Setting goals and knowing what you are working towards, is always a good idea. Younger students need to understand the difference between a wish and a goal – I wish to eat ice cream everyday – but My goal is to drink enough water every day.
It is unarguable that education in this country has, for the most part, largely been stuck in a rut. Until now. There are signs suggesting that Covid-19’s disruption of the education sector could have a lasting impact on the way we teach and learn. Our current education model is very much top-down in its approach, where a teacher instructs and provides information, usually only utilising one teaching modality. Yet Educational Psychologists have always contended that children learned best when they constructed their own knowledge, and learnt tasks that are culturally relevant.
We often hear messages in the media that children aren’t getting enough physical activity. But what exactly does “being physically active” mean when you are an infant, toddler or pre-schooler? And is it important for their health now and in the future?
In the previous article, some arguments regarding socialisation were investigated. Home education, as an alternative approach to education at a school, has become a progressive development in South Africa and across the world. Homeschooling, however, is also often criticised regarding the social skills and socialisation opportunities of the home educated learner.
After the announcement of school closures by President Cyril Ramaphosa, many parents are worried that their children might fall behind with their schoolwork. This as public schools closed two days earlier and are likely to only reopen after the Easter weekend.
“Looking at the year from the vantage point of January, Matric finals seem a long way down the road, and eight months feels like ample time to get to grips with your work before you have to sit for your finals,” says Natasha Madhav, Senior Head of Programme: Faculty of ICT at The Independent Institute of Education, SA’s largest private higher education provider.
With all eyes directed at 2020’s first-year students as they start their journeys at various tertiary and higher education institutions across South Africa, it is also important to remember those tens of thousands of students who are starting out on a learning journey of another kind — studying from home via distance learning, an education expert says.
For a learner to get information from the textbook into their long-term memories requires many cognitive functions. In this blog article, we’ll explore the role of a dedicated study space for a homeschool learner and try to answer why this is important. To answer this question, we look to cognitive load theory.
The human baby is born with an innate curiosity and a seemingly insatiable need to learn. Toddlers and young children seem to find anything and everything interesting and they never run out of questions! Why is that…? How does…? Where is the…? What is…..? They are also determined to ‘do- it-by-myself!’ In fact, they insist on it!
Socialising is often a big concern for prospective home schoolers as well as the family of home schoolers. However, these students often get to socialize with a greater variety of age groups when compared to learners who attend mainstream schools.
With an automated future ahead of us, the workplace will require a different way of thinking with an emphasis on problem solving, through mathematics as a vehicle, we can cultivate this skill in children from an early age.
‘Innovation has paved the way for an alternative form of education and with the latest technology, Brainline is bridging the gap to accommodate the digital age. In 2019, the focus was on masterclasses to prepare learners for tests and tasks. This year saw the introduction of Brainline Cloud School, the hub of teaching. Here, the focus is on the learner and innovation regarding teaching and facilitation,’ says Coleen Cronje, Brainline Chief Executive Officer.
According to Cindy Glass, Co-Founder and Owner of Step Up Education Centres, “Teaching is one of the most under-rated and under-appreciated professions in our country! Most teachers do not recognise the value of their skills and even less so, the possibility of becoming financially well-off business owners! Teachers have been scraping the bottom of the barrel for so long that the idea of using their skills to achieve business success may seem quite impossible!” Why is this? Cindy offers the following reasons:
At Impaq, we know that every child is unique. Every learner studies at his/her own pace and some might need to spend more time on certain subjects to ensure they grasp the basic concepts. We aim to help learners, who have unique academic needs, achieve their goals.
With South Africa’s Matric pass rate at an historical high, many thousands of learners are in the unexpectedly happy position of having received a Bachelor’s pass, and therefore qualifying for further study. Those who didn’t make provision for this eventuality, may now find themselves in a situation where they no longer need to settle for their Plan B, but can in fact go for Plan A – realising their dreams of pursuing a degree – but with no place at university yet.
You just received your matric results and they weren’t what you expected. Maybe you didn’t get the required marks to receive a National Senior Certificate (NSC). Or, you got your NSC, but you didn’t achieve the symbols required to apply to the tertiary institution or course of your dreams. Luckily, you have a few options when it comes to improving your matric results.
Holidays are like cats! They creep into your lap for a cuddle and just when you start feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, they jet off to some unknown place, leaving you feeling disappointed and perhaps a little cold! Is this not true of these school holidays? They crept in, had a cuddle and left – just like that!
While school violence is prevalent and widespread, schools are also being targeted by criminals for electronic devices such as computers and IT equipment.
In our previous article, we looked at how to choose a curriculum provider and what Impaq offers in that regard. In this article, we are looking at Impaq as a provider of preference within the community and the home education learning environment.
Although the focus is firmly on the Matric Class of 2019 currently writing their NSC exams, their successors in Grade 11 are also now heading to exam rooms across the nation, and they should not underestimate the importance of these assessments, an education expert says. “The last two years of school should not be viewed in isolation. Rather, Grade 11 should be approached as the foundation upon which Matric success is built,” says Peter Kriel, General Manager at The Independent Institute of Education, SA’s largest and most accredited private higher education provider. “So any idea that your performance in Grade 11 doesn’t count, and that you can chill and make up for it next year, should be discarded,” he says. “Apart from the obvious benefit of doing well in these exams, it should be kept in mind that these marks can be submitted to gain provisional access to public universities or private higher education institutions, which means you can get in the gates before the flood of applications come streaming in next year,” he says. Kriel says although the thought of getting the exams over with and then taking a well-deserved break in December will no doubt be appealing to Grade 11s at this stage, there are 3 things they can take care of during the next 3 months which will see them start their final year of school with a distinct advantage over their peers, and with optimal chances of ending Matric on a successful note. 1) DO AS WELL AS POSSIBLE IN YOUR EXAMS “As mentioned before, your Grade 11 results can be used to gain provisional access to university,” he says, “which means that your performance could mean the difference between having a wide range vs a restricted range of options. “But more than that, if you put in your best effort now, and invest in getting to grips with the study methods that work for you while ditching those which do not, you’ll start to get a good idea of your current capability. If you find that, despite your best efforts, you don’t do well, you’ll know that something needs to be tweaked or adjusted going forward. “However not putting in your best effort, means that you will enter your Matric year not understanding your potential, so the lessons you could have learned during these exams will have to be learnt during your final year at school, when you could have directed your focus to something more productive.” 2) REVIEW YOUR RESULTS & STRATEGISE Kriel says the next step, after the exams are done and the results are in, is to honestly assess your situation. “Did you do your best? Could you have worked harder? Could you have worked smarter? Are there subjects that you know are going to need extra attention, or even extra resources in the form of, for instance, tutors or supplementary materials? “The key here is to look at how you performed, and your experience writing these important exams, and then use that information to plan your final year. Sometimes, if you identify serious red flags, it may even be necessary to consider your subject choices. But keep in mind thatonly one subject can be changed in Grade 12, and it must be done within a few weeks of school opening.” 3) SORT OUT THE UNIVERSITY ADMIN Too often, the decision about what to study and where is left until way too late, because it seems like such a straightforward thing to decide and apply, says Kriel. “Nothing could be further from the truth, however. Choices about qualification and institution are major ones, which will have a substantial impact on your life after school, and your future prospects. “These are not decisions that can be left until June next year, and then you wake up and start to scramble to secure a place somewhere, anywhere. That is an ineffective approach and a potentially costly life and financial mistake, not to mention the fact that you simply won’t have the time or energy to do the groundwork next year,” he says. Grade 11 learners should therefore take a week or so timeout to rest after their exams, but then get to planning their post-school life. “The benefit of doing it now, during your holidays before you enter Grade 12, is that time is on your side. So you will be able to do extensive research about the job market and opportunities in the field or fields that interest you. You’ll be able to visit campuses and speak to career counsellors, you’ll also likely find careers and qualifications you’ve never even heard about. “Doing proper research now means you’ll be able to make an informed choice about your future, and, should you come to a decision, you’ll be able to get the extensive and exhaustive admin of the application process out of the way. Then on to Matric where you will start out on your strongest foot, and without the mountain of planning and additional stress that will be waiting for those who decided they’ll cross these bridges when they get there next year.”
The Sunday Times article, ‘Sex lessons for modern grade 4s in new life orientation curriculum’ (12 May 2019), drew strong reactions from educators and parents alike. The article discussed the Department of Basic Education’s proposed changes to the content for sex education as part of the life skills curriculum. According to the article, the revised content includes explicit details for learners as young as ten. The department argues that the inclusion of sex education in the curriculum is aligned to UNESCO’s international technical guidance on sexuality education. In response to the article, the Department of Education denied that explicit information will be included in new textbooks.
We’ve all heard the saying, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. But recent research shows that that is not the case. In their book Words Can Change Your Brain, Andrew Newberg, M.D. and Mark Robert Waldman write: “A single word has the power to influence the expression of genes that regulate physical and emotional stress.” The saying would perhaps then be more accurate if changed to sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can change my brain.
Many learners place very little emphasis on studying for a language exam – after all, we use language every day so how difficult can an exam be, right? Wrong!
Education in any realm is important for changing oneself as well as the community in which we live. Education is the only way that people can build the knowledge to affect any change. I am not merely referring to the learning of facts and theorems but more critically, learning how to effectively question, explore and think about issues, change one’s mind (and the minds of others), innovate and create.
As any parent knows, when it comes to affording quality education for our children, we need all the help we can get. Escalating school fees, continual costs of uniforms and many extras make educating our children a significant, long-term family expense. Quality education features high on the UN’s list of 17 sustainable development goals, and South Africa is a signatory to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which recognises the vital role that education plays in improving lives.
Stand close by and observe the children solving their problems. This is how they begin to develop the skills and confidence to communicate calmly, honestly and politely with others.
Bullying has three defining characteristics – it is deliberate (a bully intends to hurt someone), it is repeated (the behaviour continues over time), and it is power imbalanced (bullies pick on those they perceive as weaker). While bullying takes many forms – verbal, physical, emotional – the results are always destructive. Recognising the warning signs is an important first step in taking action. The following signs may point to bullying: Unexplainable injuries. Lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics or other valuables. Feeling sick or faking an illness, and frequent head or stomach aches. Changes in eating habits, such as binge eating or suddenly skipping meals. Being unusually anxious, nervous, upset, teary, angry and withdrawn. Difficulty sleeping, frequent nightmares or bedwetting. A sudden and significant drop in marks, loss of interest in schoolwork or not wanting to go to school. Avoidance of social situations and other activities. Feelings of helplessness or decreased self-esteem. Running away from home, self-harming or talking about suicide. What to do if you’re being bullied Tell someone If you or someone you know is being bullied the first thing you need to do is tell someone you trust (a parent, sibling, friend, uncle/aunt or a teacher) about the bullying. Tell them to stop Bullies often prey on individuals they perceive as weaker. Try acting confident and assertive and tell the bully to stop. Bullies might also be caught off guard if you brush their comments off with humour or say nothing and walk away. Find safety in numbers Keep yourself surrounded by people and always find a friend to walk with or to eat lunch with. To read more about what to do if you or someone you know is being bullied, click here. Remember that home education allows parents to offer their children emotional reinforcement, to help boost their confidence and self-esteem so they can learn and grow in a safe, supportive and loving environment. By Danielle Barfoot
So, you want to know what a typical day is like for a homeschooling family? That’s one of the best things about home education (also known as homeschooling) – there are no typical days! When educating your children at home, a “typical day” is as unique as each of the families choosing this education option.
And a unique curriculum, influenced by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which encourages the holistic development of every learner towards their purposeful and impactful future
Learners in the Foundation Phase (Grade R to 3) should be introduced to reading in a fun and engaging way. And, that’s exactly what the Impaq readers do. The books accommodate different levels of reading and allow young learners to join in the adventures of Ben, Lebo and Hanna. The main characters are from different ethnic backgrounds and genders, which ensures that learners relate to one or more of the characters and help them grow with the stories. The books start with basic sight words to help learners recognise words earlier. Phonics are engraved at the learner’s own pace as the readers help learners spend enough time on each phonic before moving onto the next one. Reading structure The reading structure is divided into three groups: Phonics Here the learners learn each letter of the alphabet and they learn how to spell words. High-frequency words This includes words such as this, the, that, etc. These words are written on flashcards and learners practise them daily so that they can easily recognise them while they read. Sight words These are longer words that learners will not learn off by heart and that should be placed where learners can see them every day, i.e. up on the wall so that they will eventually start to recognise the words. Sight words can be used along with the theme of the week, e.g. if the theme of the week is careers, sight words can include firefighter, policeman, nurse, etc. Learning to read is fun Impaq learner, Sindisiwe Rangaza, attended a rural pre-school and struggled to adjust in Grade 1. She particularly struggled with learning English and Afrikaans. Her mother, Patricia, bought Impaq’s reading books to help her daughter develop her reading skills. “The Impaq books made learning fun and easy,” Patricia says. Sindisiwe has since developed a love for reading and writing and is doing well in learning to speak English and Afrikaans. Before buying the Impaq readers Patricia struggled to keep Sindisiwe busy during the school holidays but, as you can see in the photo below, she is now reading up a storm. The Impaq readers are unique: Broadens the learners’ vocabulary. Teaches learners how to read longer sentences and develops peripheral view. Consists of 12 phases that stretch from Grade 1 to 3. Can be used independently or as part of an integrated language or phonics programme. Learners are taught to think, talk and become familiar with basic language rules while exercising their knowledge of English/Afrikaans. The Impaq readers are aligned with the CAPS curriculum. As learners progress through the phases, they will follow Ben, Lebo and Hanna and experience thrilling adventures. Click here to learn more about the Impaq readers or to order yours online.
