Alternative Education December 2019 Issue

SOMMA in samewerking met SAHomeschoolers.org en die Pestalozzi Trust

THE JOURNEY TO

ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION

Issue: 4 20 December 2019

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE A guide to prevent a wasteful and overwhelming Christmas

REGGIO EMILIA Try a reggio-inspired approach to enhance critical thinking

MATH & LEGO Practical lessons to develop critical math skills

Routes to Knowledge Roetes na Kennis

"sTanD asIDe a wHilE anD leAVe roOM foR leARniNg, obSErVe caREfuLlY wHat cHilDrEN do anD tHen, if yoU haVE unDErStoOD weLl, peRhAPs teAChiNg wiLl be diFfERenT fRom beFOre." -Loris Malaguzzi

Merry Christmas!

4

The team behind the scenes

5

Book of the month

5

CONTENT

Introduction

Educational aspects of homeschooling The Reggio Emilia Approach

6

Reimagine education: Reggio Emila insoiraton in Africa 8

How learning happens Why Lego and math walk hand-in hand

10

10 Kreatiewe maniere om jou kind te help lees

13

Life skills Why faith is important in education

17

Support The ultimate Christmas gift guide to a blissful Christmas Press release: First African Home education Indaba held A deeper understanding of our children

Regulating aspects Homeschooling and the law

20

Inspiring Families Elf on the shelf

29

Business focus Scriptorium Stationery

Riddle

28 32

26

22 24

4

INTRODUCTION

G E S E Ë N D E

K E R S F E E S

Merry Christmas

Ikrismesi emnandi Baie dankie aan ons toegewyde lesers vir julle ondersteuning vanaf die begin van "Alternative Education".

Geseënde Kersfees aan al ons tuisskoolgesinne en 'n voorspoedige nuwe jaar!

Met liefde, Bouwe, Karin en die Somma-span A big thank you to our devoted readers for supporting us since the launch of "Alternative Education".

Merry Christmas to all our homeschooling families and a prosperous new year!

With love, Bouwe, Karin and the Somma-team

atnaS dniF

5

INTRODUCTION

The team behind the scenes Husband and wife duo, Wikus and Leandri, proposed a magazine based on alternative education, as they were both educators. They saw the need for a new and fresh approach, free of the rigid learning in classrooms today. Their goal is to make homeschooling accessible to everyone, so that children can learn in a way that suit them best. They are firm believers that children are strong individuals, capable of learning and research from a very young age. They want "Alternative Education" to be an all-in-one resource for homeschooling families, as well as parents considering homeschooling.

book of the month How the Grinch stole Christmas!

by Dr. Seuss On the outskirts of Whoville lives a green, revenge-seeking Grinch, who plans to ruin Christmas for all of the citizens of the town.

But will he succeed?

6

EDUCATIONAL ASPECTS OF HOMESCHOOLING

A

REGGIOINSPIRED A P P R O A C H

I personally believe the Reggio Emillia approach has the ability to change the course of education as we know it today.

Explaining the approach to someone is both incredibly easy, yet difficult.

Reggio Emlia is the most natural, unforced approach and can best be explained as an approach that follows the child, whether it is fast-paced or slow. Never forcing, just following. The teacher is seen as a partner in research, an equal learner, rather than the authoritative figure.

Children and teachers explore and seek answers together. Tizziana Filipinni says it best: "The Reggio Emilia approach is not a recipe, it doesn't tell you what to do.

Rather, it's an educational approach rooted in Reggio Emilia, one that asks

you to be respectful and mindful of your context and community - to be aware of questions like where children come from, where they live, what their days are like, what they miss or want, so as to be able to welcome the children and their culture. To think that it is a model to implement is to betray the approach."

Learning usually takes place through projects. The project would be an interest that naturally came up and children started discussing possibilities, conclusions and ideas, all of it closely documented by the teacher. Children have complete freedom to share their ideas and have materials available to explore their theories with various materials. The picture below started with an interest of the sun, that led to the

Planets made from recycled materials by children 3-6yrs, hung up in class

7

EDUCATIONAL ASPECTS OF HOMESCHOOLING

moon, then the other planets and their moons, followed by the Milky Way and the galaxies beyond. This project lasted 13 weeks and the children learnt math, writing, reading, problem-solving, colours, shapes, data, letter recognition, relations to space, comparison, order.

This list can go on and on and on... And nothing of it was forced, it was a natural learning process.

The classroom children use is also seen as a teacher. It is filled with different materials, all for children to use. The classroom is natural, with as little plastic as possible, bringing in nature, plants, leaves, sand, shells, anything really, instead of looking at plastic replicas. The experiences are physical and emotional.

They have opportunities to touch and feel, to smell, to look intensely and share their findings without judgement.

The Reggio Emilia approach originates from Reggio Emilia, a city in Northern Italy, with only 171 595 residents. The city invests 13% of its budget in education in early childhood. Loris Malaguzzi was the main founder of the approach.

- Leandri Snyman

8

EDUCATIONAL ASPECTS OF HOMESCHOOLING

REIMAGINE EDUCATION REGGIO EMILIA INSPIRATION IN AFRICA

The Africa Reggio Emilia Alliance is very proud to have published its first booklet on the Reggio Emilia approach and how it can inspire the ways we teach and learn.

In its pages, we’ve unpacked the 12 principles* of the Reggio Emilia approach in a format that’s easy to read (and hopefully understand). We take a big-picture look at the overarching theory of each principle, give you a sense of how the principle works in practice, and end with suggestions for how you might take inspiration from this principle in your own school or teaching practice. We’ve also included images from South African schools and teachers who are inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach and working to put it into practice in their own context – just to show you what’s possible.

To make it easy to navigate, we’ve also given each principle its own unique colour and Ankara or shweshwe pattern. And true to the Reggio Emilia philosophy, we’ve tried to keep beauty top of mind in the booklet’s design – knowing how beauty can put us at ease, inspire us, and provoke new thinking or unexpected connections.This booklet is less of a training manual and more of an invitation to take your teaching practice deeper, a provocation to relook (and maybe even rethink) the organisation of your own classroom or school. * These 12 principles are defined in Indications, a document that outlines the identity and aims of the municipal preschools and infant-toddler centres of Reggio Emilia, the principles of the approach, and essential elements of the schools’ operation. It was developed through wide community involvement and participatory consultation, as part of ensuring its guiding criteria are transparent, shared, and put into practice. Published

by Reggio Children,Indications is available for purchase through the Africa Reggio Emilia Alliance.

EDUCATIONAL ASPECTS OF HOMESCHOOLING

WEIVREVO KOOB

9

Commissioned by the board of the Africa Reggio Emilia Alliance Editors: Tessa Browne and Des Hugo Writer: Judith Browne Designer: Kevin Shelley Davis Published: October 2018 Pages: 48 ISBN 978-0-620-81744-8

To Reimagine Education is available through AREA’s professional development initiatives – our workshops, conferences, study tours and school visits. Contact tessa@reggio.co.za for more details.

HOW LEARNING HAPPENS

10

LIKE COOKIES AND MILK: MATH AND LEGO Lego has been around for ages. We all know how beneficial it is for our kids to play with Lego. Children can create anything they can imagine. Just beware - stepping on these blocks may cause excessive shouting, screaming and hopping around.

You first start off with 6 rectangular blocks. Each in a different colour. Here is where you can introduce terms like rectangle, circle, the different colours, horizontal and vertical.

Ask your child to lay the blocks down horizontally in a specific order, as we have done in the picture. The order we used is red, blue, green, yellow, grey and white.

This activity allows you to assess if your child know his colours, understands the term 'horizontally' and can remember the instructions you have given him to place them in a certain order.

From the starting position, where your 6 rectangular blocks are placed in the order asked, we test the child's ability to listen to instructions and act them out. With the blocks horizontally sequenced, you can give instructions as follows to create the tower on the right: Place your blue block on top of your red block Place the white block under the red block Place the yellow block between the blue and red block Place the grey block under the white block Place the green block between the grey and white block

This way you can assess if your child is able to listen to instructions, act them out and use critical thinking to perform the task at hand.

11

HOW LEARNING HAPPENS

let's make music!

Lego is so versatile and the amount of learning opportunities are endless! I have found that this is my kids' favourite game. Each block represents a sound. Example, a square is a clap, rectangle is a finger snap. The first row would then be finger snap, clap, finger snap, finger snap, clap, clap, finger snap. You can add small rectangles and medium rectangles and add other movement, such as lap clap, cross over chest, foot stomp, or even use a musical drum.

The choice is yours!

data handling Data handling is very important as it encompasses real-world situations and assists in developing critical thinking skills in learners. However, teachers have noted that learner performance in data handling has decreased immensely in the past few years. Data handling may seem easy, but it is important that children are not only able to do data handing, but also understand the mathematical concepts of data handling.

Data handling exercises with Lego are endless! For example, one method is to put all the Lego on a pile. Tell your child to pick up as many rectangles - in any colour - as he can in 10 seconds before you say stop. Then ask him to stack all the same colours on top of one another, making a tower for each colour. The towers will be different heights and you will end up with something similar to the picture above.

After you place the towers next to each other, in no specific order, take time to discuss the data you have collected. Don’t rush to the next stage as discussing and analyzing findings is a key component to understanding data handling. Discuss how many blocks each tower contains and remind each other what the tower represents. Feel free to ask your child questions to initiate critical thinking. Which tower contains the most blocks, and the least?

Why do you think the (colour) tower is so high? What do you notice about the grey and green tower? Feel free to spend some extra time here to discuss.

12

HOW LEARNING HAPPENS

o r d e r Learning order is a great way to develop number sense. After your thorough discussion of the data you have collected, proceed to ask your child to pack the towers in order. It can either be from big to small/ most to least/ highest to lowest or small to big/ least to most/ lowest to highest. Discuss the placement of the towers (first, second, third etc.). Discuss which tower is the most or the least or which one seems to be in the middle of the highest and lowest. Discuss why the tower is in that certain placement, for example, the yellow tower is second, because you picked up more blue rectangles than yellow rectangles. Continue the analysis of the placement of the towers. Discussions are extremely important in data handling, as collecting data is not only about studying the results; but also coming to a conclusion.

describing

Describing shapes is a great way to learn mathematical concepts and also teaches mathematical language. You can throw a handful of Lego into a bag (not see-through), ask your child to take one out with his eyes closed and explain the side. Go first so your child can lead my example and be sure they understand terms such as "long sides, short sides, even sides, angles etc.).

For example, "my shape has four sides of even length, with four angles, it has four dots on top.

It is a ... square!" Or one can explain and the other one should guess.

Leandri Snyman

13

10

HOW LEARNING HAPPENS

kreatiewe maniere om jou kind te help lees

1 Flitskaarte

Elke kind moet sy eie alfabet pak hê. Jy kan een koop: daar is ’n mooi kleurvolle alfabet stel in die boek 'Afkrikaans Alfabet.' Of maak sommer jou eie! Ons kon ons s'n lamineer, maar jy kan karton en DC-fix gebruik as jy nie ‘n lamineer masjien het nie. Dan kan die leerling die woorde bou wat jy sê hy moet. Hy pak die klankies saam. Daarom gaan jy so paar ekstra klinkers en letters moet maak wat dikwels meer as een keer in woorde voorkom, sodat die leerling woorde soos ‘boom’ en ‘blaar’ ook kan bou.

2 Klei

Klei bly lekker of jy nou 2 is of 20.

Dit werk goed om letters mee te vorm. Die fiesiese beweeging en groot motoriese inspanning om die letters te maak en dan die woord te bou help die brein om dit beter te onthou.Die kind kan ook n tandestokkie neem en die oefen woord skryf in die klei.

3 Plakkers Plakkers is so oulik deesdae! Mens kry in allerande fonts en alfabet soorte. Plak eenvoudig elke letter op ‘n doppie (ons versamel permanent doppies van melk en koeldrank boksies). En dan kan leerling woorde bou en spel tot die son sak!

14

HOW LEARNING HAPPENS

4 Blokkies Gebruik Duplo of enige groot bou blokke en plak wit plakkers op of selfs ‘masking tape’. Skryf dan ‘n letter op elke kant en laat liefding woordjies bou, letterlik!

5 Spel die woord met wat dit is

Tydskrif 6 prentjies Hier kan maatjie tydskrif prentjies uitknip en plak in ‘n boek of lamineer. Skryf dan die woorde neer op hul eie stukkie karton. Dalk wil jy vir eers die prente kies sodat hulle binne die leesvermoë is van jou kind.

7 Magnete Yskasmagnete is ’n wonderlike uitvindsel! Hierdie oulike manier om woorde te bou en oefen kom van Pinterest af.

15

HOW LEARNING HAPPENS

8 Speelgoed Gebruik speelgoed wat jy in jou huis het en skryf die woorde neer vir die diertjies en groente en enige speelgoed wat jou jong lesertjie graag mee speel. Dan moet sy die speelding pas by die woordjie. Lees eers saam deur al die woorde. Herhaal die speletjie vir die hele week. Aan die einde van die week, sal dit goed wees as leerling die woordjies kan neerskryf soos jy die speelgoed in ‘n ry gepak het.

9 Kos Daars alfabet pasta te koop by Woolworths. En alfabet koekie knippers by sommige winkels. Julle kan alfabet koekies bak of sommer letters uit brood druk

10 Plak dit op die voorwerp

Janet Kieswetter - Kieswetter Klaskamer

16

Christmas tip Boots + flour = Santa stepping snow into the house to drop off the presents!

17

LIFE SKILLS

The importance of

faith IN education Why is faith important in education?

Well, it depends on who you talk to, but from my teaching experience, I have found that faith is what grounds, wisely directs and adds joy to good education. I say good education, because some education is not good - some education leaves out the very important fact that the mind is intimately intertwined with heart, body and soul. By heart in this instance, I am referring to the emotional being of a person. We cannot seek to educate the mind without seeking to also nourish the other vital parts of a human being.

When do you learn best? When you are hungry? Sleep-deprived? Sad? Anxious? Lacking meaning and purpose in life? Uninspired? NO. Learning happens best when we are physically well and when we feel safe and able to attend to what is going on around us, when we find joy in our learning and can see the benefits of wise application of this learning to our lives.

So how does faith fit into all this?

I will revert back to my original statement which says that faith GROUNDS good education. When we believe in God, that there is a creator and a sustainer of the universe who loves us, when we put our faith in the One who formed us and watches over us, we feel safe. We feel that our backs are covered and that when life gets hard and confusing, when we don’t know the answers, we can rely on One who is a firm foundation, a rock, a compass, an all-knowing Father who, when we trust Him, says that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Phew. And there is solid ground. For teachers, this means that even when we get overwhelmed, when despite our best efforts we fall short, when the odds are stacked against us and we can’t fix every child and every problem, we need not despair; for God does not define us based on our performance. He does not expect us to be perfect. He asks us to lean on His grace and not only does that take the pressure off, but it inspires us to do better.

18

LIFE SKILLS

This is the amazing power of grace - a resting place and a source of strength.

For children, faith means that a bad exam result does not define them, the fact that they aren’t as good on the sports field as they think they should be doesn’t stop them from trying their best and from enjoying sports. For children, faith also means that they might realize they are not entitled to anything but rather, can play an important role in benefiting the lives of others. For parents, faith means that they understand we are living in an overlap of the kingdoms. Through Jesus, God’s Kingdom has broken into this world where the prince of darkness is still permitted to rule. So parents acknowledge that they in themselves cannot ultimately provide full security for their children and guarantee them a pain-free life. They can do their best, obviously, to provide as stable and safe a home as possible, but nothing is guaranteed.

So when their children come across pain and trials, or when they fail, when the family meets a crisis, parents need not freak out and panic, they can arm themselves with God’s promises and face the battle head-on,

modelling exemplary maturity and courage which their children will soak up and get confidence from. Thus, faith provides the grounding of the people involved in education. And education will always flow from, through and to people.Now we come to wise direction in education.

Leaders in education are primarily responsible for this one with regards to curriculum and school management, but there are many role players in education and every single person is responsible for wise direction of education according to their role. When we are rooted in faith and have healthy self-esteem, are not easily discouraged by trials and are inspired daily by love and grace, we tend to make wiser decisions that, and this is CRUCIAL, are not self-centered. The bible tells us in Proverbs chapter 10 that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” and James 3:17 says “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere”.

Wow! Imagine how education directed by this kind of

LIFE SKILLS

19

wisdom could impact a nation, a community, a school, a family‌ When we attempt to side-line God out of education, what we get is the opposite. We get an education which is for self - what YOU can get out of life, what YOU deserve, how YOU can get ahead, how YOU can get rich in order to enjoy life’s choicest pleasures. This generates greed, envy, insecurity, hate, idleness and isolation. Education which includes true faith will always seek an education that benefits others and teaches generosity, forgiveness and joy in serving the least, the lost and the broken. This kind of direction in education does not ultimately come from a human heart. We can try in the feeble strength of our fallen humanity but it will never be powerful nor consistent enough to go the distance.

A human heart transformed by faith and grace is lead in the direction of wisdom spoken about in James 3.

Wisdom will also teach us the good, simple things in life like: it is important to get enough sleep, not to stay up till all hours in the night playing video games and watching Netflix. It will also teach us that foods that provide better nutrition and sustenance, along with a decent amount of physical exercise, will make our bodies healthy and thus we will enjoy being in them more, and probably be in a better mood most of the time. Extending this example, wisdom also teaches that when we are rested and healthy, not only is it good for us, but it is good for those around us.

And wisdom which comes from heaven loves goodness towards others.The last point that I would like to expand on is joy. Why do we feel joy? What exactly is that emotion? One of the reasons I love teaching is that I get to experience child-like joy through the children I teach. Generally, children experience much more joy than adults and it is often in a more pure form. It is experienced while running around on the playground with friends, cuddling pets and bringing show and tell to school. It is experienced in art, music, going on a nature walk, enjoying a mighty downpour of long-awaited rain while the teacher attempts to keep the excited audience in their seats. Joy is from God, because God is joyful. When we know God as a happy God (which He really is) who delights to manifest His beauty and love through nature and people, we come to more deeply appreciate the joys we experience, because they come from love and they come as a blessing to us. God is kind and the best joy we can experience in education is when we understand that experiential joy through discovery, success, creating, companionship, reading a good story, being in nature, whatever stirs a heart, these experiences will come and go and we need not cling too tightly to them or be too sad when they are over, because we can go directly to the source of all joy.

These things serve to reflect the joy of the Lord and point back to Him so that we might rejoice in and praise Him, to our greatest joy.

Christine Gregoriardes

REGULATING ASPECTS

20

HOMESCHOOLING AND THE LAW The information provided by the media and government officials on the legal status of homeschooling in South Africa is often confusing to parents. This article explains the law concerning homeschooling in South Africa, with references to reliable sources so that you can verify the facts for yourself.

Homeschooling and the law. The supreme law in South Africa is the Constitution. The cornerstone of the Constitution is the Bill of Rights, which is described in chapter 2 of the Constitution. According to article 29(1) of the Constitution, everybody in South Africa has the right to basic education, including children. Everybody also has the right to decide where they want to receive this education and what the content of this education should be. However, children are not capable of making these decisions for themselves. That is why article 28(1)(b) of the Constitution states that children have the right to family or parental care or appropriate alternative care. This means that parents and guardians must make decisions on behalf of the children in their care about what is in their best interests. This includes decisions on education and means that parents and guardians must decide what type of education a child should receive, be it school education or home education. When

interpreting the Bill of Rights, the Constitution also requires, in article 39(1)(b), that courts must consider international law. One piece of international law that is applicable is article 26(3) of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that “Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children”. This means that only parents and legal guardians have the authority to decide whether children in their care should be educated at home or at a formal school. The Constitution does not state that government officials have the authority to make that decision and as such you do not need to ask for permission to educate your children at home. If you have to ask for permission, it is not a right, but a privilege. The media sometimes mentions that parents and guardians must submit their highest qualification when registering their children for homeschooling. Neither the Constitution nor the South African Schools Act, states that the right to choose home education is only relevant to parents of certain levels of education.

REGULATING ASPECTS

21 There is therefore no legal basis for requiring parents to submit their qualifications.

Research has also repeatedly shown that the parents’ qualifications have no influence on the success of home education. There is therefore also no educational reason to ask parents to submit their qualifications.

Parents who homeschool are intimately involved with their children and know exactly what their children can or cannot do. However, officials often require them to keep a record of attendance, records of progression as well as records of assessment. What value do cabinets full of records add to education? To ensure that mom will remember that her children were at home on 25 April 2011 in three years’ time?

Because of this, more than 95% parents do not register their children for home education.

Officials also do not understand the law that they are supposed to apply. Although the South African Constitution, international law and court judgments all confirm that only parents have the authority to decide what type of education their children will get and what the content will be, provincial officials still ask parents to submit the curriculum they plan to follow for approval. Officials act as if home education is a privilege and not a right. At public meetings officials often talk about “our” children, as if the children belong to them and as if they have the authority to make decisions on behalf of these children. The statement is often made that it takes a village to raise a child, and the department of education is regarded as an important part of this village.

History and research has however shown that it does not take a village to raise a child, but committed parents.

The media also sometimes mentions that parents must submit the curriculum that they plan to follow. This implies that department of education should approve the curriculum. This requirement is not present in the Constitution nor the Schools Act and furthermore, a recent judgement in the Pretoria High Court also confirmed this. On 25 March 2012, Judge Cynthia Pretorius ruled that the state curriculum is not binding on independent schools and parents who educate their children at home.

The situation in practice The South African Schools Act requires parents to register their children for education at home. This registration must be done at the provincial department of education. In practice however, some provincial departments do not have the administrative capability to register children for home education. Some of the larger provincial departments have limited administrative capabilities to register children for home education. However, the officials in those departments have a very limited understanding of home education.

Bouwe van der Eems

I N T E R E S T E D

I N

ADVERTISING I N

A L T E R N A T I V E

E D U C A T I O N ?

EMAIL US! S O M M A M A R K E T I N G @ G M A I L . C O M

SUPPORT

22

THE ULTIMATE

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

Ah, Christmas. A beautiful time of the year and what a beautiful story! Christmas is rich in life-changing history and tradition, and come on... Let's face it. Who doesn't love Christmas? Even the Grinch changed his mind.

But there is a not-so-beautiful part of Christmas and that is the pressure! And the rush!

Oh the chaos that is upon us when Christmas nears! You are making lists and then making lists to keep track of your lists. You are planning meals and salads and sides, and wrecking your brain on what to get that aunt that you only see once a year.

But the kids, they love Christmas! Their excitement and utter glee is so infectious while they await Santa, pondering on whether they have done enough to make the nice-list.

We mostly make a big deal out of Christmas for the little ones. The Christmas letters to Santa, secretly buying and wrapping gifts, placing them under the tree just to hear those shrieks of excitement! But with you buying for your kids (who can blame you?) and granny and their aunt and and and … It tends to get a bit overwhelming, or you start to think, “Maybe they were too spoilt this Christmas…”

Well, here is a great guide to a less stressful, less wasteful, more blissful Christmas.

This list can be applied to anyone, so feel free to use it over and over (and over) again.

It's very simple and straight-forward.

Something you want Something you need Something to wear Something to read Let's set up a few Christmas lists shall we?

23

SUPPORT

L i l y 's l i s t

As you see, the gifting options are

ou want y g in h t e m So

endless! You can even divide it into who buys what, example, Grandparents

Lego

buy Lily 'something to read'

u need o y g in h t e Som

ls a d n a s r e Sum m o wear Something t

re s s a F ro z e n d read o t g in h t e m So

s d l i h C m a S W o o lly -

d a D 's l iS

t

Someth ing you want

bRaAi to

N gS

Someth ing you need coOLer b

oX foR c aMpINg

Someth ing to w ear

f i S h IN g c

aP

Someth ing to r oUtLiErS ead - ma

Grandpa

LcOLm g LadWElL

Something you want Family photos

Something you need

Mom Som ethi ng y ou w Wood ant en cut ting bo Som ard ethi ng y ou n Sun ha eed t

Good old "sakdoek"

Something to wear Sleeping vests

for be ach da ys

Something to read

Som ethi ng to

Letters from Grandkids

Bread

Scarf

Som ethi ng to and w

in e - S

wea r

re hauna ad N ie q u i st

24

SUPPORT

1

African Home Education Indaba held

st

‘Home education is a right of parents and children that must be protected by every state.

Nations that respect and protect the right of parents and children to home educate demonstrate a commitment to respecting human rights, but governments which restrict home education don’t trust their citizens,’ said Mike Donnelly, SC, Director of Global Outreach at the HSLDA. He was a key speaker at the historic first African Home Education Indaba, held in Pretoria from 17-19 October, 2019. Delegates from a number of nations gathered to confirm their solidarity as a global homeschooling movement.

‘Although the right to home education is protected in many international treaties and documents like the UDHR (1948), parents internationally and in many African countries like Kenya and Uganda are in a continual battle with government infringement on parental and family rights, says Godfrey Kyazze, homeschooling leader from Uganda. Peter Stock, President of the HSLDA in Canada reported that even countries like Canada experience the same threat to home education. In South Africa the freedom of homeschooling parents will be seriously restrictled if the BELA Bill, published for comment in October 2017, is passed as law.

‘‘Homeschooling is good for children. It’s good for families. It’s good for communities. It’s good for countries. It’s good for the whole world,’ Donnelly said. Speaking on freedom in education, Alexey Komov, Russian homeschooling leader and board member of the GHEX, testified to the freedom homeschoolers presently enjoy in the former Soviet country, where families are actively taking the responsibility for raising their children themselves, instead of abdicating this right to the state.

‘‘Policy-makers

and

government

officials

who

attended

the

Indaba

received

solid

researched information on all aspects of homeschooling. International researchers who attended the Indaba were Dr. Debra Bell, author and researcher from the USA, and Dr. Brian Ray, from the National Home Education Research Institute in the USA. Research confirms

that

the

amount

and

intensity

contribute to the success of homeschoolers.

of

regulation

of

homeschooling

does

not

25

SUPPORT The Indaba indeed is a symbol of hope. ‘We have been able to inspire and inform one another,’ says Canute Waswa, homeschooling father and leader from the East African Community of Homeschoolers. ‘A generation of passionate young parents are rising up who are determined to do whatever it takes to ensure that homeschooling succeeds, not only for their generation, but also for the generations to come!’ So in spite of many obstacles – legal, social and political – the attendees of the Indaba could confirm that they are looking towards a bright future for home education in the African continent.

GHEX African Subcommittee 2019 Christopher Cordeiro (LearnFree); Liz Gitonga (EACH); Godfrey Kyazze (EACH); Mary Muriuki (EACH); HP Steyn (Kragdag); Bouwe van der Eems (Pestalozzi Trust); Debbie van der Eems (sahomeschoolers.org); Karin van Oostrum (Pestalozzi Trust); Canute Waswa (EACH)

At Tall Trees, your child is not an empty vessel that needs to be filled. We believe every child is independent and strong, able to explore and has their own theories.

Therefor, children aren't seen as a product that needs to be developed by a teacher, but teachers and children are partners in research. At Tall Trees, teachers don't teach. They spark curiosity, rather than give direct instruction. Our job is to support our children in their search for answers, not give it to them. Jean Piaget said "When you teach a child something, you take away forever his chance of discovering it for himself."

26

SUPPORT

A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF OUR CHILDREN Many relationships are ruined due to a lack of understanding of why people react in a certain way. Looking at our own children parents would want to claim that they know their children well. Although those of us that raised teenagers knows that they can surprise us and cause us to ask “who’s child is that”, or “where did that come from?” Other than usually using common sense and our own life experience, the only time we endeavor to find out more scientifically who our children are, is when they are tested to choose school subjects. Even then, we are not properly guided to understand what the analysis means other than what subjects to choose and what jobs they will be able to do one day.

Not only do parents want to understand their children, but teenagers specifically would also want to understand their parents better. Have we not all heard the frustration phrase from our teenagers: “I will never understand you, dad!”

To know more about our children, what their preferences are or their specific personalities, it is not only helpful to know whom we have under our roofs, but more importantly, it can give them tools to navigate life in relation to their role and interaction in it.

SUPPORT

27 If we knew a little more about our children,

the upcoming holidays. She is making plans

how they think and why they think like that,

for what exciting things you as a family are

we would be better skilled to guide and

going to do during the holidays (Strategist/

coach them through life's challenges. Various

R1). You, on the other hand, are collecting data

resources exist to empower parents and

and gathering information before you decide

children to understand each other better.

on any plans for the holiday (Analiser/ L1).

Potential result: You disagree on how you see

Here are a few:

the holiday to be because your brain preference differ. Now there is conflict.

The Five Love Languages (https://www.5lovelanguages.com) -

Tall Trees

understand how your children prefer to

(https://www.talltreestraining.com) –

receive appreciation whether in 1. gifts, 2.

Boxwood Tree: Planned and punctual,

words of affirmation, 3. acts of service, 4.

quality controllers. Pine Tree: Peace-loving

quality time, or 5. physical touch. Whether

and patient, usually introverted focused on

they give or receive it. Understand that the

the team and family. Palm Tree: Playful and

“wrong” type of appreciation for them may

positive, joyful individuals with love for

cause conflict.

people and focus on the exciting

Example: Your child is not satisfied when

opportunities in life. Rose Bushes: Prickly

you offer gifts as a token of your

but productive, born pioneers who tend to

appreciation, but thrives when you spend

lead the way, their way. Potential result:

quality time with them, or perhaps when

Your eldest is a Palm Tree, his brother is a

you give a hug to express your appreciation.

Rose Bush they cannot seem to get along.

Potential result: You disagree on how you

By sensitizing family members on the

give and receive appreciation or love. This

diverse profiles of their fellow family

causes conflict and unhappy individuals in

members and how they can consider

the family.

alternative views or approaches can build healthy relationships. This is a life lesson

Brain preferences or brain dominance

that can be applied not only to family life

(https://www.nbiprofile.com or

but also to broader society.

www.hbdi.com) - We all approach life from different “angles”. Some of us like to

Pieter Snyman

prioritise the emotional side of a situation (Personaliser/ R2), some prefer to approach challenges on a step by step tick list (Organiser/ L2), some prefer first to gather much information (Analiser/ L1) and other like to dream and approach life from a visionary or strategic angle (Strategist/ R1).

Example: Your daughter dreams about

Merry Christmas!

28

BUSINESS FOCUS

THE SCRIPTORIUM

S S E N I S U B CUS FO

When children only start to write their names, it may seem like a simple task, but some very important milestones are reached while performing this 'simple' task and starting to experiment with writing:

With so many stages to go through, the more interest in writing and making sure it is FUN and not work, I have found stationery to be an amazing persuasion.

Children learn the significance of space and how it should be used on the page, for example, the location of their name They learn about the size of letters on paper Their name becomes a collection of known letters They learn to write other words based on their names

I have worked with various children on the spectrum and just offering a pencil or pen with a character on, sets them in such a good mood and makes them excited to try it out! You can even act out stories with characters on pens or pencils and write stories about them.

The opportunities are endless!

Although their 'writing' may not look like much at the beginning, it is all part of going through the five stages of writing and spelling development.

Non-spelling stage Early invented spelling stage Purely phonetic spelling stage mixed spelling stage fully conventional spelling stage

29

INSPIRING FAMILIES

elf on the shelf

HE'S BACK AND UP TO MISCHIEF AGAIN! Husband and wife team, Gerhard and Elricka want their son to understand what Christmas is really about, that Jesus lives and that His life on earth gave us life, that he is our Saviour and we can have a loving relationship with Him. They want him to know that Christmas is more than the gifts and Father Christmas, but also want him to dream whatever he wants to dream and let his imagination guide him, and to realize the freedom to be expressive is the biggest gift. It is of utter importance to them to cultivate mystery and creativity in him.

30

INSPIRING FAMILIES

31

INSPIRING FAMILIES

32

RIDDLE

monthly

RIDDLE If it takes 5 elves 5 minutes to make 5 dolls how long would it take 100 elves to make 100 dolls?

! S E T U N I M 0 0 1

G N I K A M

S E V L E

0 0 1

5 E K A T

L L I T S

E R O F E R E H T . L L O D

, E S R U O C E N O

F O

E K A M

, D L U O W O T

S L L O D

S E T U N I M

5

F L E

E N O

S E K A T

T I