Kids and Education

Get your little one school-ready!

Take advantage of the power of role-modelling – children learn from watching. It may not be obvious, but children are much more observant than you could ever imagine.

Digital citizenship/ literacy is the standard of appropriate, responsible technology use and this needs to be part of every child’s education.

Tips on how to choose the right high school for your child

1. Set aside your own issues – Don’t bombard them with stories of your own negative experiences with high school.
2. Get involved – Start having conversations with your child from Grade 5 about the importance of working hard throughout the school year. The marks count, but not just during the exams.
3. Visit each school – It’s vital to visit each school on your long list on its Open Day. These usually take place in the first term of each year.
4. Talk to the educators, current learners and their parents – Many schools will use learners as school guides, so talk to them about their experiences.
5. Look out for extras – Important things to consider about a school are, of course, the academics and the sporting success. Also, consider what arts and drama programme they offer if that’s where your child’s strengths lie.
6. Plan your finances – One of the main things for you to consider when choosing a high school is whether the fees are affordable for your family without having to make too many sacrifices.
7. Go with your gut – It’s a good idea to think of school hunting as you would think of house hunting. There needs to be a chemistry – a gut instinct! If you can’t see your child there, and they can’t see themselves there either, cross it off the list!
8. Choose the right school for YOUR child – It’s important to choose a school for each individual child and her needs and interests.

Talk to your child and instigate conversation. Encourage and help your child to learn how to listen when others speak, as well as how to respond appropriately. Learning to be a good listener is an essential skill in life.

Take your child on simple and more in-depth field trips regularly. The zoo, park, post office, pet store or even the local street markets. All of these examples are ripe with learning potential.

Provide ample opportunities for children to be creative and use their imaginations. Children have a very different take on reality from adults and this gift should be allowed to evolve.

Reasoning or executive functioning skills are often thought to be the key to success. They are the ‘command and control’ functions that determine how you manage life tasks.

Understand that you are the parent and not your child’s friend. Act as a firm but a friendly leader, communicating with your children in a calm manner.

Encourage play-based learning to build a strong foundation for literacy and mathematical concepts. Exposure to these skills in a playful way will get them on the road to being prepared when the time comes.

How do I know if my child has flu?

Children with colds usually have the energy to play and keep up their daily routines. Children with flu are usually in bed.
Typical flu symptoms include sudden fever, chills and shakes, headache, muscle aches, extreme fatigue, dry cough and sore throat and loss of appetite.
Newborns and babies may have a high fever that can’t be explained and no other signs of sickness.
Young children usually have temperatures over 39,5°C and may have convulsions.
Upset stomach and pain, vomiting, and diarrhoea are common in younger children. Earaches and red eyes are
also common.

Download these awesome educational apps to improve your child’s learning

Vocabla – Improving your English vocabulary.
Visual Anatomy – Loaded with high-resolution images detailing the human body.
WhizApp – The main subject that the app focuses on is mathematics.
Khan Academy – Offers over 10 000 educational videos that relate to subjects such as maths, science, economics, history, and a variety of others.
Complete Physics – Offers various tutorials for physics-related formulas and practicals.
Today in History Calendar – The app is packed full of interesting facts that relate to this day in history.

Ten hottest birthday party themes for 2018:

The topic of good nutrition has been analysed and discussed by food nutritionists as well as keen fitness experts for many decades. We all know that in order to keep our bodies fit and healthy, we need a proper balanced intake of vitamins, minerals and good old-fashioned exercise. It is extremely important to fuel our children’s brains with the correct ‘brain food’ in order for them to be able to concentrate in class and excel in every aspect of their lives. We love our children, so let’s have a closer look at how we can do the best for them when it comes to food.

Peppa Pig – This little piggie is a big hit with the petite party crowd!

Trolls – They’re colourful, they’ve got crazy hair, and they love singing, dancing, hugging, and cupcakes.

Shopkins – Shopkins figurines are all about food – tiny jars of jam, little smiling fudgesicles, ice cream cones.

Unicorns – What girl doesn’t love unicorns?

Indoor trampoline party – There are plenty of opportunities for your guests to get their wiggles out all at once!

Superhero party – Have guests come dressed as their favourite superhero!

Baking party – Decorate cupcakes, cookies, you name it!

Art party – Ditch the nice clothes and let your kids get messy!

Reptile party – If you’ve got an animal lover that likes his critters on the scaly or slimy side, throw a Reptile party!

Find the perfect extramural activity

1. What is the goal of the programme? Is it for fun, mastery or competition? A shy, reserved child probably should not be in an environment where he or she is on show, such as tennis or gymnastics.
2. How much practice is necessary outside of lesson time? Music lessons, for example, call for almost daily practise whereas hockey, soccer, baseball and other sports generally require one game and one practice per week.
3. Is the environment safe, caring and stimulating? At all times, leaders should treat children with respect and honesty, using positive techniques to guide behaviour.
4. Those who coach or teach children, particularly younger children, should ensure the children have fun while learning the fundamentals. Look for an experienced teacher who is registered with a well-known organisation.

Eight tips on how to manage exam stress and pressure

Be prepared – Ensure you know what is expected from you in the exam and that you have all the notes, books and technological resources on hand.
Set up a study space – A comfortable space to study will increase your concentration and motivation levels.
Exercise – Research has shown that a 30-minute workout session boosts your health and brain function.
Create a study plan – You’ll also feel more in control of your studies.
Eat and drink well – Keep your
blood sugar levels steady to prevent
energy dips.
Divide your studying into smaller chunks – Study sessions are effective in shorter chunks of about 30 minutes over several weeks rather than crammed into a stretch.
Get enough sleep – Sleep helps
you absorb new knowledge into your memory.
Limit your distractions – No Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram while studying.

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