipment that the child can learn to manipulate, and activities that encourage a lot of movement, for example something simple like fetching their snack from their bag, or walking to the bathroom to wash their hands, or tucking in their chair after working at a table, or simply packing away a book they have read, an activity they have done or even toys they have played with. In turn doing all these very simple activities will not only meet their need for movement but will also help develop the child in other ways, fine and gross motor skills, independence, concentration and so on. They are all so closely linked and without the completion of once stage of development another cannot start. My favourite sensitive period that I love watching children work through and explore is their sensitive period for refinement of senses. A child is fascinated with their sensorial experiences such as weight, smell, touch, taste, and sounds, enabling them to make sensory discriminations. A Montessori environment provides the early child with the ability to explore all of these with specifically designed apparatus, such as taste bottles, the sound bottles, the Montessori bells, the baric tablets and touch tablets etc. In a home environment a child will no doubt be exposed to some of these, for example smelling what mom is cooking for the children, walking around the house feeling the different surfaces they walk on, listening to the different sounds they hear, car driving past, a bird, the wind etc, but why should a child be limited to these experiences only when they can have so much more at their fingertips while they are at school. As an example in our Montessori classroom, we provide the children with a nature table, giving them the chance to not only explore the outdoors while looking for something to put on it, but to touch and feel different weights and roughness of items, or feeding the fish in the fish tank, and often with a surprised look on their face when they find out the texture of the fish food, or when their fingers accidentally touch the water and they realise its warmer than they thought. At art time getting the feeling of paint on their hands, or gluey fingers, of the surprising sounds when they cut different textured paper or draw with different crayons, chalk, pencils and charcoal, or the noise of tearing tissue paper, the list is endless. It is so vitally important that a child is given the opportunity to develop with the correct environment around them, think back to your childhood, some of my best memories are with the group of friends I met at my pre-school and how we endured this new thing of ‘going to school’ together but had so much fun in doing so, working through our different stages of our childhood and growing together rather

October 19, 2017

The Vital Years: How to Enrich your Child’s Learning Ability from Birth Until the Age of Eight

Research has shown that we develop most of our ability to learn in the first 8 years of life, especially the first 4. This doesn’t mean that you absorb more knowledge, but that you build more neuro pathways (the main learning pathways of the brain) in this time, than throughout the rest of your life. This is why early childhood development and age appropriate stimulation is so important. Researcher Dr Phil Silva from New Zealand highlights the importance of early stimulation. “It doesn’t mean that the other years are unimportant, but our research has shown that children who have a slow start during the first three years are likely to experience problems right through childhood and into adolescence.” There are 6 main pathways into the brain by which we learn, our 5 senses, sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell, and the sixth step is through what we physically do. This means a baby will learn to crawl by physically crawling. Every day is a learning experience and the more a child is allowed to explore the world the more neuro pathways are built and the more he can learn during his lifetime. Through stimulating a child’s brain, more interacting connections are formed in the brain. The more connections there are the easier it is to learn. What a child does physically in the first few years of life, plays a major part in how well he or she will develop other abilities. Some examples. Developing the brainstem: Activities such as grasping, crawling, pushing, reaching and turning leads to hand-eye coordination and pre-writing abilities. Developing the cerebellum (balancing): Activities such as spinning, swinging, rolling, listening and dancing leads to bicycle riding, reading skills and fine motor coordination. Developing the emotional brain: Activities such as cuddling and playing together leads to love, security and confidence. Developing the thinking brain (cortex): Activities such as stacking toys, puzzles and patterning leads to math, problem solving, spelling and memory. It seems like most countries have their educational priorities completely wrong, as most spend under 10% of their education budget on these forming years. SKidz Clever Activity Boxes has set a curriculum of fun filled activities to bridge this gap. The curriculum is written primarily for babies and toddlers that stay at home with mommy or a nanny, but it has also been used by schools and day mothers. All the equipment is supplied with the manual which gives direction regarding what activities to do each day and what areas of development are being stimulated through those activities. Children learn through exploration, games and play and this is what we have focused on. You can order your age specific box from www.skidz.co.za/shop

July 15, 2017

The Importance of Early Brain Development

As parents we want what is best for our children and want to teach and help them grow into successful, well-rounded adults. To achieve this we need to invest in the development of our children’s brains. The emotional, social and physical development of young children has a direct effect on their overall development and on the adult they will become. That is why understanding the need to invest in very young children is so important, so as to maximise their future well-being. Neurological research has shown that the early years play a vital role in the brain development of children. Babies start to learn about the world around them from a very early age and these first learning experiences deeply affect their future physical, emotional, social and cognitive development. These early learning experiences start just before and after birth already, so starting young is extremely important as optimizing and investing in your child’s early years sets them up for success later in life. According to James J. Heckman, a Nobel laureate and Director of the Centre for the Economics of Human Development at the University of Chicago, “Learning starts in infancy, long before formal education begins, and continues throughout life. Early learning begets later learning and early success breeds later success, just as early failure breeds later failure. As a society, we cannot afford to postpone investing in children until they become adults, nor can we wait until they reach school age – a time when it may be too late to intervene. The best evidence supports the policy prescription: invest in the very young and improve basic learning and socialising skills.” As parents we often don’t know how to optimally develop our children’s brains and the very dedicated spend hours researching on the internet. Skidz Clever Activity Boxes has done everything for you. The age ranges start from birth until five years and the program has been developed by four experts in early childhood development. It includes an easy to follow manual and the equipment used to do the many activities. Using the Skidz program gives you time to play and have fun with your child while they learn and develop, as well as the peace of mind knowing that you are doing age appropriate activities with them. You can follow Skidz on Facebook at www.facebook.com/skidzsa The website for more info and orders is http://skidz.co.za or email us at [email protected]

July 15, 2017

How early learning builds a child’s other abilities

We often read articles and speak to Early Childhood Development experts such as Paediatricians and Occupational Therapists, who assess a child’s progress based on developmental milestones. Being a part of many mommy groups, I often find some moms who say that this focus on milestones is misguided. The problem is that many don’t really understand why looking at milestones as a guideline is important. Some even say things like “My child didn’t crawl and she is fine”, but what measures as fine? I’m not talking about major problems or delays in development, but things that we only see later in life. It is also important to note that these developmental skills that are learnt and developed through exploration and play, is the foundation of other skills used later in life. Investing in the development of your child especially in the first few years cannot be emphasised enough. The easiest way to explore this would be through examples, so here goes. When a baby is born, he can’t see or hear very well and his sensations are far from perfect. When looking at visual stimulation babies need to be exposed to high contrast colours and patterns. In the earliest months a baby lays down the main ‘visual pathways’ of his brain. The cortex of his brain has 6 layers of cell which transmit different signals from the retina in the eyes to the back of the brain. On layer for example transmits vertical lines, another horizontal. Others will deal with circles, triangle and squares. If, for example, a baby would only see horizontal lines, then when he crawled or walked he would continually be banging into the legs of tables and chairs because the visual pathways which where laid earlier could not process vertical lines. Here are some more examples of how what a child physically does in the first few years of life plays a major part in how well he will develop other abilities. The Brainstem: Controls the flow of messages between the brain and the rest of the body. Activity learnt: Grasping Touching Crawling Walking Reaching Turning Pushing Pulling. These activities lead to: Hand-eye coordination Gross motor skills Prewriting ability The Cerebellum: Coordinates voluntary movements such as posture, balance, coordination, and speech, resulting in smooth and balanced muscular activity. Activity learnt: Spinning Tumbling Balancing Dancing Listening Swinging Rolling These activities lead to: Balance Sporting ability Bicycle riding Writing skills Fine motor coordination Reading skills. The Emotional brain (amygdala and temporal lobe): Emotions, like fear and love as well as brain functions, like memory and attention. Activity learnt: Cuddling Stroking Playing together These activities lead to: Love Security Bonding Social skills Cooperation Confidence The cortex: Associated with higher brain function such as thought and action Activity learnt: Stacking toys Building puzzles Recognising and making patterns Playing word games Repetitive play and music These activities lead to: Math Logic Problem solving Fluent reading Spelling Writing A good vocabulary Painting Memory Musical ability Another point to consider is that for a child learns from concrete and active experiences. To understand an abstract concept he would first have to understand the physical concept. For instance, to understand the abstract concept of roundness, he must first have experienced real round things like a ball. There are endless examples that could be explored but the conclusion is the same. Experiences and active play to reach milestones are extremely important for future successes. SKidz gives you as a parent the tools to stimulate and play with your child, which encourages not only his physical ability, but also sets a firm foundation for healthy relationships, where he feels loved and secure. The program has been developed by 4 experts in early childhood development and is divided into 5 boxes so that you only need to buy the appropriate one at a time. Each box comes with all the equipment needed to do the activities as well as a step by step manual, with easy to follow instructions as well as developmental information, so that you know what areas you are developing through that activity. The range is divided into the following ages 0-6 months, 6-12 months, 12-18 months, 18-24 months and 2-5 years. More info on this wonderful product can be found on the website http://skidz.co.za. All orders are also placed from the online shop on the website. For some up to date news, articles and specials follow SKidz on facebook at www.facebook.com/skidzsa.

July 14, 2017

Signs Of Reading Readiness

Parents raise readers and teachers teach reading The best advice I can give you is, do not rush your child into reading. Preparation is key; the better and more sound the foundation for reading is the easier and quicker your child will learn to read. If your child is showing the following signs he is well on his way to becoming a reader. Give yourself a pat on the back; you must be doing something right. Well done Mom and Dad. Signs of reading readiness Your child: Knows about books – i.e., holds a book the right way up, knows where its starts and ends Knows letter names and sounds Good use of language – speaks clearly, understand instructions, articulates his thoughts and feelings using the correct words Loves to listen to stories Able to sit still and listen to a story Can rhyme simple words – cat, hat, sat Recognises own name and start recognises simple words like, mom, dad Becoming aware of print and will say things like, ‘what does that word say’, whilst being read to. Awareness of print around – billboards, advertising signs like MacDonalds, coke, etc. Begins to relate what is being read to him to his own experiences, for example whilst reading a book about dogs your child may say, ‘I have a dog called….’ As parents continue to read daily, give plenty of support and encouragement as your child starts experimenting with reading, but DO NOT push. Learning to read takes time and develops in stages, just enjoy the journey. The greatest gift you can give your child is the gift of reading.

June 9, 2017

Your Child’s Language Development and How it Affects Later Success

I recently attended a fascinating lecture by Suzy Styles, who is a professor of Psychology and Linguistics at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Her research is all around how language modulates brain development, shapes sensation and co-creates our conscious experiences. There were a number of things she discussed that are fundamental bits of wisdom for parents and educators to be aware of. Babies’ sensory systems are already in place before birth, and by the time the baby is born they have already been primed for the kind of auditory world they are going to emerge into including large amounts of information about their native language. Babies at birth can already recognize a story that has been told to them in the womb, can tell the difference between different languages and can recognize their mother’s voice. The sounds that they hear in the womb and in early life are literally changing the structure of their brains as they make new connections. Prem babies often have difficulty with language later on. This is due to the nature of the sounds that they are hearing outside of the womb when they should still be in it… The sound of the mother’s voice and heartbeat are replaced by aircons and ICU noises and unfiltered speech. Prem babies need to have the sounds of the womb simulated in order to have optimal auditory development. When we speak to babies we naturally hyperarticulate vowel sounds (we do this when we speak to foreigners and Siri too!). Babies LOVE this! It matches the way they are hearing at this developmental stage and is linked to faster hearing skills later on. Even the toys that we give to children can make a difference to their language acquisition. For example, babies who have teething toys that get in the way of their tongues are unable to recognize sounds like “t” that use the tongue tip. Between around 6-12 months babies lose the ability to distinguish sounds that they don’t hear regularly. For example, Japanese babies can no longer tell the difference between “ra” and “la”, and Spanish speakers can’t tell the difference between “ba” and “va”. This means that these early years are the optimal time for a baby to be exposed to another language. However, babies only learn a new language (or even words in their own language) in interaction with real live people. Television and radio do not count, no matter how good the program they might be watching. The only time that babies learn from a recorded sound is when they are exposed to it together with an adult who discusses it with them or interacts with them and the show – using the TV or radio as a prop for interaction. Up to six years old children still have some neural sensitivity to adapt to new languages. The benefits of learning a second language go beyond just social convenience. Studies have shown that bilingual people (and only those who have learned their second language early in life) recover better from strokes and don’t show early symptoms of Alzheimers. The more you talk to a baby and the more interactive and fun this is, the more their hearing is increased. Whenever emotion is involved in learning there is more consolidation of the learning. Their studies show that children of professional class parents are exposed to around 30 million more words than a working class child by the time they reach school. And this directly correlates with school performance later on. Hearing more words has a protective effect against later learning disabilities. It is not enough for the child to just be around chatty adults – the speech actually has to be directed at the child and needs to be fun. Even reading to a baby only makes a real difference if the reading is fun and interactive (NOT instructional). It needs to be like a game, for example making jokes that violate expectation. The book is more like a prop for some kind of linguistic interaction with the child. The more fun the experience, the more the language ‘sticks’. Children are affected by our attitudes to learning and how much fun is involved at all ages. Children who are judged on what they say in class will disengage and have lower grades. In terms of language development, the greatest predictors of whether children will do well in school are: Interaction. How much and how fun and how child-directed the experiences are. The number of words they are exposed to. Whether their caregivers use instructional speech (tie your shoe, put on your clothes, eat your food) or expanding type speech (ooh, I see you’re putting on your shoes. Those are the same shoes you wore yesterday. And the ones you nearly left at the beach last week. You love those shoes, don’t you? You would have missed them if we hadn’t found them…) The core lesson for me that comes out of all this research is that we need to be present with our babies and children – engaging them in fun, interactive ways and exposing them to as much of our linguistic worlds as we are able. KEY ACTION POINTS: Speak to your baby in utero. Sing to her, read to him, tell them what you’re thinking and feeling. If you have a multi-lingual family, have the other parent or grandparents chat to the child in a different language while they are still in the womb and beyond. If you want your baby to learn another language make sure they are exposed to it before 12 months old (or definitely before 6 years old) in fun, interactive ways with a caring adult. Prem babies can have improved language skills later on if you are able to simulate womb sounds in the hospital – filter the mother’s voice, expose the baby to a recording of her heartbeat, and cut out as many of the sounds of the hospital as possible. If this is done for

June 9, 2017

Help Your Child to Read

Helping your child learn to read and to love reading is probably the greatest gift you can give them. Reading opens a whole world of communication, learning and imagination. So, when you help your child learn to read, you open up the whole universe for them. Reading is not centred in just one part of the brain and that’s one of the main reasons that it can be so difficult for some children to learn to read. There are different parts of the brain that need to work together, at exactly the same time. These parts of the brain have different functions and are even on opposite sides of the brain. So the communication between all the parts of the brain needs to be at its best. Just think what you are actually doing when you read and you will realise the complexity of this wonderful pastime that we can spend so many relaxing hours doing once it is mastered. In my work I see many children struggling to develop early reading skills and parents want to help them but often just don’t know where to begin. Very often all the input to help the child actually starts at the stage of actually reading and trying to sound out words. This is starting too high up the ladder for many children. That is why I just had to share my own experience and methods, creating a program that parents can use to build visual skills, auditory skills and develop close communication between the different parts of the brain involved in reading. A fun and games approach to developing the basic skills to really learn to read. When we read, our brains have to link the visual codes our eyes see with the sound code that each letter represents; and visual and sound processing are done on opposite sides of the brain. There are subtle differences between the parts of the visual code (letters) as well as between the different sounds they represent. Children need to be able to recognise the similarities as well as the differences of the sounds and of the printed letters. And this has to be done in an instant! We also have to notice the subtle differences between the different letters. For example, ‘b’ and ‘d’ are the same but just back to front and ‘t’ and ‘f’ also confuse many children who struggle with perceiving subtle visual differences. We need to be able to notice when letters are close together, making a word and when there is a small gap between the letters of different words. This is visual perception and develops through our interaction with the real world around us. From the moment we are born and we start moving our hands and legs, we are learning about where things are and what size and shape they are. The more we play with real objects and move them and move ourselves around them, the more we develop our visual perception for shape, size and special relations (what things are close together, far apart, back-to-front, upside-down). So the first thing you can do to begin preparing your child for reading is to let them play obstacle courses. Who would have thought this was step one of learning to read? By the way, spatial perception is also important to maths. So, get your child to make obstacle courses! As your child develops his control and understanding, you can let him make letters out of play-dough and draw letters in sea sand or snow or on a mirror, using shaving foam. But knowing the shapes of letters is no good on its own. He also needs to be able to recognises and differentiate the sounds that letters represent and he must be able to separate the different sounds in the words he hears. I frequently meet children in my practice who have good a vocabulary and speak well but struggle to tell me what the first sound or last sound of a word is. When we read we are joining sounds together to make words. When we spell, we are working out the sounds in a word and then assigning the correct letter to represent that sound. Both these tasks need us to be able to notice the separate sounds that combine to make a word. We also need to be able to hear the subtle differences between the sounds: ‘ch’ and ‘sh’; the soft ‘t’ versus the harder sound of ‘d’ or ‘c’ and ‘g’. Parents can teach their children rhymes and play word games, such as “I Spy”. These games help develop the auditory processing to separate out the different sounds in words. Play good old-fashioned games with rhyming and skipping or rhyming and clapping. This way, you will help your child develop the sense of rhythm and rhyme and the communication between both sides of the brain to help speed up his ability to link the sight of letters and words with the sound. There is a lot you can do to help your child be ready to learn to read; and most of it is fun and games! Once you’ve helped him develop the underlying skills and enjoy playing with words and letters, he will be ready to learn to read and to love reading.

May 25, 2017

Choosing a Preschool

As a first time mom, finding and choosing a school for my daughter was one of the most daunting things I had to do. I had no idea what to look for, how to screen for potential problems, or even what the law was regarding the qualifications of teachers and preschool owners. And so my poor child, and then the next child too, got moved from school to school almost yearly before I decided to homeschool. So let me just say, from the outset, that every school will have its problems. There is no such thing as a perfect school, but there may just be a perfect school for you and your child – one where they don’t bother about things that are not on your priority list and do care about the same things as you. If I were to do it all again, I would do the following: I would make a list of what was important to ME in terms of childcare. For example, it is important to me that my kids eat nutritious food and not junk, that their caregivers are caring and not overly disciplinarian, that there is no shaming or naughty corners or physical punishment, and that kids are allowed to be kids and have lots of free play. I would absolutely INSIST on spending a week at the preschool with my child. Most schools discourage this as they say the kids settle quicker if the parents are not around, but a small child cannot articulate problems to you when they arise. I would like to see for myself how certain issues are handled. For example, at one school my kids were at I found out years later that if they cried they were shamed by being put into nappies. I knew my daughter was unhappy at the school (the school kept telling me she was very happy there) but she was only 4 and couldn’t express what it was that was bothering her. I would hang around at the end of the day and chat to parents of kids who are already in the school. Of course the school will tell you they are marvelous, but you may get a different picture from the parents. I would have a list of questions for them such as what they like most and least about the school, if they’ve ever had an issue with a teacher and how the management handled it, etc. Get a broad overview from a number of people. I would find out what qualifications each of the teachers has and what additional training they are exposed to on a regular basis. We had one teacher who had never even heard of a sensory integration disorder and so was shaming my child for coming to preschool in her pyjamas when she was tactile defensive and literally couldn’t handle wearing much else. The same teacher used sarcasm with her class (telling them she would cut their tongues out if they spoke in class), something that children can only cognitively start to comprehend at around age 8. Teachers need to be up to date on current research, childcare philosophies, and childhood growth and development. Other questions I would ask the management would be around the size of the class, the teacher to child ratio, the teachers’ working hours, and even their salary if they will disclose that. I would want to know that the teachers are not overworked and underpaid and unhappy. And lastly, I would trust my instincts. This was a tough lesson that I learned through all of this – where I had a feeling that things were not ok and yet when I asked I was told that my children were happy and playing and everything was fine. You know your child. Trust that. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. And do not be afraid to change schools if you need to. Of course the ideal is to get your child into one school where they are happy and make friends and are settled, but kids can and do adapt to change. Rather keep looking until you are completely satisfied than settle for something less than ideal because you are afraid of making the change. For us, in the end, homeschooling was what best suited all of our needs, but that is also not for everyone. There are pros and cons to both and you need to look at your unique family, your own values and needs and then find the best solution for you. Good luck!

November 17, 2016

How Parents Can Support Early Childhood Development

Research shows children who have parents who are actively engaged in their educational lives, do better. This is especially true when talking about early childhood education. Yet many parents have no idea of how to get involved. As a parent development specialist and a person well versed in Early childhood , I think there are 3 ways parents with a young child should be involved with their child’s education. 1) Be willing to learn about and understand the difference in the way young children and older children learn. 2) Ask about ways you can help and support children’s learning at home and do them. 3) Make time to volunteer in the centre in the ways they need you to be involved. ~Be willing to learn about the difference in how younger and older children learn Young children learn by actively observing and then acting out what they see. Young children from age six months to five years watch, listen, and learn. Children are natural observers. However, children really begin to learn as they act out their observations. We in early childhood call this acting out play. Many parents not understanding the difference between acting out observations and play for enjoyment tend to see early education as “just playing”. The truth is your child is learning through acting out a variety of situations they have observed over their young years. Early educators use observations, knowledge of child development, and open ended questions to help children link their observations with the skills they need to prepare for life and school. Older children who can think, talk, read, and interact with others use those skills to learn and play becomes a chance to unwind. Play no longer is the primary tool for learning. Older children have developed other skills they use for learning. ~ Ask about ways you can support your child’s learning at home and do them Early childhood learning involves discovery, pre–skills, and learning from the world. Teachers use the classroom setting to help children learn and grow. Parents can also do activities with their young children which can promote discovery, curiosity, and observation. Making cookies, jello, and cakes can help children to observe changes which are made by adding cold or heat. Asking open ended questions can help children make the observations. Example: when we put the jello in the refrigerator we could pour it like water now we can’t. Why do you think that happened? Your child’s teacher will have more suggestions for you. Remember when you do them with your children you are supporting their growth and development. ~Make time to volunteer at your child’s centre in the way they need you to be involved Every child care centre needs volunteers for things to run smoothly. Sometimes they need someone to help kids into jackets to go outside. Or they may need you to help serve lunch or snack. Sometimes you could be asked to help to decide on a committee which effects the whole centre. For instance, you may sit on a playground committee deciding to resurface the ground. Please give your full attention no matter the task and you will not only be appreciated. You will become a part on the centres’ community. This is ultimately your goal. Parents are a vital part of whole education process. Using these three suggestions as your starting point will help you to begin engaging in your child’s educational growth.

March 10, 2016

Learning Using Everyday Items From Around Your Home

This article is to give you some fun ideas on how to stimulate your child’s development at home using everyday things from around the home. To touch briefly on the biology of learning, which in a nutshell is all about the brain. A child learns the most up to the age of 3 years. This is because when children are born, their brains are around 25% of the adult size, however by 1 year your child’s brain has shot up to about 66% of it’s eventual size and by the age of 3 years, your child’s brain is nearly 90% of it’s eventual size. The brain & the nerves in the spinal cord work together as a network sending messages backwards & forwards to every part of the body. Each person is born with a certain number of brain cells (in the region of 100 billion), which is the potential of the brain. What makes the difference is the number of connections between these brain cells that activates this potential of our brains. Stimulating the brain helps to connect more of the brain cells, so that we use as much of our brain’s potential as possible. This is where some of the debate around the influence of genetics and experiences that we provide for our children come into play – which is more important? Science shows us that before birth, babies’ brains develop in a predictable genetic way. But recent scientific studies show that the brain is “moulded” by experience. Some of the early connections between the brain’s neurons depend on stimulating the senses (e.g.. sight, sound, smell, taste & touch). In this way, these early learning experiences can affect the ability of the central nervous system to learn & store information. Different types of learners: Visual Learners: Like to look at different things e.g. pictures & models Will close their eyes to visualize Prefers quite environments Remembers faces better than names Auditory Learners: Are talkative & like the sound of their own voices Listens to others Can work in noisy environments Remembers names better than faces Kinesthetic Learners: Prefer to move around Very active, fidgets & can’t concentrate for long Prefers to actively participate in order to learn Find it difficult to repeat what is heard Your child will also fall into one of these types of learners, but it’s so important to add the other half of the equation before you can really gauge which type your child falls into. The other important part of the puzzle is: what is developmentally appropriate for his / her age. For example: If we look at attention span, we need to remember that it is developmentally appropriate for babies to concentrate 1 minute per year of their age. So what might feel like a short attention span for us adults, could actually be longer than is developmentally appropriate & therefore doesn’t necessarily mean that your baby is a kinesthetic learner. Everyday items for educational play: From your Kitchen: From about the 6 month sitting stage, containers are a huge hit! For example, plastic Tupperware containers or even packaging that you would throw away. Things like empty plastic milk bottles make super rattles, empty Coke bottles for encouraging crawling (loco motor skills) & empty margarine tubs make great stacking tubs. Also, an empty pot with a wooden spoon makes a lovely drum sound & starts to teach concepts like cause & effect. Experimenting with different types of food is a wonderful way to introduce different textures as well as to stimulate the control of the small muscles (fine motor) of the hand. Things to look out for: Food allergies that your child may have Safety of the object e.g.. size of the object & possibility of chocking hazard From your Bedroom: Different textures of clothing eg. Cotton, satin, velvet, corduroy, wool, chiffon which stimulates the sensation of touch. Making home made mobiles using a clothing hanger & tying different interesting objects to hang from it. This is to help with visually tracking objects. Using any soft light clean clothing to play peek a boo games, which start with the journey of mastering object permanence. Things to look out for: Safety of the object e.g.. that possible chocking hazards such as buttons are very secure on the item of clothing. Any loose cords or ties are supervised to prevent the risk of strangulation. From your Bathroom: Toiletry items that are non toxic for example, baby aqueous cream, petroleum jelly, shaving cream which all provide wonder messy tactile stimulation. Mirrors can be a wonderful source of entertainment & fun! Mirrors can be used in so many different ways for example: smearing safe toiletries on them (sensory experience), playing peek a boo with behind them (stimulating the concept of object permanence). Body brushes, loofahs & exfoliating mesh sponges are also fantastic sources of different textures which stimulate the sensation of touch. Things to look out for: That the toiletry items are non toxic & that the child is supervised so that he / she doesn’t put toiletries in their mouths. Always supervise the child around water to prevent any drowning which can happen in just a few centimetres of water. Everyday things you hope they won’t play with, but they probably will: Land line & cell phones – I’ve had mine washed in the dogs water bowl, but the favorite place for a lot of young children is to throw them in the toilet! Remotes for the TV, DVD machine & CD player – a fantastic toy from a baby’s point of view because it responds with lights & noises when they push the buttons. It does also teach them cause & effect, but there are many other objects that we would prefer them to play with that will teach them the same thing.. Appliances such as buttons & dials on the oven, stove, dishwasher & washing machines – again young babies love these machines responding to them, but they pose dangerous risks such as fire. Children really do learn through play!

January 14, 2016

How Parents Can Support Early Childhood Education

Research shows children who have parents who are actively engaged in their educational lives, do better. This is especially true when talking about early childhood education. Yet many parents have no idea of how to get involved. As a parent development specialist and a person well versed in Early childhood , I think there are 3 ways parents with a young child should be involved with their child’s education. Be willing to learn about and understand the difference in the way young children and older children learn. Ask about ways you can help and support children’s learning at home and do them. Make time to volunteer in the centre in the ways they need you to be involved. ~Be willing to learn about the difference in how younger and older children learn Young children learn by actively observing and then acting out what they see. Young children from age six months to five years watch, listen, and learn. Children are natural observers. However, children really begin to learn as they act out their observations. We in early childhood call this acting out play. Many parents not understanding the difference between acting out observations and play for enjoyment tend to see early education as “just playing”. The truth is your child is learning through acting out a variety of situations they have observed over their young years. Early educators use observations, knowledge of child development, and open ended questions to help children link their observations with the skills they need to prepare for life and school. Older children who can think, talk, read, and interact with others use those skills to learn and play becomes a chance to unwind. Play no longer is the primary tool for learning. Older children have developed other skills they use for learning. ~ Ask about ways you can support your child’s learning at home and do them Early childhood learning involves discovery, pre-skills, and learning from the world. Teachers use the classroom setting to help children learn and grow. Parents can also do activities with their young children which can promote discovery, curiosity, and observation. Making cookies, jelly, and cakes can help children to observe changes which are made by adding cold or heat. Asking open ended questions can help children make the observations. Example: when we put the jelly in the refrigerator we could pour it like water now we can’t. Why do you think that happened? Your child’s teacher will have more suggestions for you. Remember when you do them with your children you are supporting their growth and development. ~Make time to volunteer at your child’s centre in the way they need you to be involved Every child care centre needs volunteers for things to run smoothly. Sometimes they need someone to help kids into jackets to go outside. Or they may need you to help serve lunch or snack. Sometimes you could be asked to help to decide on a committee which effects the whole centre. For instance, you may sit on a playground committee deciding to resurface the ground. Please give your full attention no matter the task and you will not only be appreciated. You will become a part on the centres’ community. This is ultimately your goal. Parents are a vital part of whole education process. Using these three suggestions as your starting point will help you to begin engaging in your child’ educational growth.

July 21, 2015

Learning Through Play

Research shows that children who actively engage in imaginative play and other sorts of play such as creative activities, are usually happier and more co-operative than those who don’t. They are much more willing to share and take turns and particularly more creative in their activities. They demonstrate a larger vocabulary than children who engage less in these childish activities. Through play, children build a solid foundation for future learning and open themselves to a world of learning opportunities. Early childhood development practitioners all agree that play for young children is essential. It is vitally fundamental to a child’s social, emotional, physical and intellectual development. Through healthy play activities, young children are better prepared to enter school and generally grow into secure and self-confident teens and adults. Interestingly through happy play, children begin a love of learning and prepare for life itself and for every parent, this is so important. Through activities such as cutting and drawing, they develop the muscles in their hands and fingers preparing them for future skills such as writing. When sharing materials used for creative activities, children learn to be cooperative with one another which is vital for their future social interaction on a higher level and forms the basis for positive self-esteem. And this is where the Mysmartkid programme succeeds in bringing this all together. The team at Mysmartkid understand the importance of early childhood development and how challenging it can be for parents and caregivers to ensure that their children are reaching those essential developmental milestones. This is the very reason why they created this unique programme which provides members with the guidance, expert advice and tools necessary to helping your children progress and thrive. The Mysmarkid play and learn programme is tailored to your child’s age and six key developmental areas and helps your child to reach those important milestones. The Smartbox is filled with toys, activities and expert advice and is delivered to your child every two months. You will also receive two free useful welcome gifts when you join and have immediate access to exclusive resources and member discounts. Mysmartkid will be with you every step of the way and in addition to your bi-monthly Smartbox which features carefully selected and age-appropriate books, puzzles and toys, Mysmartkid provides you with a wide supplementary range of innovative and educational games, toys and products as well – easily purchased from the Mysmartkid online store. The benefit of belonging to the Mysmarkid programme is that members have access to early childhood development practitioners such as an educational psychologist and speech and language therapist to name only a few. Playing and learning is the foundation of the Mysmartkid programme. The team are of the firm belief that teaching children through play is how they can help you give your children the best possible advantage. Through the programme they can help parents to develop those necessary key skills, build relationships and expertly navigate through what is your child’s most vital developmental phase. Mysmartkid also offers members access to the Mysmartkid blog which allows you to clearly seek out articles pertaining to the six development areas : Wellbeing Identity Concepts Creativity Communication My World This well-presented and well-written blog allows you to search for articles broken down into age groups within the six development areas, making it so much easier for you to find exactly what you’re looking for. The most popular articles are highlighted within the blog and so parents can easily see what other parents are reading. This can be a great help to parents to know that other parents are experiencing the same difficulties as them. Mysmartkid has taken pains to ensure that they cater for the needs of young children and their early childhood development. However, through the Mysmarkid programme the team has recognised the necessity to educate parents in terms of their child’s development and so at no time do parents feel like they are out of their depth with no access to those in the know. They are provided with reading material and instructions within the Smartbox to give them all the relevant tools to work with their children in providing them with the means to play, learn and grow. The programme is sound, well researched and established and as such, you can depend on Mysmartkid to be there to support parents and their little ones on this important journey.

July 8, 2015

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement	1 year	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Cookie	Duration	Description
_ga	2 years	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gid	1 day	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the website is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages visted in an anonymous form.

Cookie	Duration	Description
_gat_gtag_UA_18530557_4	1 minute	No description
pron_ip	session	No description
pvc_visits[0]	1 day	This cookie is created by post-views-counter. This cookie is used to count the number of visits to a post. It also helps in preventing repeat views of a post by a visitor.
tk_ai	session	Gathers information for WordPress by themselves, first party analytics tool about how WP services are used. A collection of internal metrics for user activity, used to improve user experience.