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Homeschooling ISSUE 1 2020
ENGAGING HEARTS, EQUIPPING MINDS
Homework for parents - managing stress
Outdoor education from your garden
How to create daily schedules which work
06 Education
The love for reading starts early By Dr Ronelle Venter Educational psychologist
With the exception of dyslexia, which is a neurological disorder, too many learners display reading problems, whether it is a delay in reading speed, reading accuracy or reading comprehension. Upon obtaining background information from parents, their child “never liked reading” and struggled since onset of formal schooling. Further
enquiry showed that these parents never (or seldom) spent time with their preschool child by reading to them. “There is no app for a lap.” The love for reading starts on a parent’s lap. A child from as young as six months old – even earlier – safely cuddled in his parent’s arms, looking at pictures, listening to his parent’s voice, will associate books with love and affection. Continued interaction between parent, child and books, stimulates a love for books, an interest in reading and a positive association with books. A child never forgets the feeling of love and safety during reading together with a parent – resulting in a positive attitude towards reading and a special bond with the parent.
“A child never forgets the feeling of love and safety during reading together with a parent – resulting in a positive attitude towards reading and a special bond with the parent.” SA HOMESCHOOLING
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Education
A child’s development is rapid and crucial in his/her first five years. The benefits of a reading-together experience from a very young age, apart from the abovementioned, are multiple and reading benefits include: • Listening to stories stimulates the ability to visualise (imagine) – thus forming a picture/image of the story. Unfortunately, learners who lacked hearing stories and rhymes and who were given iPads, PlayStations, access to television and cellphones from a young age, did not learn how to visualise, as they get immediate visual input from these different types of media. The result is that – when they study – they cannot visualise or form a picture of the lesson material. • Reading with comprehension and discussing stories with the older toddler, helps them to learn to distinguish between cause and effect, that every action has a reaction and that
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one should take responsibility for choices made. Vocabulary and the use of language are developed – an extremely important asset in academic achievement. Observation skills are developed. With the correct guidance, a child learns to have empathy for others. By paging through the book, a child learns to distinguish between left and right, which also has an impact on eye movement and midline crossing – which is an essential skill in academic work. Attention span and the ability to arrange events are better than those children who disliked reading stories.
If the child enjoys the reading experience, they will become lifelong readers. In addition, their reading skills will improve: They will learn to read earlier, better and with greater ease when they enter school.
SA HOMESCHOOLING
08 Sport
Be a good sport By Danielle Barfoot
Nike used the slogan “You don’t win silver — you lose gold” during the 1996 Olympic Games. It was quite controversial as it essentially implied that even if you won a silver medal (making you second best in a specific event in the entire world), you were a “loser”. Two decades on and the tables have turned. Today, our children are taught that everyone is a winner. Unfortunately, if your child expects a positive outcome
“By learning to respect others on the track or field, your child will grow into an adult who shows consideration for others, even in tough situations.” SA HOMESCHOOLING
from every competitive situation, he will never learn how to deal with losing, which is an inevitable part of real life. At most schools, a variety of sports are already in full swing and, while nobody likes to lose – children tend to show just how much they hate losing by breaking down into sobs or by storming off in frustration – it is important to teach your child about good sportsmanship and losing gracefully if he wants to take part. Here are a few tips to teach your child how to play – and lose – like a champ:
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Play fair: It might seem easier to win by cheating, but a good sportsman wants to win because he followed the rules and played the best game he could. Watch your mouth: Stay focused on the game instead of getting angry with teammates, coaches or referees. Avoid arguing and never use bad language. Respect your opponent: Whether you win or lose, it’s important to show respect for your opponent’s efforts. If you lose, accept defeat, acknowledge your opponent’s abilities and move on. Encourage others: If you are
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playing on a team, praise your teammates for what they do well and support them when they make mistakes. Avoid criticism and unkind actions. • End with a handshake: A good sportsman enjoys the game and knows how to end it on a positive note, whether or not he won. There is much more to be gained from the sports experience than a winning record. In fact, teaching your child to be both a gracious loser and a humble winner is an important life skill. In sport, as in life,
threats, anger, criticism and other negative expressions towards others are not acceptable. By learning to respect others on the track or field, your child will grow into an adult who shows consideration for others, even in tough situations. Finally, remember that all children observe and imitate the significant adults (parents, teachers and coaches) in their lives, so make sure that you model positive values and respectful behaviour – especially when you are shouting from the sidelines!
SA HOMESCHOOLING