Education - Parenting Hub

Leading Educational Advice from Wingu Academy

Advice from the experts

Eating Disorders – Food for thought

Eating disorders is one subject that is very important to address, especially since it usually has its onset during the teenage years but can even develop at a younger age and continue well into the adolescent years. Eating disorders can cause a lot of conflict, stress and even death in families and thus it’s important to understand the types, causes and treatment. Types There are various types of eating disorders. The most common ones according to the South African College of Applied Psychology include binge eating disorder, where the sufferer overeats; anorexia nervosa, where the sufferer eats too little; bulimia nervosa, where the sufferer attempts to rid themselves of food they’ve consumed; and even rumination disorders where the sufferer regurgitates food. “The most common factors that come into play are that the person is anxious about their physical appearance, and how it appears to others around them. This also includes that the image that they have of their own bodies, are distorted. Subsequently, they also have eating behaviours that are maladaptive. Research has further shown that eating disorders affect both genders, although they occur more frequently among females,” says Dr Serahni Symington, Child and Adolescent Play Therapist. Causes Dr Symington says that the causes of eating disorders must be understood from an integrative model, because there is not a single causal factor that leads to the development of it. Multiple factors could lead to the development of an eating disorder and is often also accompanied by other diseases like manic depression, anxiety, possessive compulsiveness disorder and substance abuse. According to reports by psychologytoday.com, researchers have long been probing the underlying causes and nature of eating disorders. Unlike a neurological disorder, which generally can be pinpointed to a specific lesion on the brain, an eating disorder likely involves abnormal activity distributed across multiple neural systems. Eating disorders appear to run in families, and there is ongoing research on genetic contributions to the conditions. Other factors—psychological, interpersonal, and social—can play a role in eating disorders. Among identified psychological factors are low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy and lack of control in life, depression, anxiety, anger, and loneliness. Interpersonal factors include troubled family and personal relationships, difficulty expressing emotions and feelings, a history of being teased or ridiculed based on size and weight, or a history of physical or sexual abuse. Social factors that can contribute include cultural pressures that glorify thinness and place value on obtaining the “perfect” body, narrow societal definitions of beauty that include only those people of specific body weights and shapes, or cultural norms that value people on the basis of physical appearance and not inner qualities and strengths. People with anorexia nervosa see themselves as overweight even though they may be dangerously thin. In bulimia nervosa, despite usually weighing within the normal range for their age and height, sufferers, like individuals with anorexia, may fear gaining weight, desire to lose weight, and feel intensely dissatisfied with their bodies. Many with binge-eating disorders are overweight for their age and height. Feelings of self-disgust and shame associated can lead to bingeing again, creating a cycle of binge-eating. Treatment Because of their complexity, eating disorders require a comprehensive treatment plan involving medical care and monitoring, professional interventions, nutritional counselling, psychotherapy, and, when appropriate, medication management. Treatment for eating disorders lies in recognizing and overcoming underlying triggers. Depending on the type of eating disorder and its associated underlying triggers; medications can be used to ease symptoms of co-occurring disorders such as depression and anxiety. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) are known to help reduce binging and purging and is specifically used in some cases of bulimia nervosa. The first-line treatment for all eating disorders is psychotherapy, which encompasses a broad range of therapy approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and dialectal behavioural therapy (DBT) which aim to recognize and reduce the harmful thoughts and emotions associated with the eating disorder and works to develop productive coping mechanisms and tools to help the individual engage in positive thoughts, emotions, and behaviours in order to overcome their past traumas and low self-esteem. Other skills and tools learned in therapy include mindfulness, relapse prevention skills, meditation, nutrition counselling, art therapy, and relationship building. The good news Eating disorders can be treated, and a healthy weight can be restored. The sooner an eating disorder is diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome is likely to be. Wingu Wellness Hub Parents who have any concerns about eating disorders and wellbeing of their children can contact the Wingu Wellness Hub to assist with guidance to get the help they need. Sources: https://www.psychologytoday.com/za/conditions/eating-disorders, https://www.psychologytoday.com/za/blog/happiness-is-state-mind/201703/eating-disorders-it-s-not-all-about-food

November 11, 2021

WHY EDUCATION SHOULD BE DESIGNED FOR THE INDIVIDUAL, NOT THE AVERAGE

Whenever we design one thing for many users, we rationalise that if we ‘design it for the average’, we’ll have a good fit for most users. An example of this was in 1926, when the US Air Force was coming up with a design for their first fleet of fighter planes. They constructed the cockpits based on the average measurements of over 100 of their prospective Top Gun pilots. After around 25 years of inexplicable crashes involving highly trained pilots, they decided to revise their cockpit design. They doubled down on their assumption about designing it for the average pilot, and this time they took many more measurements from over 4000 pilots, hoping to have ‘a better average’. But the plane crashes they put down to ‘human error’ only increased. As Koa Academy CEO and Principal, Mark Anderson tells the story: “Then along came Lieutenant Gilbert S Daniels, a Harvard graduate who had studied the law of averages. He had a firm belief that if you wanted to design something for an individual human being, the average was useless. He went on to prove this by studying the data of the 4000 pilots and showing that not one of them fell into the ten most basic average measurements, even with a generous 30% margin of error. In other words, not one of the individual pilots was average in every way, and so none of them fitted into the cockpit with optimal access to all the aircraft’s controls.” Daniels concluded that in designing a cockpit for the average, they had effectively designed ‘a cockpit for no one’. Anderson maintains that the same is true for our traditional education system. “Teaching to the middle is simply not a good way to educate individual human beings; it’s not a good way for any child to learn. We’ve known this for a long time, and school leaders, teachers and parents have been yearning for a shift from teaching to the middle to teaching the individual child.” Finding the ways to individualise learning has been a passion for Anderson since his early days of teaching. Technology has been a key to unlocking how one education system can individualise learning for many. “We’ve finally solved the dilemma of teaching to the middle, where some are frustrated and bored, and others are frustrated and confused,” he says. At Koa Academy, a high engagement online school, learners in close-knit Pods are working at their own pace on personalised pathways and engaging with content that is delivered optimally for them. Their progress is tracked and measured against targets that each individual child has set under the guidance of their teacher. When the US Air Force finally introduced adaptable features in their cockpits and each pilot could fit optimally, crashes due to ‘human error’ became very rare. In the same way, no child gets left behind, or gets left unattended out ahead, because their learning path is highly adaptable to their unique learning needs. Discover Koa Academy here

November 10, 2021

Why does reading matter?

Why do we tell children to read? Why do we always tell children that reading is beneficial for them? And is it even true in this digital age? Does reading novels actually help older children in any way? Does reading to younger children have identifiable benefits? And, finally, does reading really matter in any way? Yes – reading is vital, life-changing and stimulating for some very important reasons. Let’s take a look at how reading assists children in their everyday lives, and then look further to see how it can give them an overall fulfilling, rewarding life. Books help children develop vital language skills. In children, reading skills do exist, but they need to be developed. Learning in school, and later on at university requires advanced levels of reading. No reading SKILL equals no advancement in the university of life. Whatever path you want to follow in life, be it academia, sciences or even entrepreneurship and the arts, you need reading skills. And to cope with life as a normal functioning adult, reading skills are of utmost importance for everyday use. People studying futurology have hailed the death of the written word as imminent. However, the exact opposite has happened. With the advent of the internet and the overload of information that we are bombarded with every day, reading a vital skill that everyone wants to acquire as fast as possible. Skimming and searching through copious amounts of information as fast and as accurately as possible is a valued skill. Paperless does not mean without the written word. You can read the same report in many different ways, formats and presentations at the click of a button. A couple of written words today can cause an international uproar in minutes. In order to understand what you read, other skills are also necessary, such as critical thinking, evaluation, anticipation, and moderation. Without these skills, reading would not mean much at all. The more children read, the better they become at reading. Yes, it’s true. If children enjoy what is being read to them, the more interested they will become in doing as much as possible to fine tune and develop their reading skills. This means they will be fully capable adults with access to all information anywhere they choose. It is also important to enjoy the activity of reading. If it takes you out of your life and introduces you to other worlds, thoughts, places, and things, then you are the richer for it. When a child struggles to read, it will continuously be an emotional obstacle. So, it is important to forge a positive attitude towards reading as early as possible. Children who read frequently will develop enquiring minds and become more interested in becoming avid readers themselves. If you read out loud to children, they become familiar with grammatical styles and expression. Through this, they learn to speak better and develop a greater understanding of how to express themselves verbally. Through this they are also able to pick up on empathy as they read stories through the eyes of different characters. They learn to identify similarities and differences between themselves and various characters. The list goes on. Children who read a lot regardless of whether it is newspapers, the internet, books or magazines are exposed to a greater range of new and interesting vocabulary. They do not have to understand the actual word as most times they can work it out from the context of the sentence and next time they see it, they will have learned something without even realising it. Reading aloud also helps children with the pronunciation of words as they link the word on the page to the word that is being spoken – this is true even if they cannot yet sound out the word themselves. Reading is an amazing experience. It can open up a whole new world to children, enhancing their lives with places, things, and descriptions they have never heard of before. Reading also brings a completely new world to a child – whether it is factual, scientific or simply for self-interest. There are so many resources available from which children can read, that if they take to it and realize how useful it can be, then, literally, the world is their oyster – there is no end to what they can read and access. It would be a magical experience for them. Reading will open up a whole new understanding of humanity, and its history from all over the world. And nowhere is it more obvious that we live in a “global village” than when thinking of this in relation to children growing and developing their hungry minds. Aspects such as peaceful coexistence throughout the world and concern for humanity are all by-products of reading. Children will learn these things through the reading of non-fiction books, and other materials that are set in other periods of time, in other countries and cultures. Books bring a real live world into the life of a child. Through their imagination, they can go places and feel things without any consequences. They don’t have to answer to anyone. They can travel with their minds and meet all sorts of unsavory or popular characters who they can revisit, whenever they feel the need, by simply rereading the book. Discovering a sequel or other stories by the same author is even more exciting. Lessons in life skills such as problem-solving, cause and effect as well as conflict resolution and learning about accepting responsibility for your own actions are all explained and contained between the exciting pages of novels. Mystery stories or investigations into plots can all challenge young minds to solve theories – and then feeling terribly pleased when they do it correctly as it unfolds in the book. Furthermore, their confidence is given a great boost. Everybody knows that children copy what they see and hear from the world around them. There are plenty of children’s TV programs that leave much to be desired

November 9, 2021

UNLEASHING POTENTIAL THROUGH MULTI-DISCIPLINARY THERAPY AT GLENOAKS REMEDIAL AND SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOOL

A young poet, Mattie Stepanek, once said: “Unity is strength… when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” The multidisciplinary team (MDT) working at Glenoaks remedial and special needs school, epitomises collaboration through its remarkable interdisciplinary approaches that aim to enhance the potential and learning of every child in our school. It is only through collaboration and the sharing of knowledge, that one can optimise learning. An integral part of the MDT team at Glenoaks School is the passionate therapy team. The primary purpose of any therapy is to increase a child’s participation, independence and engagement in activities that are relevant to their life. Glenoaks’ therapists are onsite for the full school day which allows them the opportunity to provide therapeutic intervention based on the learner’s individual needs. Intervention occurs individually, in pairs, in groups or even within the classroom itself to ensure carryover of skills being learnt. Glenoaks’ therapists provide not only assessment and intervention services to the learners but also support and guidance to the teachers and parents. They are involved in every aspect of learning and take part in case discussions, placement decisions and termly parent feedbacks – which provides the opportunity for parents to gain information about their child’s areas of strengths and difficulties holistically. THE DIFFERENT THERAPEUTIC DISCIPLINES OFFERED AT GLENOAKS INCLUDE: Psychology Our Psychologists primarily focus on the emotional well-being of our learners. An eclectic therapy approach is utilised, which is flexible and multifaceted. Many children experience problems that affect how they feel, think or act and therapy helps them with this. The aim of therapy is thus to assist our learners to overcome behavioral, emotional and social problems that interfere with success at school and at home. Therapy helps them to cope better, communicate better and do better. Through talking, playing, drawing, practicing new skills and solving problems, learners display: Improved communication and personal skills Ability to manage stress more effectively Better expression and understanding of emotions Improved self-esteem and confidence Improved problem-solving abilities Our Psychologists also provide parental guidance, to assist parents in supporting their children to reach their full potential and offer parent counselling, by providing a space for parents to discuss and explore their own emotions with regards to accepting and understanding their child’s areas of weakness and celebrating their strengths. Occupational Therapy Our Occupational Therapists use an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach to assess and treat learners with challenges in the areas of gross motor, fine motor, visual perceptual development, as well as sensory processing. The aim of Occupational Therapy in the school environment is to enhance a learner’s ability to fully access the learning environment and actively engage in the learning process so that they may participate in all aspects of school life (academic and non-academic). Our therapists use a variety of games, sensory activities, functional activities and academic-related tasks to meet these outcomes. In addition to this, the learning environment is taken into consideration, with classroom and activity accommodations recommended and implemented when necessary. Speech, Language Therapy and Audiology Our Speech Pathologists and Audiologists primarily focus on the assessment and treatment of social and cognitive communication difficulties. One of the most crucial aspects of learning is the development of communication skills. In order to communicate however, children require language. Reading, writing, listening, and speaking are all forms of language and proficiency in the understanding and use of language will enable a child to be able to cope better at school. Speech and Language Therapy is therefore provided to students who present with delays or deficits in communication that are impacting on their social and academic performance. Our therapists focus on developing the learner’s speech, voice, fluency, auditory processing and receptive (understanding what is said) and expressive (expressing one’s thoughts logically and coherently) language skills in order to support their interpersonal communication and curricular goals. Through collaboration with the MDT, our Speech Pathologists aim to improve and facilitate success in oral and written communication, executive functioning, literacy, critical thinking and reasoning. Remedial Therapy Our Remedial therapists focus on assisting learners overcome or cope with their academic difficulties. Remedial therapy, also referred to as learning support, acknowledges the potential of learners to grow at their own pace towards their maximum level of independence in their academic learning. Our therapists focus on developing and improving reading, reading comprehension, spelling, writing, and mathematical skills. Individualised strategies and practising learning styles of choice are used to support learners in reaching a level of achievement according to their unique abilities. The remedial therapy department works in collaboration with people from the multidisciplinary therapy team, family and community to which the learner belongs, to accommodate and meet specific support needs. Robert John Meehan said: “Every child has a different learning style and pace. Each child is unique, not only capable of learning but also capable of succeeding.” Successful children become successful adults who have a good self-esteem and self-worth. They enjoy learning new things and are not afraid to explore new avenues. Glenoaks’ MDT team nurtures our learners to achieve their potential and achieve success – whether it be academic or within the more practical realm. Authors: Meera Rijhumal – Speech Language Therapist & Audiologist – Glenoaks School Karen Jacobs – Speech Language Therapist and Audiologist – Glenoaks School

November 5, 2021

The time is ripe for home education

The past 2 years have brought about a growing interest in home education. The disruption caused by the pandemic along with health concerns and the periodic closure of schools have caused many parents to re-think the education of their children. Crisis-schooling with its flood of worksheets, WhatsApp messages with homework assignments, Zoom lessons, unmotivated learners and parents having to juggle their work responsibilities and school-at-home was exhausting and frustrating. Many parents longed for schools to re-open, but others started looking at educational alternatives. Home education offers up-to-date methods of education that support learning from home, is cost-effective, child-centred, and flexible. Due to the increased demand for alternatives to the standard school-going norm, the home education expo organizers SAHomeschoolers and KragDag created an online home education expo platform www.homeschoolexpo.africa in 2020 as an alternative to the physical expos. It showcases multiple educational options, with workshops and talks. Fortunately, it is possible to again host an in-person expo this year on 6 November in Durbanville, Cape Town. The expo will be held in conjunction with Cape Home Educators (CHE), a volunteer association that promotes home education and supports home educators in the Western Cape. The upcoming Cape Home Education Expo will give parents the opportunity to explore educational solutions and network with other families who are doing the same. Visitors can listen to well-known speakers such as Adv Andre Williams from the Pestalozzi Trust, veteran homeschool moms Linnie Luus and Wendy Young from Footprints on our land, and online providers of the CAPS and Cambridge curriculums like Brainline, Evolve and Wingu academy. Topics ranging from teaching toddlers to matric alternatives will be discussed. More and more families are exploring alternatives and they find support structures that best fit their children’s education irrespective of whether families choose online schooling, a mix-and-match approach, a textbook approach, or natural learning. Home education is about providing one’s child with an education that is flexible and easily adapts to new methods, tools, and approaches as necessary, rather than getting stuck in a one-size-that-doesn’t-fit-all approach. For more info on the upcoming Cape Town Home Education Expo and to book a ticket visit the homeschoolexpo.co.za website. We look forward to seeing you there and helping you find answers to your questions.

November 4, 2021

HOW YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CHILD KEEPS THEM SAFER ONLINE 

When our children were little, we bought them their first bicycle. We bought a helmet too. We didn’t just spend hours training them on how to ride their bike, we told them about the rules of the road, the risks of the road and how to ride safely. We made our own family rules about when and where they could ride, supervised and unsupervised. We balanced giving them opportunities to enjoy their freedom on their bike and mitigating the risks. It was easy, because most of us went through exactly the same thing with our parents when they gave us our first bike. When it comes to our children’s use of social media, online gaming and the Internet, we’re understandably less assured because for most of today’s parents, we have no experience of being a child or a teen immersed in the digital world. Our experience of the internet, social media and online gaming is rooted in our adulthood; so, we are guessing and assuming when it comes to our children’s reality. For some parents, this makes us back-off from what we can’t know; for others, it makes us double-down with severe limits and a pervasive atmosphere of distrust and overbearing monitoring. Both of these tactics make our children more vulnerable to the risks of their inevitable online activity. At a recent Koa Academy webinar, Mark Anderson, CEO and Principal of the high-engagement online school brought together ICT law specialist, attorney Arinda Truter and parent, Rachelle Best who is the founder of FYI Play It Safe, a non-intrusive, consensual family monitoring app. The conversation centres on how critical the parent-child relationship is to ensure that our children’s online interactions are safe and happy. Just like we were the first to teach our small children to look left, right and left again before crossing the road, we need to be the informed and authoritative voice when it comes to rules that govern our children’s forging of a lifelong digital footprint. As parents, we cannot ignore or avoid that the digital world is as visceral as the physical world. Like road use, there are laws and consequences if those laws are broken. Like road use, it is an essential aspect of life with risks and advantages. If we are to guide and protect our kids effectively, we need to know and understand the digital world as well as we know the road. Luckily for us, there are advanced tools and free access to trustworthy content that does enable parents to leapfrog the disadvantages of not having experienced a childhood in the Digital Age. We can get up to speed and be empowered. We can use tech innovations that support our daily mission to safely raise our children. We can learn the global rules and country laws that govern digital spaces. We can be agile enough to help our children become not just productive citizens in their geographical space but also positive citizens in a digital world. At the root of all this, is the quality of our relationship with our children. Anderson says, “Open engagement and ongoing conversations in the family are the bedrock of keeping children and teens safe online. Know the risks, know the rules and talk about what’s happening online every day, because it is constantly changing. Our children are growing up in a world where most people’s work will happen online in the near future. We need to be raising children who are adept and competent at being positive digital citizens, and from education to family security, there is so much available to support parents.” Watch the Online Safety Webinar with Koa Academy, FYI play it safe and DML inc here

November 4, 2021

Wingu Academy’s Wellness Hub takes the lead in providing a safe online learning environment

Student well-being is a core focus area for Wingu Academy, especially due to the increase in mental health awareness in the online environment. In fact, Wingu Academy takes this so seriously that they have a dedicated wellness hub, called Wingu Wellness. The vision is to collaborate with students, guardians, and parents, as well as the valued staff of the Academy, to build a safe online learning environment. “Wingu Wellness provides up to date information on mental health issues, learning barriers, coping mechanisms and stress management, to mention a few. Working alongside top names in the field, like Dr Serahni Symington, counsellor and play therapist specialist, we will be providing counselling and mediation sessions and webinars free of charge, to anyone in the Wingu Family.” says Ian Strydom, Wingu Academy’s Managing Director. Services offered by Wingu Wellness Hub Current services include: Organising concessions for learners with learning barriers; Wellness consultations with a wellness coach or qualified counsellor; Monthly webinars; Sensitivity training; Resolution of behaviour misconduct; Assisting students and parents with day-to-day educational needs, i.e. study assistance, identifying learning styles, etc. Diagnostic Testing facilitated by Educationist, Dr Belinda van der Westhuizen Family mediation offered through Dr Serahni Symington How does Wingu Wellness assist students? The Wingu Wellness Hub will be assisting students by offering free consultation sessions with either the Wellness Coach or a trained psychologist. This will act as a safe space for learners to talk about what is weighing on them. We also provide learners applicable content to assist them in matter that they do not feel comfortable coming forward about. We also provide external coaching in the form of play therapy for the younger learners, by referring them to Dr. Symington. Wingu Wellness will also act as a means to further promote the many social clubs within the Academy to assist learners in still benefitting from the social aspects that are sometimes lacking in the cyber world. How does Wingu Wellness assist parents/guardians? Assistance includes the same support as to students, but on top of that also offering family mediation through Dr Symington. “We offer comprehensive and professionally verified content to assist in matters dealing with how to cope with situations such as moving a learner from a mainstream school into an online learning environment or to things like dealing with family trauma.” says Panashe Tiffany Saungweme, Associate Director of Human Capital. How does Wingu Wellness assist staff members? Not only do the teachers and staff have access to the Wingu Wellness Hub through the Academy’s platform, which gives them the opportunity take full advantage of the consultations, posted contented and the many services offered by Dr Symington, they also have access and can benefit from the internal wellness check-ins aimed at reminding the Wingu staff to ensure they keep in mind the importance of their own well-being. The staff benefit from life coaching through the Hub in order to thrive in their personal and professional lives. Aiming to assist the Wingu Family with their overall well-being. “Wingu Wellness is not just an initiative to create awareness of mental barriers we may all have, but rather a platform providing a safe space to find solutions and encourage positive well-being behaviour for everyone part of the Wingu Family.” Strydom concludes.

November 3, 2021

Bringing School 2.0 to Life at Koa Academy

Koa Academy embraces a high-contact philosophy where children belong to an 8-person Pod guided by a dedicated teacher. While timetables are individual and terms are flexible for each family, the Pod gathers together each school day providing opportunities to develop collaboration, critical thinking, emotional intelligence and communication skills. The Academy is a provider of the South African IEB curriculum and lesson content is sourced from top educational resources worldwide. Age-appropriate feedback and assessment is embedded in the learning experience so that children can adapt in dynamic ways on the pathway to mastery. “There are options opening up for parents that have just never existed when it comes to educating their children,” says Koa Academy Principal, Mark Anderson. “It’s becoming easier to truly align your family values with a school community because you are no longer limited to the institution available in your physical neighbourhood. At Koa Academy we prioritise engagement in small group settings so that real relationships are built and maintained more easily than in larger classes where it is often challenging to connect meaningfully with peers and your teacher. Parents are directly connected to their child’s teacher, in tune with their child’s school activities and more empowered when it comes to their child’s learning, social and emotional development and their progression through school grades.” The pandemic disruption has made us all question priorities, values and how we can better shape our lives to be in alignment with what really matters to us. “There’s a new openness to doing life differently, to do life better,” says Mark. “For families, educating our children well for a productive and fulfilling future is a critical concern. On the one hand, the new choices emerging in education are inevitable as we all know that transformation in education is long overdue. However, the pandemic has accelerated this and that is a positive consequence. From education providers and teachers to parents and children, there’s a welcoming when it comes to having more choices, and better choices.” To find out more about Koa Academy, click here.

October 28, 2021

RAISING DIGITALLY SAFE ONLINE SCHOOLERS.

Koa Academy to host free parent webinar The global pandemic has emphasized how important our digital world is to modern life as we pivoted out of necessity to remote working, at-home schooling and online shopping. Many millions of us got our first experiences of certain digital platforms and applications that have now become part of day-to-day life. Trends such as online education have been greatly accelerated as many families experienced the benefits of remote learning and noted how successfully their children and teens adapted to learning through well-conceived digital platforms. This has opened up the opportunities to think about schooling and tertiary studies differently and to take advantage of the greater flexibility and vast choice of high-quality educational programmes that can be accessed online. As a result, many thousands of South African families have not returned to brick and mortar schools and colleges. New and better online schools have emerged, and many tertiary institutions have invested in enhancing and expanding their online campuses. If there’s one question that concerns parents more than any other about online education, it’s about the online safety of their children. While we are adept at identifying threats in the physical world and helping our children reduce those risks, online dangers can be more opaque to parents, and they may worry that more time online might lead to increased vulnerability. However, CEO and Principal of Koa Academy, Mark Anderson points out that a high-engagement online education platform is specifically designed with safe online spaces which enhance your child’s digital citizenship equipping them to navigate the internet confidently, responsibly and wisely. This development of digital citizenship is increasingly regarded as a key 21st Century skill for the 4iR world. Parents who want to deepen their understanding of how to keep their kids safe online can join the free one-hour Koa Academy webinar on Tuesday, 2 November from 18h00. The panel is hosted by Mark Anderson and also features Rachelle Best, founder of FYI play it safe, a non-intrusive, consensual monitoring app that helps parents by adding a layer of security to their child’s online interactions. They are joined by ICT law specialist, attorney Arinda Truter, an associate at law firm, Dingley Marshall Lewin Inc. In addition to the presentations there will be a Q&A session enabling parents to present their burning questions to the experts. Across the board, the presenters agree that parent-child communication based on trust is at heart of keeping children safe online. Just as the issue of safety and awareness of threats in the physical world is an ongoing conversation in families, this needs to happen too in regard to our children’s online interactions. Best says, “Parents need so see online safety as a holistic concept. Setting up screentime and the relevant age and content restrictions on applications are not enough. Parents need to understand threats and risks in a world where new apps are made available every day, and tech is ever-changing. So, there’s a need for parents to be aware and knowledgeable so that they make good decisions when it comes to keeping their children safe online. At FYI play it safe, we also believe that keeping your children safer online starts with the relationship with your child. We empower parents with the right level of information to know when their children may need their help. This creates an opportunity to open up conversations with the right information and at exactly the right time.” Attorney, Arinda Truter emphasises that children attending online schools do not face different risks than any other child making use of the internet and engaging with others over social media. She says, “It’s important for all parents to be aware of the risks presented by online gaming, apps and social media. It is just part of the modern parenting experience to have knowledge of issues such as cyberbullying, hate speech and sexting, to be aware of privacy concerns and digital footprint, and to understand the law when it comes to the chain of online publishing.” Anderson also points out that positive experiences offered by online schooling give your child the opportunity to build their skills as a literate, responsible digital citizen. He says, “Koa has thoughtfully designed the online school experience to not only maximise safety but leverage the advantages of being online. The high engagement of our small Pods with a maximum of eight learners and their teacher gives the kids the perfect environment for healthy relationship-building and online social connection. There is high accountability where people can be themselves and quickly get to know others well. The teacher is also very much in touch with each individual in the Pod. Parents are encouraged to get to know their child’s teacher and school leadership. We like to keep the channels of communication wide open so that everyone is in the loop. Live Dashboards show academic progress which keeps the kids accountable to their daily work rhythms and targets, ensuring that they are keeping busy during their school time. Our SACE- registered teachers undergo regular training and have significant experience in the online space, which is an asset both to the kids and their parents. Koa has a strong focus on teaching digital literacy which is fed into all of our academic courses, Pod Connect sessions and even online socials. We intentionally teach online socio-emotional skills as well as practical tools for handling potentially unwanted online experiences or content.” Parents who want to learn more about online safety for families, and how to support their children as they gain vital digital literacy and citizenship skills can join the free Koa Academy webinar: Date: Tuesday 2 November Time: 18:00-19:00 Platform: Zoom Host: Koa Academy Panelists from Koa Academy, FYI Play It Safe, Dingley Marshall Lewin Inc To book your spot for this webinar, register here.

October 26, 2021

Wingu Academy – challenging expectations about schooling from home through excellence and innovation.

Due to the global pandemic and the subsequent disruptions in the traditional schooling environment, home-schooling, and specifically online schooling, has seen a significant rise. With the concern for their children’s health, coupled with the flexibility and convenience that online home-schooling offers, it has become a viable option for many parents. Wingu Academy arguably has the most advanced distance and blended learning platform in the online space in Africa. Our platform gives educational support to home-schoolers all over Africa between the ages of 5 – 19 years. Live classes and tutorials are presented along with interactive online content. The platform aims to enrich learners with 4th industrial revolution (4IR) skills such as critical thinking, creativity, complex problem solving and online collaboration. Housed at TuksNovation (University of Pretoria’s High Tech Business Accelerator), it has been developed by teachers, UP alumni, and postgraduate students who are experts in their respective fields with additional collaboration with researchers from the Wits School of Education. The ever-evolving Wingu platform provides the internationally recognised British curricula and as of January 2022 Wingu Academy will extend their high-school offering to include the South African CAPS curriculum. Enrolments are now open for the January 2022 intake! Wingu Academy focuses on a blended learning approach that includes asynchronous (self-paced, student-led) and synchronous (interactive live classes) learning, enriched with animations, video content, infographics, gamification and simulations to cater for the major types of learning styles (visual, auditory, reading/writing, kinaesthetic learning styles) and implementing constructive feedback in continuous assessments providing a wide variety of choices to support individual learning at home. The learners are exposed to computation thinking from as early as grade 1, and the coding and robotics courses culminate into industry relevant software development certificates for the high school learners, increasing their employability and readiness for the Future of Work. Wingu is also very proud to announce the launch of WinguNet. “The launch of WinguNet has been much anticipated and serves to address the need of stable, high-speed internet in areas where there is poor or no coverage,” says Ian Strydom, Wingu Academy Managing Director. The introduction of WinguNet to the range of services delivered by Wingu Academy further indicates how in tune we are with the needs of parents and students. “This will be introduced to the existing parents and students first on the platform who struggle with connectivity, thereafter being rolled out with the mission of connecting and educating students in difficult-to-reach, isolated areas. This satellite initiative is the first of its kind – just another way that Wingu stays true to their principles of advancing education and enabling excellence,” Strydom concludes. The platform is well suited for full-time learners, global citizens that travel frequently, star athletes that need to focus on training but still want an internationally recognised education, and students that would like to obtain entrance to university degrees either locally or abroad. ‘’We decided to homeschool four years ago when we were wanting to relocate. Although we did not relocate we continued with homeschooling because of the freedom it gave us. The cost and distance of “good” private schools were extremely high and exhausting. With homeschooling we didn’t have to leave home early and spend hours in traffic, the money we saved on school fees, travel expenses and uniforms were spent on extracurricular activities and family outings”, says Melissa Dhunraj, a Wingu parent. Many parents may be worried that their children will miss out on social interaction, but they still get to meet friends and even form study groups as they are not bound by geographical borders. In fact, Wingu also offers a variety of Clubs varying from fitness, chess to photography and parents have the opportunity to become involved too. “We have been home schooling for a few years and decided to go a more formal route with our children this year. We have been pleasantly surprised with the support and structure that Wingu Academy has offered us, whilst still allowing us the flexibility of being able to travel, to continue our homeschooling friendships and still allow our kids the time to follow their passions. Our children enjoy the social events offered by the school, the staff who make every effort to ensure lessons are fun and interactive, and the new friends that they are making,” says Marlene van der Colf, another happy Wingu Parent. But what do our students say? “My favourite part about Wingu is that we can do school anywhere and we don’t have to wear a mask. I like the homework and announcements so I can be ready before class,” says Ariana age 8, Stage 3. “I enjoy the fact that we can learn online with less pressure and no unnecessary subjects and inapplicable projects. It gives me more flexi time during the day,” says Conrad, age 13, Stage 8. Student well-being, particularly mental health, is at the heart of Wingu’s core foundation. Our Wellness Hub is expanding to offer professional guidance to both students and parents in areas of concern, as well as leadership initiatives for the learners. Another addition to the Wingu offering is the establishment of Learning Centres. We have identified that there are certain towns, rural or lower-income areas where there is a need for learning centres. The aim is thus to assist these learning centres with developing and growing their business into small independent schools or becoming registered Cambridge Assessments International Education schools. We do so with a special Incubation Programme which offers business development, management and operational support. Wingu Academy’s innovative strategy is at the forefront of equipping students for the 4IR with a forward-thinking strategy of anywhere, anytime, staying connected and offering the future classroom today! Enrolments to start schooling in January 2022 are officially open. There is limited space, so reach out soon. Go to https://wingu-academy.com/book-now/ to book a FREE consultation now!

October 25, 2021

How to encourage a love of learning

We try to teach our toddlers many things now in the hopes that it will stick with them when they are older. Not all of those lessons will carry through but teaching them to love learning is one that can. This is because the positive or negative thoughts surrounding learning are often derived from an emotional connection to the concept. If your child grows up hearing negative language in reference to reading, writing and learning new things – that emotion will stick with them as they get to school age. However, if they grow up associating learning to be beneficial, exciting and an accomplishment, they will approach their academic lives with enthusiasm. Make it exciting As a toddler, learning should not be seen as a chore. For you or your child. If they see that the learning activity is one you are forced to do and don’t enjoy, they will mimic that. So when you are reading them a bedtime story, building a puzzle or lego, helping them draw a picture – do it with the same enthusiasm you would like them to tackle school work in a few years’ time. Answer all the questions Your toddler will probably hit a stage where they follow you around talking non-stop. It is easy to drown this out (no judgement here) and give a noncommittal nod of the head every now and then. This is the part of your child’s development process that gets them thinking in a critical and exploratory manner. Don’t just encourage it, but engage with it too. Try and really listen to what they are babbling about, give them answers they can understand and ask them questions that will make them think about it even further. It is moments like these where a child’s brain will start getting used to thinking outside of the box. Use games and toys Helping your toddler associate learning new concepts while doing something fun will change their way of thinking as they get older. If you want to help them learn new things or develop new skills, try to do it in a way that makes them feel like it is a game rather than just a learning moment. Whether they become an A grade student or not, the love of learning has more to do with their attitude and effort than the results on their report cards. Remember that learning doesn’t just happen at school but also in everyday moments. We need to try to make sure our children are open to receive those teachable life lessons.

October 19, 2021

Self-care tips for teens and young adults

Stress, anxiousness, depression and loneliness are now even more prevalent under teens and young adults than ever before. No one really knows the root cause, but it seems to be a perfect storm of several factors. Some experts believe teens now are being raised with unrealistic expectations. Modern media — and social media — also tells teens they should always feel good and show the “perfect” aspects of their lives. As a result, parents neglect teaching their teens the kind of coping skills they need to survive during chaotic and pressure-filled times. Adding to these complexities is that the adolescent brain is still developing, which means a large centre of functionality within the brain has not fully matured. The parts of the brain responsible for emotion and reward develop first. Anna Sidis, a clinical child psychologist, talks about why self-care is critical for adolescents. “The parts of the brain responsible for understanding the consequences of your behaviour – like the frontal lobes – develop much later, possibly not until 20 or 25,” she explains. “So what that means for adolescents is they’re struggling with really big emotions they haven’t had before. They might be sensitive to emotional stimuli and to nonverbal communication, and have difficulty making decisions because their frontal lobes aren’t yet developed.” This results in teenagers making decisions that don’t make sense, or being overly impulsive and not thinking of long-term consequences of their actions. Suffice it to say, this is why making self-care activities a habit or cultivating an actual self-care practice for teenagers is so important to their overall health and well-being. Tools for Self-Care 1. Carve out time. This is the basic pre-requisite for just about all the ways to take of yourself. You need time, and it has to be part of a daily routine. It’s not always easy to set time aside with everything going on in life, but learning to carve it into your schedule is necessary. 2. Meditation. We’ve come a long way from meditation being considered hocus pocus. Mindful meditation has proven to change the structure and function of the brain, and it’s a fabulous way to promote relaxation while reducing anxiety, depression, and stress. It can be learned in-person with an expert, or online (there are plenty of YouTube instructional videos or smartphone apps). This is something you can do anytime in any place, whenever you need it! 3. Yoga. Yoga and other types of Eastern methods of activity involve stretching, improving flexibility, connecting mind and body – all of which are helpful for stress reduction and wellness, and have been used extensively for thousands of years. The best way to learn Yoga is through a studio, but you can also do so from videos online. 4. Exercise. Working out comes in many forms. There’s training for strength, endurance, and aerobic activity (getting your heart beat up). But simply walking 3 km a day is great exercise – plus it gets you outside! Exercise not only gets you physically fit, but it’s a natural way to help decrease depression and anxiety. 5. Get some sleep. Easier said than done, but sleep deprivation is detrimental to a person’s thinking, and their physical and emotional state. Most young people need eight to nine hours of restful sleep to function at their best. It’s not easy fitting this into a schedule filled with academic, social and recreational activities, but it sure has a big payoff. Try to have as regular a sleep schedule as possible, and you’ll generally find that your “biological clock” will remember when to fall asleep and wake up. 6. Creative expression. Choose a creative outlet to convey your thoughts and feelings. This could be journaling, writing poetry, painting or drawing, doing photography, dancing, or playing music. The key here is channelling your emotional state through an art form. And, don’t strive for perfection! Simply immersing yourself in creative arts can ward off adverse thoughts and feelings. 7. Play with a pet. If you are lucky and can have a pet, there may be few better ways to foster self-care. If you have one, you know what I mean. Cuddling with a pet, taking care of them, and feeling their unconditional love is something we rarely experience on such a consistent basis. 8. Meet and communicate with friends. Research has found that meeting with peers and talking about what’s going on with you — including past events you’re still processing — prevents burnout and promotes well-being. Group connections are so important for fostering resilience and releasing chemicals in the brain that support well-being. And the activities don’t have to be just talking. Things like doing art projects together or gaming all work. And despite the pressure to have huge numbers of “friends” or “followers,” it only takes a few special friends to make a big difference in your life. 9. Appreciate nature. Research has repeatedly shown a link between being outdoors and lower levels of stress, depression and anxiety. Time in nature also helps counteract the mood disturbance caused by too much screen time. 10. Turn off smart phones (at least for part of the day). It’s hard. But really, you don’t need it on constantly, as if it’s stitched to your side. You can take a break, even for just part of the day. There may be some withdrawal or anxiety about not being right there for what you think is critical, but just stop and think. How many texts, Instagram stories or other digital communications do you need to see immediately? Very few! Once you try it, you may actually find it refreshing to have a break from the constant notifications. 11. Do something for someone else. Our brains are wired for giving. In fact, the chemicals released by the brain during the process of giving is far more rewarding than when we receive gifts. 12. Have a DIY Spa Day at Home. Teens with a busy schedule can stop and indulge in self-love by having a DIY spa day at home. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to enjoy a spa day, either. All you need are

October 18, 2021

How to get your child big school ready

For parents and children, the step up into Grade 1 is a time of excitement and great anxiety. How do you know if your child is ready for this step? Firstly, parents should be guided by qualified teachers to assess a child’s readiness to begin and take the step up into the start of their formal schooling. What exactly is school readiness? School readiness is a measure of how prepared a child is to succeed at school and involves two types of readiness: a readiness to learn (which is continuous) and a readiness for school (which is associated with a fixed age). School readiness depends on both emotional maturity and scholastic ability. It is split into different areas and, although these areas are separate, they do interact with and reinforce each other. Children need to be developed across these key five areas. 1. Physical and motor development Gross motor, example running, skipping, standing on one leg. Fine motor, example comfortable using a pair of scissors, successfully doing zips and buttons, is able to use cutlery. Perceptual development, both visual and auditory. Taking care of themselves, example manages to go to the toilet by themselves. 2. Emotional and social development A child who is emotionally well-adjusted has a significantly greater chance of early school success. Gets along with peers, can interact within a group or shows an interest in other children, willing to help a friend. Can express feelings and needs. Can share. Can sit still, example long enough to listen to a story. Can concentrate on a task for a reasonable amount of time. Able to deal with frustration in an acceptable way. 3. Cognitive development Can make independent decisions and follow through. Have ideas of their own. Can follow simple directions or instructions. Shows an interest in learning. 4. Language development (includes literacy, listening, speaking and vocabulary) Should be able to communicate effectively in home language. Be able to sequence (retell a story or a set of events). Identify similarities and differences between objects. 5. Emotional maturity Independence. Reasonable control over emotions. Basic problem-solving skills. Confidence. Shows responsibility. Handles separation well Jenny Trollip, Head of Department at St Martin’s Junior Preparatory Phase in the south of Johannesburg, encourages parents to begin getting their child into the routine in preparation for Grade 1. St Martin’s is well-known for their smaller classes, passionate teachers, individual attention, and holistic education, and Trollip offers the following advice for establishing a routine. Establish a morning routine Your child should follow the same sequence of activities each morning so that it becomes an automatic chain of tasks. This leads to a sense of independence on the part of your child. A suggested morning routine could include the following: wake up, breakfast, ablutions, get dressed, collect school bag and lunch, walk to the car. Set up an evening routine The aim of this routine is to calm your child. They can relax knowing that they are prepared for the next day at school. Ideas for this routine could include taking out the school uniform, bath time, quiet play with no screen time, story time and finally bedtime. A Grade 1 child should be in bed between 19:30 and 20:00. Allocate a homework space Your child will require a place to do their homework where distractions are limited. Have specific stationery available so that they can complete the given tasks properly. Create a homework routine, with a specific time, sequence of activities to be followed and end off with packing the school suitcase. Homework in Grade 1 needs to be supervised by an adult who can create a positive environment. Prepare a healthy snack box Discuss nutritious options and treats with your child. Prepare a menu together. Take into consideration that these snacks will have to sustain your child for at least six hours at school. Communication is key When you child starts Grade 1, make sure that as parents you are on the school App and class Dojo, or whatever communication mechanism is used at the school so that you know what is happening and do not miss out on special days. In addition to establishing a routine, parents can take time to prepare their children for this new phase in their lives by Reading to their child. Teaching their child songs, nursery rhymes and poems. Take your children on excursions to, for example, museums. Make regular opportunities for play-dates. Play games so that your child starts recognising colours, numbers, and letters. Cherish moments spent with your child and enjoy their school journey with them. Grade 1 is exciting, and memories made in this year should be filled with laughter and enjoyment.

October 15, 2021

Meet Koa Academy Principal, Mark Anderson

For Mark Anderson, Co-founder and Principal of Koa Academy, the journey as an innovator in the education sector has been deeply rooted in actual teaching experience and brought to life through a visionary drive for better. A long-time educator who has worked in both South Africa and Zimbabwe, Mark spent years reflecting on a new schooling system for today’s world. His vision, which he tagged as School 2.0, has become the framework for the co-creation of Koa Academy, a unique, highly engaging online school with a focus on the future. Some aspects are common to learning, no matter where you live, or when you live. Others are contextual and need to be adaptive. But transformation in the traditionally slow-moving education sector can be painstakingly slow. In the 21st Century, with its breath-taking pace of innovation, that lack of progress in education can be deeply frustrating to educators, parents and children. Mark says, “I started years ago with a School 2.0 folder on my computer filled with policy-like documents outlining how a better and more relevant school would operate – better staffing structures, flexible timetables, meaningful assessments, and so on. I let my imagination run beyond the politics, economics and standardisation dogma to create a ‘gold standard’ which I actively used as an educator and school leader to steer my decisions at every possible chance. I got seriously excited about what kind of transformations became possible as the online space was changing what and how we learn.” In 2020, the global pandemic presented a disruption to education that truly was unprecedented for this traditionally conservative sector. COVID-19 accelerated the adoption of digital platforms and tools across many aspects of our lives, and education felt that impact with force. While some parents, teachers and students discovered that simply ‘dumping’ school online was inadequate, the pandemic education experience has opened eyes and minds to the limitless potential of online learning platforms. Over the past year, there are families who have shifted decisively to home-school, cottage school, digital-tutor hybrids and online schools rather than return to brick and mortar institutions. “Done well, online school gives you global access to the best educational resources and methods available,” says Mark. “Free from your geography, free from the imposition of others’ time restrictions; your child can learn in their own way, at their own pace and at your family’s convenience. They can learn in tune with real life, becoming prepared for the actual world of future work.” As an educator, Mark is also excited about what this means for teachers. “Teachers are no longer merely content experts drumming out facts for rote learners,” he says. “Instead, they can be learning experts, adept at identifying the diverse needs of children and guiding them as they develop 21st Century skills on their unique learning journeys. This means they can coach each child as they develop mastery, rather than teach into a middle ground where some get left behind and others feel unchallenged.” To find out more about Koa Academy, click here.

October 15, 2021

SA learners celebrate World Space Week with Rocket Launch

So far, 2021 has notched up three successful civilian space journeys, ushering in a new era of space travel and igniting the imaginations of the younger generations across the globe. With new possibilities and opportunities in space transforming our perspectives of our galactic horizons, there’s an exciting energy to World Space Week this year, which is being celebrated internationally from 4 to 10 October. Hundreds of South African learners who participate in the I-Innovate programme implemented by Sakhikamva Foundation have been engaged in a range of World Space Week learning activities, including linking learners to experiments aboard the International Space Station through the renowned ExoLab programme. I-Innovate CEO, Trisha Crookes says, “This is the world’s largest space event with activities taking place in more than 95 countries. We wanted to give South African children the opportunity to join in this celebration of science and technology to learn more about how exploring space can inspire and improve the lives of our youth.” Highlights of the local event included a virtual talk and engagement with a veteran NASA astronaut and the hands-on launch of rockets at the Cape Academy of Mathematics, Science and Technology. I-Innovate partnered with leading global IT service provider, Tata Consulting Services (TCS) which has sponsored the SA World Space Week activities. “This has been a wonderful opportunity for our learners to explore science, technology and space, and be part of a worldwide pioneering movement,” says Nikhil Dabhole, HR Head of TCS South Africa. “Exciting space-related activities engage learners in STEAM learning, igniting their interest as they see the real-world value of science, Mathematics and technology. It’s the opportunity for young people across the range of South African communities to become inspired when it comes to the subjects that are driving transformations in our world.” Pilot and founder of Sakhikamva Foundation, Fatima Jakoet says, “Today was the launch of the Sakhikamva Space Agency for the Youth (SSAY) and it was wonderful to work with learners from our space programme which started in July this year at the school the Cape Academy of Mathematics, Science and Technology. The focus was on teaching them to build the rockets and giving them the opportunity to propel their own water rockets, which travelled between 20 to 25 metres high. A wonderful, hands-on way to both celebrate World Space Week and ignite a love of space and a curiosity about space travel. We are looking forward to launching a variety of rocket types with our rocket club.” The virtual talk with NASA Astronaut, Gregory H. Johnson was held at Goodwood College. Johnson piloted two famous space flights, the first of which delivered a logistics module and equipment to the International Space Station. Crookes says, “We’re excited that the learners were learning through sharing experiences. They not only got to hear the amazing, adventurous stories that Gregory Johnson had to share and listen to what truly resonated with them, but also had the opportunity to have their own voices highlighted by exhibiting their own inventions, innovations and ideas related to satellite theory, astrobotany and rocket theory face-to-face with an astronaut. To have conversations with a real astronaut and to be part of the team conducting their own rocket launches, has made the possibility of a career in science, technology and even space, much more tangible to them. We want young South Africans to be a part of the next generation to explore space.”

October 14, 2021

Reading to children today paves the path for their development in the future

Raising your child to love reading is one of the most wonderful gifts you can give them and as Emma Cox said, “Reading is the most powerful gift we can give a child: it puts stardust in their imaginations”. While improving a child’s imagination is one of the benefits of reading to children from as early as the day they are born, there are also other significant benefits to children listening to stories that will help them throughout their school careers and beyond. While more than half of parents do not read to their children before the age of 3 according to research from Nielsen which found that 45% of 0–2-year-olds are read to daily or nearly every day increasing to 58% of 3- to 4-year olds. By the time children reach 5- to 7- years this figure drops to 44%, this is the most important time to be reading to children. According to research on children’s brain development, by 2-years-old a child’s brain is as active as an adult’s and by age 3 it is more than twice as active as an adult’s brain[1]. Further, as cognitive processes develop rapidly in the first few years of life and by age 3 approximately 85% of the brain is developed[2]. As such it is never too early to start reading to children and promote early development. Speech development and vocabulary Exposing young children to stories is the first step to helping develop their speech. By listening to adults speak and read, children are exposed to a wide variety of sounds and words that help them to develop their speech. As children listen to stories, their brains make cognitive connections to how language is used and exposes them to words that are often not used in spoken language. This is supported by a study on early language exposure[3] which states that there is a definite relationship between language development and early exposure to adult language which positively impacts children’s language ability through primary school. The study emphasises the importance of interacting with children between the ages of 18-to 24-months which is the period of a language explosion. It states that reading aloud gives children enriched vocabulary and prompts enriched interactions. Cognitive ability Cognitive ability refers to the way in which we perceive our world and experiences and is the ability to think and understand. Stories expose children to different topics, issues, experiences, and information through the characters in the story. This background information gives greater context to the world around them and is used to help them make sense of what they see, hear and read. This knowledge helps children develop problem-solving and decision-making skills as stories aid children with information processing, reasoning, language development, attention span, and memory. Listening and comprehension skills When children listen to stories they develop their comprehension and listening skills. Not only are these skills important to help children to learn to read, these are important skills that they will use when learning at school. According to Scholastic, listening is a skill that children must learn before they can learn to read themselves. Further, when children are listening to a story, they learn to sit still, develop longer attention spans and develop memory-retention skills which are all important skills that will benefit them at school in the later years. Audiobooks embellish storytelling Often a parent’s busy schedule prevents them from finding time to read to their children daily and as a result, their children miss out on the opportunity to gain the benefits of this much-loved past-time that will shape the future of their development and their school careers. However, today there are many options available for parents to engage their children in storytelling on their own. For example, audiobooks provide entertainment value to children while engaging them in stories and providing many of the benefits of reading to children. According to Scholastic[4], many audiobooks include interesting sound effects, music, and multiple narrators, that embellish their storytelling with silly voices and dramatics which are especially motivating and fun for young children. These stories reinforce the pleasure of reading rather than the skill while helping children to understand narrative structure, language use and how to convey meaning. To provide a safe listening environment for young children the Yoto Player is a screen-free device that gives children control of their listening experience and access to a range of well-known and loved stories from various authors as Yoto has secured partnerships and content deals with trusted household names such as LEGO and Disney as well as licenses with Penguin Random House, Abbey Road Studios, Sony Music, HarperCollins, Hachette, Pan Macmillan and more to bring children stories from Julia Donaldson, Enid Blyton and more. The Yoto Player is available from selected Toys R Us and iStore stores or online from istore.co.za and takealot.com. By Jonathan Drake, Head of Accessories at The Core Group

October 13, 2021

How does baby’s physical development contribute to learning?

Many babies learn how to crawl at the same time they learn to sit on their own. Crawling, however, takes longer to perfect than does sitting without assistance. At six months, expect your baby to sit for a second, but balance will come later; also, you will probably notice your baby get into a crawling position, but not know how to proceed after that. Even though ‘crawling’ usually means progress on hands and knees, many babies use other moves to get them where they’re going. Rolling, slithering, ‘bottom shuffling’ (when a baby pushes around while sitting, using one hand to make the propelling motion), and pulling along on elbows are all manoeuvre used instead of the conventional crawling, so don’t be surprised if you see those first. Still other babies learn to crawl in the ordinary way, and then figure out that they can move faster on their hands and feet than their hands and knees. If something is out of reach of a six-month-old baby, you may see that baby pull up the knees under the body, push up with hands and often manage to get the tummy off the floor. For that moment, the baby is in a crawling position, but needs encouragement to actually add forward motion to the mix. By the ninth month, early crawlers start to make some real progress – though it’s often backwards, away from the object they’re trying to reach! Upper-body control is more developed than leg-control, so a baby tends to push harder with hands and arms than with knees – propelling the baby backwards. Not to worry (and try to reassure your frustrated baby, too!), this is just a short-lived phase. The biggest advantage baby has when it comes to solving problems is with the development of large and small muscles over the course of the first year, helping various tasks become easier. The two-block stack that will seem too complicated for your little architect one month will become an easy three-block stack just a few weeks later. When baby starts to focus on lower muscles (around 10-12 months), you might want to put favourite toys on the couch, encouraging your child to stand in order to reach them. This helps build balance and strong leg muscles necessary for cruising, a forerunner to walking. Once a baby solves the problem of how to stand and balance, and how to move one foot in front of the other, watch that glowing smile of accomplishment – your baby is now beginning to walk. Who’d ever thought it would happen so fast? Once you’ve reached this stage, you know your baby really ‘did it’ – and your family will never be the same. Talk about an accomplishment you can be proud of! Our parenting advice is given as suggestions only. We recommend you also consult your healthcare provider, and urge you to contact them immediately if your question is urgent or about a medical condition. A perfect product to help a child develop like this would be the Fisher-Price® 4-in-1 Ultimate Learning Bot available at retailers nation wide. The Fisher-Price® 4-in-1 Ultimate Learning Bot is a transforming playtime buddy for baby featuring 4 ways to play and lots of fun music, lights and hands-on activities. Each bot has its own fun for little ones to discover, from spinning eyes to silly popping balls to exciting crawl-and-chase play. Baby can play and explore each bot individually or build them up into one big interactive buddy with fresh music, sounds and phrases! And with Smart Stages® technology, you can switch up the learning content to best fit your child’s age and stage. 4 toys in 1 to keep playtime going as baby grows from infant to toddler to preschooler (ages 6 months-5 years) Each individual toy is filled with fun activities for babies to explore. Put them all together to build an interactive electronic robot buddy! 3 Smart Stages® learning levels with 120+ songs, sounds and phrases about numbers and counting, the alphabet, shapes, colors and more Press any button on the motorized bot to send it zooming forward with music & lights, encouraging baby to crawl and chase Lots of hands-on activities for sitting babies, including press-down antenna, twist & flip gears, ball-popper, and spinning & clicking arms By Dr. Bettye M. Caldwell Ph.D. Professor of Pediatrics in Child Development and Education.

October 11, 2021

Preparing for final exams – emotional stress advice for learners and parents

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions to daily life. Learners from Grade 1 to matric had to transition to online learning literally overnight when the hard lockdown began in March 2020, finding themselves disconnected from routines and support systems. A year and a half later, learners are still coping with these challenges as they prepare for their final exams. “Under normal circumstances, learners who may have prepared well for their exams can become overwhelmed by stress,’’ says Ms Nomalungelo Ntlokwana, the acting Director of Emthonjeni Student Wellness at Nelson Mandela University. “We can expect learners to show increased levels of stress and anxiety during these times, due to the challenges associated with lockdown,” says Ntlokwana. According to Ntlokwana, below are a few tips for learners to manage exam stress: Be prepared – start early and don’t cram everything in the night before Go with the study method that suits you best Work through past exam papers or example questions Take breaks – spend your time in between sessions doing physical activities Rest often – get enough sleep, especially before exams Know times, venues, procedures and what you can take into the exam venue Arrive well before the exam start time It can be equally distressing for parents to see their children go through exam-related stress. Many parents fail to comprehend the levels of anxiety and depression facing the learners of today, and can help by providing support at home. Here are five ways parents can support their child during exams: 1. Prioritise mental well-being Identify triggers of stress and feelings that cause fear and anxiety with your child. Help them deal with negativity by finding ways of coping with these feelings, so that they can regain focus and confidence. Ensuring that your home is a calm, productive, and supportive space in which your child can learn can make a big difference. 2. Proactively manage stress Be aware of the early warning signs, which can include lack of sleep, loss of appetite, and being easily distracted. Emphasise the importance of having a healthy mind and help your child to proactively relieve stress by taking regular breaks and even interacting with friends. 3. Promote a healthy lifestyle Studying for exams requires time and effort, but it should not be to the detriment of your child’s health. Ensure they get enough quality sleep and physical exercise, even if it’s walking the dogs around the block. Cook healthy meals, keep nutritional snacks in your pantry, and reduce screen time as much as possible. 4. Set realistic expectations As a parent, you want your child to do well, but it is important that your expectations – as well as your child’s own expectations – are realistic. Discuss what their goals are for the exams and help map out their study plan, so that they can get a sense of the desired expectations. 5. Be an example Keep cool and stay calm – this is the best way that you can manage your child’s stress. Be sure to take care of your own mental health too, as this will enable you to show feelings of care and understanding, and support them to effectively deal with their challenges. In these difficult times, it is vital to tackle challenges together with your child. By ensuring your behaviour and responses offer support, as opposed to creating conflict, getting through exam time can be so much easier to navigate.

October 7, 2021

The Power of Play for children with special needs

“It’s a happy talent to know how to play” – Ralf Waldo Emerson Why play? As therapists we are often asked by parents, “What can we do at home to support our child’s learning?” Without a doubt, play is one of the most effective learning and therapy tools available to children and their families, and it is the “homework” we are the happiest to prescribe. Play is of benefit to not only the children in a family, but to the adults too, with the result that it is a win-win situation all round and it leads to happier children and families. When one considers the following quote from Dr Karyn Purvis it is difficult to think of any valid reasons not to be playing with our children: Scientists have recently determined that it takes approximately 400 repetitions to create a new synapse in the brain. Unless it is done with play, in which case it takes 10-20 repetitions. Physical and mental health benefits In our current state of uncertainty and world-wide stresses, physical and mental health are our primary concerns. Healthy brain development and maintenance relies on stimulating the brain to make efficient and effective connections between nerve cells. These connections apply to ‘visible’ skills (such as motor skills) and more abstract skills for language, cognition, social and emotional development. Play is a ‘safe’ way to experience the world and test our skills. Games that require movement are excellent for stimulating physical health and motor skill development. This may be through the use of large movement e.g. jungle gyms, trees and open spaces like parks, or through the use of small movements with hands and fingers e.g. moving pieces on a board or building Lego. Cognitive benefits While all play facilitates brain development, some activities are more directed towards cognitive skills like reasoning and planning. These activities are not limited to board games. The child who enjoys re-enacting Star Wars or My Little Pony uses imagination, memory, reasoning and planning but perhaps to a different degree than the child playing Checkers or Monopoly. Social and communication benefits Games like 30 Seconds, Trivial Pursuit and Pictionary require cognitive skills but focus the ability to communicate clearly using memory, recall, understanding and explaining. Again, imitation and re-enactment activities develop similar communication skills but also have a greater element of socialisation opportunities, including a different type of trial-and-error problem solving, negotiating and understanding social cues. All play requires an element of impulse control which is developed through experience but social play also requires a higher degree of emotional regulation and empathy, leading to a safe place to practice life lessons. Playmates teach each other skills needed for game play and learn to use direction and explanations. A vital role of social play is the development of interpersonal relationships. Friendships and positive experiences relieve stress and provide pleasure. What to play? Many things influence the play chosen by children and adults – some practical and others adapted from traditional rules and experiences. The number of players and their ages are important for appropriate game selection, as is the need for teams or individual play. Will the play be structured (rule-bound and directive) or unstructured and creative? What interests the players and is the necessary equipment available? Remember that games needn’t be bought and creating a game can be fun in itself. Play is only fun if it is appropriate for the players, so it is sometimes necessary to adapt games for physical, cognitive, linguistic and social differences. Developing skills mentioned before, occur during the pleasure of play, so forcing a child with extremely diverse needs to play in the same ways as others in order to ‘teach’ them, is neither productive nor pleasurable. How can I adapt games? If mobility is a challenge e.g. cerebral palsy affecting movement or the use of a wheelchair or crutches: Size up by using bigger balls for ball games e.g. a plastic soccer ball to play tennis. Lighten up by using lighter balls for ball games e.g. volleyball with a balloon. Adjust rules e.g. if a child in a wheelchair is playing basketball that child can carry the ball in his/her lap instead of dribbling. Adjust pace e.g. balloon volleyball. Use accessible areas e.g. flat, open spaces. Buddy up – find a friend to push the wheelchair or assist with mobility – it’s ok to ask for help. If fine motor control is a challenge e.g. hand grips: Use a universal cuff – usually for holding eating utensils, but can be used for play as well. Use a card holder for card games. Non-slip mats under game boards (from most hardware stores). Prestik under game tokens/pieces. Size up e.g. use larger playing pieces or garden size games; build up tools and playing pieces with foam. If vision is a challenge: Texture components using velcro, glitter glue or craft foam from stationery stores. Use games with sounds/sound activated. Include as many senses as possible. Use garden size games. Prestik under game pieces. If language, speech or literacy is a challenge: One-on-one play initially. Subjects of interest with predictable language. Use clear, short sentences/explanations. Emphasise important words e.g. nouns, verbs, prepositions. Slow down and use repetition Model correct responses for your child at just above your child’s current language level. Allow the child to lead too. Use signs, gestures or pictures if they are effective. Shorten the duration of the game. Help if necessary. Remove some steps of the game if it is too complex. Types of play Understanding play may be limited to our own experiences, but the diversity of play activities is massive, from something like a stick imagined as a wand, sword or conductor’s baton, to a complex and strategic game of Risk or Chess played for days. Different types of play develop different skill sets and variety provides more holistic development and more opportunities to develop interests and sources of pleasure. Play can be unstructured and creative or rule

October 6, 2021

Don’t worry, be happy – avoiding anxiety!

We all experience moments of feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Teenagers, especially, feel under pressure which could be caused by deadlines, exams or conflict with fellow students and parents. That’s normal. Anxiety though, is a whole different matter all-together. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between the two, as the lines can easily be blurred. So, what is the difference between stress and anxiety? Stress is when situations can be managed. It can also have an upside when it motivates you to meet expectations, perform better and provide an energy to be more productive. It can improve focus, concentration and build your capacity to cope with stress. Anxiety is when you experience a bodily response and shift in energy. It’s often referred to as the fight, flight and freeze response. Symptoms include: Feeling helpless. Feelings of panic, fear, and uneasiness. Mood swings. Restlessness and agitation. Change in eating and sleeping habits. Having a rapid heart rate and fast breathing. Many parents are also worried that their child may be suffering from an anxiety disorder, but in actual fact most of the time it’s rather episodes of anxiety. This is good news, because if managed correctly it will pass. If you are worried as a parent, the obvious questions are, what are the signs to look out for and when should you be concerned? According to medical journals anxiety disorder include prolonged periods of excessive fear and anxiety and related behavioural disturbances like worrying about events that will likely not happen. It could also consist of constant panic attacks and feelings of hopelessness. Should these symptoms persist for a period of 6 months or longer, it would be best to seek professional help from a psychiatrist and phycologist. The first step would be to identify the type of anxiety and intensity the child is experiencing. The two main forms of anxiety experienced by teens are social or general anxiety. This could be treated with practicing mindfulness, cognitive restrictive management and dialectical therapy. In some instances, medication can be prescribed to help your child cope. How can you support a child with anxiety? According to Dr Serahni Symington, counsellor and play therapist specialist, she would advise parents to do the following: Assist your child to verbalise and accept the situation which is causing anxiety. Determine what your child needs in that immediate moment. Is it comfort or solutions? Practice deep breathing exercises to help your child relax. Identify and try to avoid triggers that will agitate anxiety. Assist your child to transition from having an emotional to a logical mind response which will then result in a “wise mind” response. “Something that can’t be stressed enough is to practice selfcare. Taking time off to relax and take care of yourself gives you the capacity to face what lies ahead and look at things with a new perspective” says Dr Symington. Managing Director, Ian Strydom also adds: “At Wingu Academy we have a Wellness Hub of trained professionals that can guide parents and students in attaining routine, structure and planning which in most cases will avoid anxiety.”

October 5, 2021

Why GenZ and GenAlpha need to do school differently

School is rooted in tradition, and all too often we, as parents, look to nurture our connection with our growing and increasingly independent children through them having a similar educational experience to us. This might have worked for past generations. However, the seismic changes in our world accelerated by relentless tech innovation over the recent decades have fundamentally disrupted this particular flow of tradition. It’s forced us back to basics where we acknowledge that the purpose of education is to prepare our children for their working and civic future, not to provide us with more sought-after parental touchpoints. The world of work has fundamentally changed. So much so that we are educating our children today for jobs that don’t yet exist, and they need to be educated in different ways. Mark Anderson, Principal of Koa Academy, a uniquely high-touch digital school, says, “Content memorisation, with the teacher as the sole content expert, is an outdated notion for our current young generations who live in a world where all content is just a click away. Top marks should not just be given for memorising the facts. Instead, being able to evaluate and think critically about an abundance of facts, and the sources of those facts, is one of the vital 21st Century skills. It’s no longer relevant to remember a one right answer enshrined in one textbook; the next generations need to be able to access a world of information and apply it to real world problems, effectively communicating their ideas to others. ” For our GenZ and GenAlpha children, understanding how they learn has become more significant than what content they can retain in their memories. The teacher has transformed from a content provider in front of the class to a learning expert able to coach the students at their side along their unique learning pathways. The so-called ‘soft skills’ that nobody paid much attention to in a mechanistic, industrial past have now become the top information-age capabilities. Those who know how to think critically, how to communicate, how to collaborate and how to innovate lead the way. Literacy has expanded to include media, information, civic and technological literacies. Qualities such as resilience, emotional intelligence and flexibility help our children win the day. What this means is that as parents, we should be worried if our child’s educational environment today looks and seems a lot like the one that we experienced. Your kids are – but are you ready for School 2.0? Mark believes it is time for parents to find out more about School 2.0. He says, “It’s really exciting that parents have more options than ever before when it comes to education. But we also know that it is harder than ever for parents to really understand the different options. At Koa Academy, our advice is for parents to start by thinking through what you really want for your child. And, I don’t mean which schooling system. I mean, what do you value when it comes to your child’s education? Then, as you investigate the growing number of options, keep an eye out for the schools which are prioritising those same values.” The Koa Academy education model prioritises individualised learning with children grouped in small 8-person pods working every day with a dedicated, specialist teacher who has not only mastered online pedagogy but understands the needs of each child in their Pod. The platform is registered as a South African IEB curriculum provider leveraging educational resources from all around the world. With the flexibility that only an online platform can provide, academic progress is mastery based enabling children to speed up or slow down as needed and for families to schedule timetables and terms in ways that suit them best. Mark says, “Our aim is to prepare children for the real world. Learning is rooted in real-world issues; tasks give children options, and age-appropriate feedback is ongoing so that children can adapt and grow in dynamic ways as they learn. In this way assessment is embedded in the learning process, and not a disconnected result that they can’t actually learn from. Our passionate teachers are curating and facilitating content at the child’s pace. Each child progresses when they have mastered the learning which is the only real way to ensure that no one is left behind.” Like everything else in life, traditional education has been disrupted over the past pandemic months. Through months of stay-at-home restrictions, parents have had new and different insights into their child’s learning and their schooling system. As we look to a post-pandemic future, there’s more open thinking about what really works for our families, and what doesn’t. Our GenZ and GenAlpha children face a future that is differently shaped from anything we have known. If there’s a silver lining to the COVID clouds, it’s the idea that we can create a better reality for our families, community and country. School 2.0 has become a serious option in how we choose to educate our children for a fast-evolving future that will make different demands on them.

September 30, 2021

How to handle angry feelings

Once there was a red balloon that lived in a house with a family. Every day the red balloon got bigger and bigger without anyone noticing. One day the balloon popped with a loud bang and everyone in the house got a nasty fright. Anger is often like the red balloon in that it builds up slowly over time until it explodes over a seemingly small incident/event. Aggressive behaviour is learned through the modelling of significant others. If you handle your anger like the red balloon, your children might learn that aggression is the best way to deal with uncomfortable emotions. Eventually these emotions could cause school difficulties, anxiety and relationship problems. Emotional control, however, creates a feeling of security and peace within a family. It is thus important for us as parents to ensure that our emotions and our reactions in response to our emotions are equal. For example, when you are angry, you do not have to express that anger by yelling or throwing things. Feeling angry is not wrong, but the way you express it might be wrong. As parents we have the responsibility to teach our children how to deal with their emotions in effective and appropriate ways. The following tools can help you manage your emotions more effectively: If you realise that there are often outbursts among family members, write down your emotions and thoughts. Keeping a journal will help you gain perspective. Humour can help you feel more in control over stressful circumstances. Take deep breaths. This will help to not only relieve some of the tension but will also give you a few moments to think more clearly. Focus all your attention on something in your environment or something on yourself, like the garden outside your window or the pattern on your dress or shirt. This technique can help you gain control over your emotions. Research has shown that there is a close link between a healthy marriage and successful parenting. It is therefore a good idea to invest in building a healthy relationship with your wife/husband. A good way to do this is by going away for a weekend or having planned date nights, to help you reconnect with your partner. Build your self-knowledge. Who am I? What is my personality like? Self-knowledge can help you gain insight into your own behaviour and emotions. Be mindful of external factors that could contribute to your emotions. For example, are you eating healthy foods, exercising, getting enough sleep? Are you stressed and worried?

September 29, 2021

Wingu Academy – changing the face of online home schooling in South Africa

The on-going Covid pandemic has changed the schooling landscape in South Africa completely, especially the traditional schooling environment. With very little notice, parents had to become teachers while still maintaining a full-time job. Learners’ routines were abrupted and remote learning became the “new normal”. This, however, also lead to homeschooling and especially online home schooling, becoming a contending alternative. Wingu Academy offers a distance, blended learning platform that provides educational support to home-schoolers all over Africa, offering live classes and tutorials along with interactive online content. It has been developed by teachers, UP alumni, and postgraduate students who are experts in their respective fields with additional collaboration with researchers from the Wits School of Education. Not only this, it is a by-product of collaboration between two innovative start-ups, TutCo Tuition and EduWingu Cloud Education Solutions. Their ever-evolving platform currently provides the internationally recognised British curriculum, but as of 2022 Wingu Academy will extend their high-school offering to include the South African CAPS curriculum. Wingu focuses on student-led learning, utilising gamification and implementing constructive feedback providing a wide variety of choices to support individual learning at home along with alternative options through their tutoring centre. Mrs Becker who has both her children enrolled at Wingu Academy has the following to say about her experience as a “Wingu Parent” : “Wingu is passionate about learning. They saw what did not work, listened to parents and made the necessary changes. My children are happy. My oldest says, it is so nice to be able to ask a teacher a question when you don’t understand the work. If a student is shy, they have the option of asking in a classroom chat. The teachers don’t mention who asked, so the child is saved the potential embarrassment that would have prevented them asking in a traditional setting. The blended learning approach is fantastic. Teachers are available for consultations if students struggle. Teachers have a consultation session once a week in the afternoons and students can freely ask any questions. The students have experts in their fields as teachers. They hold Honours and Masters degrees. There are even a few PhD candidates among the teachers. The feedback the students get on home work is very valuable. Mistakes become learning opportunities.” Many parents may be worried that their children will miss out on social interaction but they still get to meet friends and even form study groups as they are not bound by geographical borders. In fact, Wingu also offers a variety of Club options to learners varying from fitness to chess to photography clubs and parents have the opportunity to become involved too. Furthermore, Wingu Academy’s flexible environment also caters for learners who would like to pursue their passions and professional aspirations in sports, music and other extra-curricular activities. Another “Wingu Parent”, Mrs du Preez says what she appreciates most about Wingu Academy is the positive and respectful attitude of support and patience. “They make the idea of home schooling worth it and a lot easier. If it was not for the Wingu platform, I would not have done it. Even more so with the help of the online coach to get them on track. My daughter had to catch up two terms in one and still managed to do very well.” Student well-being is at the heart of Wingu’s core foundation. Their Wellness Hub offers professional guidance to both learners and parents in areas of concern. Wingu’s innovative learning platform equips learners for the 4IR with a forward-thinking strategy of anywhere, anytime, staying connected and offering the future classroom today!

September 27, 2021

8 Study Habits of Highly Effective Students

High school learners have a lot on their plate, especially during a time where everything has gone topsy turvy. Study habits have been broken new habits have crept in, and it can be difficult to get back to the way things were or even learn new ways of doing. Where do we even begin? Why are good study habits so important? It’s not always about having “smarts”, but rather studying smart. Ironically, intellectual ability plays a small part and developing effective organisational skills and good study habitsgo a long way. Having the right tools and resources is a great place to startand can make sticking to those habits easier. Paper Video is a platform that can help. High school learners from grade 8 to12 can accessresources and materials needed toget to grips with challenging subjects like Maths, Physical Science, Life Scienceand Accounting. The tutoring and video lessons, with expert teachers in each field, give learners the freedom to work through the material at their own pace with a progress tracker to help them stay on track and get into the study habit of things. Here are a few more tricks and traits highly effective studentsuse to develop new study habits and ditch the bad ones. What’s the secret recipe to becoming an efficient student? “They are passionate and love school.”Yes, we can hear your eyes rolling and it couldn’t be the furthest thing from the truth, in fact, passion and a love for school have no relationship with learners’ effectiveness or success. People think, for example, you have to love math to be good at it, sure this helps, but success actually comes down to one surprising factor: Self-belief. According to Jihyun Lee, Associate Professor at the School of Education at the University of New South Wales, an almost 4-year study concluded that direct correlations between students’ academic achievement and their attitudes toward school were near zero. The factor that sets academically able and less able students apart is self-belief. Being able to believe in their own problem-solving abilities is far more important than their perception of school itself. 8 Habits of Successful Students So, “self-belief” is easier said than done. Doubting ourselves and our capabilities will always be an uphill battle. Along with a tutoring resource like Paper Video to really help students understand their work without any added pressure, good study habits for high school learners can slowly, but surely, build up the confidence to know “that we know” the answers. Time Management You don’t have to be Doctor Strange to understand and appreciate the vital element of time – so give yourself enough of it. Prioritise difficult content or projects first – things you know will take longer. Create a timetable, especially during exam season. Spelling out what you will be doing each day and a visual indication will help you avoid panic and fear. Cramming it all in tires out your brain. Contrary to belief, and to most of our studying ways, spacing out the workload gives your brain time to digest (Yes, like a stomach, if you eat too much in one sitting… let’s just say we know you know how Biology works) Set timers and scheduling, if you have an event coming up, work it into yourcalendar andcompromise: If you don’t do “X” you can’t do “Y”. Think bigger than “If I finish this chapter, I can have a cookie.” Plan when and where. Routines help build good habits, so just like your set dinner and breakfast times have times reserved for studying. Be goal orientated We’ve spoken about thinking bigger than giving yourself a cookie after one chapter. Think of the bigger picture, what would you like to achieve? Whether it’s an A-plus or simply making sure you stick to your timing schedule, goals help you keep track of your progress and when you feel like you’re progressing, you feel confident in your abilities. #Self-belief Finding the best techniques You might already have a few study techniques up your sleeve, and some might work better than others depending on whether you’re left-brained (logic) or right-brained (creative) – a theory where one side of the brain is more dominant than the other. In the book Make it Stick by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III and Mark A. McDaniel, the authors identify a few effective and ineffective techniques: Affective: Pre-test. Setting up mock tests to help you answer questions. Build on something you know. Connect new information to concepts you already understand. For instance, electricity streams, like a stream of water, slows down when there is resistance i.e. a resistor. Visual diagrams. An oldie, but a goodie. Anything that generates active learning helps your brain absorb and retain information. Paraphrasing and reflecting. See the content from a different perspective, even something as simple as changing sentence orders around or saying the text in your own words helps you understand the work better. Ineffective: Re-reading can make work feel foreign and garner frustration because your brain isn’t retaining information Don’t cram, space out your study time If you get it right the first time, don’t assume you know it all. Don’t multitask here we don’t mean distractions, although that’s vital too. Try and keep the content and information topical. If you’re doing Trigonometry stick to it until you understand it and avoid jumping to another topic. Learning to focus and minimising distractions Distractions; social media, web browsing, game playing, texting. Make sure you create an airtight imaginary bubble to help you focus and cultivate those good study habits.Think PSP.No not in gaming: Prep, Setting and Pre-empt. Prep: Eat, drink, use your bathroom break and get all your materials ready, nothing breaks your focus like getting started and finding out you need a new pen. Setting the scene: a picture of your beach holiday or random titbits that can cause your mind to wander – remove them and declutter your desk. Pre-empt: Let friends know when you’re studying so they don’t text you and think of other factors that might creep up; noisy neighbours, mom’s Zumba time. Put boundaries in place to prevent

September 27, 2021

Why extra classes online can be the smarter option right now

There’s no doubt that “online” has become the new norm for almost everything. From business meetings and work to entertainment and socialising. School curriculums are also no exception to the rule and extra school lessons have had to move from in-person tutoring to a more digital realm. But here’s why extra classes online aren’t all bad, in fact with Paper Video you might even find them more engaging and favourable compared to traditional tutoring. You decide when and where Flexibility has become one of the most important factors. Busy schedules can make it difficult to stick to set tutoring times and we’ve had to tailor our lives around them. Travelling around from one extracurricular to the next has also become a thing of the past, especially in our current climate. Online tutoring allows learners to catch up in the comfort of their own homes at convenient times that suit an entire household. Paper Video gives learners instant at-home-access to the ultimate collection of revision resources with thousands of embedded video lessons, taught by experienced and engaging teachers. As a result, learners can simply log in, whenever, wherever, to get access to an extra teacher. It’s not just one expert teacher on the line Traditionally, personal tutors specialise in one or two subjects and learners might find that they would like to excel in or need help with more than one subject. Signing up for Paper Video gives learners access to Maths, Physical Sciences*, Life Sciences* and Accounting all on one platform (*covered in Natural Sciences for grade 8 and 9 learners). Not only that, an exceptional list of teachers from a selection of some of the top schools in the country, means that one platform gives you access to specialised experts in each subject. You still get your one-on-one time Many digital learning platforms do come with the perception that there’s not much room for one-on-one interaction. This may be a deal-breaker from some, but many e-learning, online tutoring and online schooling platforms are adapting and making sure their lessons are as engaging, animated and in-depth as possible to accommodate learners who need that extra personal touch. To ensure this, Paper Video has created over 11,000 video lessons that cover everything from individual past exam questions to entire topics in the syllabus. Each video follows a step-by-step approach to explain the required concepts, so the platform ensures that the resources cover any question learners might have. Find what you’re looking for, faster Convenience has become a key driver in the modern world and digital tutoring platforms are making it easier to not only get down to the specifics, but also finding answers fasters. Paper Video helps learners find what they’re looking for with their past exam questions and topics in each subject linked to searchable keywords. Learners can simply type in a word in the platforms’ search box and find a list of all related past exam questions and topic video lessons. Less pressure, more learning While participation is encouraged in many classes, it can often place a lot of pressure on learners and cultivate a competitive environment. Learners all engage and study differently, so while the typical classroom environment is stimulating for some, it does not work as well for others. Today, digital resources can give learners the option to study in a way that’s comfortable for them, and the more comfortable they are, the easier it is to retain information. With Paper Video, learners can study online in their own time and track their own progress. The platform also gives learners the freedom to study at their own pace and revisit concepts they might not have understood, all without the pressure of feeling left behind. Whether you’re a parent or a learner that’s still getting used to the idea of the online migration, the fact remains that online technologies have blown digital education and tutoring opportunities right open. It’s not only saving time but money. Its accessibility, individuality and flexibility are what’s making it more appealing by the day, especially with the unprecedented challenges being faced by learners at the moment. Visit www.papervideo.co.za or contact Paper Video on 061 357 2304 for more information on how to get started.

September 24, 2021

How to raise a confident teen with a positive identity

Helping your teen to navigate through difficult challenges and still come out resilient, knowing they will recover after a set-back, is an important part of parenting. When a teen has confidence, they are equipped to make decisions. When they have a better understanding of the world around them it’s easier to risk opportunities which helps them exceed in life. A study by Harvard University’s Centre on the Developing Child found that: Resilience requires supportive relationships and opportunities for skill-building. Resilience results from a dynamic interaction between internal predispositions and external experiences. Learning to cope with manageable threats to our physical and social well-being is critical for the development of resilience. Some children respond in more extreme ways, therefore individual traits need to be acknowledged. Individuals never completely lose their ability to improve their coping skills, and they often learn how to adapt to new challenges. Research has identified a set of factors that help children achieve positive outcomes in the face of significant adversity. Individuals who demonstrate resilience in response to one form of adversity may not necessarily do so in response to another. Yet when communities and families strengthen these factors, they optimize resilience across multiple contexts. Factors include: Providing supportive adult-child relationships; Scaffolding learning so the child builds a sense of self-efficacy and control; Helping strengthen adaptive skills and self-regulatory capacities; and Using faith and cultural traditions as a foundation for hope and stability. Good self-esteem activities that parents can apply according to Dr Serahni Symington, Child and Adolescent Counselling and Play Therapist, include the following: Encourage independence to make their own decisions about how they dress, for instance. Having responsibilities at home like walking the dog or making dinner. Enable problem-solving by assisting your child in making choices in a safe space. This will help equip them to make good decisions when they find themselves in less protective situations. Encouragement is good, but over-praise can do more damage than good if they lack the ability to take responsibility for their actions. Praise effort not outcome. Your teen can control their effort, but not always the outcome. Set realistic bars for outcomes. Emotional expression is crucial. TALK about emotions and feelings. Explore all aspects of anger, grief, fear, joy and happiness in a thoughtful and logical way. Help develop positive self-talk. How teens talk about themselves says a lot about how they see themselves. Help them identify thoughts that aren’t true by pointing out how being overly harsh can be detrimental. Teach them to reframe the irrational with something more realistic. Lead by example. It’s important to model self-confidence and resilience during challenging times as children look to their parents as role models. “Identity is grounded in feeling safe in your environment. Nurturing growth and believing in yourself, is an important stepping stone to raising a confident teen with a positive identity, “ Dr Symington concludes. Wingu Academy realises the importance of encouraging a positive identity. This is why they established a Wellness Hub that assist both students and parents with guidelines and counselling to find a healthy balance between self-improvement and self-acceptance.

September 21, 2021

Keeping education on track in the disruptive school year

After a school shutdown of more than two months, teachers, parents and students are all gearing up to save the 2020 academic year. However, as Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga and the Department of Basic Education kickstart their phased approach there are still many questions around the ramifications of the disruptive year and how parents and teachers can help limit its effects on our children.

September 17, 2021

Play & Social Development

If you ask any 4-year-old what he does in preschool, he will probably say something close to, “I do my work and I play with my friends”. Of course, that 4-year-old’s ‘work’ includes painting, listening to stories, carrying out suggestions made by teachers – ‘play,’ in most of our vocabularies. But we all know what is meant by ‘play with my friends.’ It involves the interaction between and among children by which they learn how to get along with one another, to be helpful and share, and to understand the consequences of their own behaviour. In short, in their social play, they are full participants in the laboratory of life. Although cognitive development tends to be stressed in today’s world, many parents enroll their children in early childhood programs primarily because of the unparalleled opportunity it provides for social play. Just as is true for muscular advance and cognitive development, social play in young children goes through several stages. One classification that teachers find helpful is as follows: Onlooker The child remains at the edge of the group, possibly playing half-heartedly with a toy of her choosing, but merely watches the other children at their play. Solitary Play The child plays intently with available materials but remains totally alone. Parallel Play The child does the same things that a group of children is currently doing but does not interact with them to any extent. Cooperative Play The child truly plays ‘with’ other children—takes roles (‘You be the mummy and I’ll be the daddy’), gives instructions (‘No, that chair belongs in the corner’), offers and asks for help. During the early childhood years, the social play goal of parents and teachers is to help children move through these different levels until they become successful at cooperative play. This is not to suggest that the earlier levels are inappropriate, as children will switch from one level to another on the same day. But, in general, they move toward true interaction with one another, recognizing the needs and interests of all the children in the group. Although I am descoting social play as consisting mainly of interaction between children, much of it also involves interaction with adults. For example, it has been shown that if an adult occasionally joins in the play, the level of complexity and creativity can be sharply increased. Children often engage in repetitive activities in their play with one another—pouring coffee, putting bread in the toaster, putting hats on and taking them off. A participating adult (who should not take over as director of the play) can enrich the level of play by commenting, ‘Watch that coffee; it’s hot.’ Soon the ‘pouring’ child will be cautioning the other children not to burn themselves. Or, ‘I think you look better in the red hat’ can launch a search among the play hats requiring identification of the correct colour. And the parent or teacher can help establish an awareness of the excluded or ignored child. ‘I think Heather would like to join your group. Do you have a cup for her?’ In their social play, children develop an awareness of their own effectiveness with others and have an opportunity to try to improve it. The girl who is listened to as she assigns roles to the other children gets a boost as she strives to develop a positive self-concept. A child who refuses to sit in the circle next to a classroom bully can exert influence to help the bully learn more constructive ways of dealing with anger and frustration. Parents and teachers need that kind of ally. Our parenting advice is given as suggestions only. We recommend you also consult your healthcare provider, and urge you to contact them immediately if your question is urgent or about a medical condition. A perfect product to help a child develop like their social skills & play at the same time with their friends would be the Fisher-Price® Little People® Load Up ‘n Learn Construction Site™ available at retailers nation wide. Suitable for ages 3 and up! By Dr. Bettye M. Caldwell Ph.D. Professor of Pediatrics in Child Development and Education

September 16, 2021

How do I help my child cope with exam stress?

Exam time is usually a dreaded and stressful period for parents and children alike, but a little support and motivation can go a long way in reducing stress levels. Here are some guidelines of what you can do to make life a bit easier on your child (and in effect you too!): Create a consistent study environment. According to parentinfo.org it’s best to set up a study corner that is comfortable and inviting to work in, with as few distractions as possible. Everything should be close at hand so they don’t have to spend time searching for things like highlighters, post it notes, paper, etc. Keep communication open. It’s important to show that you are interested in your child’s studies. Ask them how they are doing, do they need any help, how did the exam go. Sometimes a child just needs to vent or know you care about their well-being. Encourage relaxation and taking part in other activities to unwind, like exercising, listening to music, painting and interacting with friends. These can aid significantly in stress management. When it comes to studying and breaks the Pomodoro Technique is the most effective in the world. Study for 25 minutes with 5 minute breaks in-between each study session. After four cycles of 25 minute studies, take a longer 30-minute break. Help your child stay focused with following a well-structured study schedule. According to brainbuxa.com discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment. It’s important to enforce restrictions, but don’t micro-manage. Show your child that you trust him/her enough to take responsibility. If your child prefers being quizzed to prep for exams, put in the effort and make it a time of bonding rather than a time of frustration. Stay calm, do flash cards and reward accomplishments by sneaking in a favourite snack. Ensure that your child eats healthy and gets enough sleep. These are very important factors for the brain to recharge and function properly, especially during exam time. Always remember to use words of encouragement. Whether the exam went well or not. Help your child to stay positive. Most children are less worried about the exam itself than about disappointing their parents or losing the respect of their fellow classmates if they do badly. So if it didn’t go well, instead of dwelling on the mistakes, which they cannot change, rather help them relax and prepare for the next exam. “The role of the parent is very important in this online teaching journey. Parents should create and promote a positive learning environment for the student. Parents should also encourage the student to follow a routine to stay focussed and to develop responsibility, self-discipline and independence. Our teachers, student mentors and tutors all have one goal in mind and that is to see our students succeed and prosper,” says Belinda van der Westhuizen, Wingu-Academy’s Director of Education and Assessments. “Most importantly, celebrate your child’s accomplishments and enjoy the journey with him/her.”

September 14, 2021

What to do if your child’s educational needs changed over the past year

Over the past year and a half, the pandemic threw the educational journeys of learners into disarray. Many schools responded with mitigation measures that resulted in a variety of impacts and outcomes on learners. At the same time, the educational needs of many learners have also changed. Learners that seemed to be in the right place and on the right track at the start of the year are now finding that this may no longer be the case. As parents start considering their children’s educational options for next year, they must be aware of a variety of different offerings which may provide a better fit for their children’s current situation and needs. Education experts say that there are options available to learners requiring more tailored or niche offerings or environments. “Many parents often do not consider the idea that they have alternative choices instead of remaining in an environment that no longer serves their children to the degree it did before,” says Desiree Hugo, Academic Head at ADvTECH Schools, SA’s leading private education provider. She says the past year and a half has taken a tremendous toll on parents and students in various ways, and that many students who performed well and were doing well emotionally and developmentally before, are now struggling, necessitating the consideration of alternative approaches or specialist interventions. Dr Jacques Mostert, Academic Manager at Abbotts College, says whereas a child’s school and academic experience may have been suitable for them and made sense before, that may no longer be the case. “It could be that the environment changed because of the last year’s experiences, that the needs of your child have changed, or both. Where learners are no longer rising to their potential, particularly in the wake of observations over the past six months, and where mid-year reports indicate there are areas requiring attention, parents should review the existing conditions and, if need be, make changes in consultation with professionals,” Dr Mostert says. He says some learners may require smaller class sizes with more individual attention, a learning environment with a more rounded approach, mental and emotional health assistance, a less structured setting, or specialist support to ensure they overcome challenges and realise their potential in future. But making a move requires an understanding of what alternatives are on offer, he says. ASSISTED LEARNING Dr Greg Pienaar, Principal at The Bridge, South Africa’s leading assisted learning school, says that over the past year, parents may have noticed their children present with needs not seen before, such as ADHD, ADD, dyslexia, mild autism, or anxiety. Children also might have been through illness or trauma which affected their academic progress. “Many children of average and above-average intelligence face these kinds of challenges and require an environment with an understanding of and response to neurodiversity. Few mainstream schools, especially in the current environment, are in a position to provide the focused yet comprehensive support these learners require to perform to the best of their ability and become confident, empowered and self-actualised,” he says. “So if you have noticed or have had confirmed challenges that would require therapy, coaching, greater individual attention or the like, it is worth considering a school which will help your child deal with and overcome these challenges while continuing their academic journey.” ONLINE SCHOOL Some learners were fortunate enough to attend schools that could provide a high-quality online offering during lockdowns and continue the curriculum without interruption. Most of them were happy to return to in-person schooling when the time came. Some realised that the online learning environment was more suitable to their personality and needs and may now be considering a permanent move to online homeschooling. The consideration of online homeschooling has also become a reality for many families reviewing their futures and who may be considering a move elsewhere but would like to keep their child’s routine intact should circumstances change. “If you are considering homeschooling, you must do your homework thoroughly before choosing a curriculum provider, as the quality of offering varies substantially across the board, and so do outcomes,” says Colin Northmore, Principal at Evolve Online School. “Of course, it is non-negotiable that parents investigate the registration and accreditation status of an institution. That is not enough, however, as a school must also be able to show that it can provide the highest quality of academic excellence online, while supporting the integrated development of a child through providing ample interaction with peers and educators,” he says. Online learning that merely provides a paper-behind-glass style curriculum makes it extremely difficult for students, especially young ones, to get deeply involved in and excited about their learning journey. “So when deciding on an online homeschool offering, prospective parents must enquire about the efficiency of the technology and the logistics of an offering, as well as whether they will have access to qualified educators to step in and assist them should the need arise,” Northmore says. NON-TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS Dr Mostert says setting out on a new path may mean simply allowing a learner to continue within a differently structured and more nurturing environment. “If things are not going well for a learner, and parents are starting to get concerned about their current trajectory, it might be worth looking for a high school that will allow a learner to continue within a setting focused on progressive academic improvement. “Every student can develop and achieve academic success, but if you are feeling overwhelmed and in a rut, it is not easy to lift yourself out of this space or even to see the way forward. For these students, an environment that focuses on progressive academic improvement and individual support, instead of strict rules related to, for example, hair and uniform regulations, can mean the difference between continued sadness and success.” This time of year, in general, is an excellent time to review the educational options for the year ahead after reviewing progress and development over the previous six months. In 2021, that is more true than ever, says Hugo. “As we have

September 13, 2021

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