Blogs

Grade R, Grade 1
Encouraging literacy at home
Homes are ideal places for children to learn about how we use reading and writing to get things done but also for pleasure. Use these simple ideas to help turn your home into a literacy-learning hub!
1. If you want your children to become literate, they need to see you using reading and writing in different ways in your daily life. You need to be their reading and writing role model!
2. Read to your children regularly. Through this simple activity they learn how we read and how books work. And, hearing new words in stories also helps develop their vocabulary.
3. Visit the library together often. Spending unhurried time looking at lots of books helps your children work out which books and authors they enjoy most.
4. For children to learn to read and write, they need reading and writing materials around them in easy-to-reach places. Make sure that in your home there are plenty of books that interest them as well as a good supply of paper, pencils, crayons and kokis to write and draw with.
5. Use a recipe to bake or cook with your children. Start by reading the list of ingredients together, then let your children help gather the things you need. (As they do this, they learn that the words on labels ‘name’ what is inside.) Read and follow each of the steps in the recipe together.
6. Put a shopping list on the fridge and add to it as you need to. Suggest your children write up things they need too. Then take the list with you when you go shopping and let your child tick off the items as you put them in the shopping trolley!
7. Encourage your children to write reminder notes or to-do lists to help organise themselves – in this way they are writing the list or note and then reading it later!
8. Declare one supper time a week a ‘storytelling supper session’. Retell your children stories that you know or make up your own new ones!
Preschool, Grade R, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7
Learning through play

Children learn and understand concepts and emotions better through play.  Playing is how they learn, it comes naturally to them.  Sometimes it might not look like much is happening, but playing develops their brains and allows children to use all their senses - hearing, seeing, tasting, touching,... Read the full article
Grade R, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6
It can be confusing to keep up with all that is needed for your child to develop and grow at school.
Here are some tips to help you to help your child: If you are unsure of the concepts yourself ask the teacher to show you – remember the teacher works with these concepts on a daily basis. If you are unsure of how to teach or... Read the full article
Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6
The Parent In this phase your role remains to teach, guide and assist your child in their educational, physical, emotional and social development. You should also still work with the teacher so that your child progresses confidently through school. It is advised to continue checking homework and assisting when necessary. If your child is battling... Read the full article
Preschool
The Parent The first step as a parent is realising that your child is not an independent learner during Foundation Phase. This implies that your child needs to be taught and helped in their learning.
The second step is to realise that your role is to teach, guide and assist your child in their educational, physical, emotional and social... Read the full article
Grade R, Grade 1
Encouraging literacy at home
Homes are ideal places for children to learn about how we use reading and writing to get things done but also for pleasure. Use these simple ideas to help turn your home into a literacy-learning hub!
1. If you want your children to become literate, they need to see you using reading and writing in different... Read the full article

Pages