Become your child’s new favourite teacher with resources from Thanda

There are loads of activities all over social media to help keep your child entertained at home, the question is, are these helpful for their development? It’s hard to be sure.

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At times like these, when you, as parents, are suddenly expected to take on the role of teacher for your children, it’s great to know that there is a resource out there specially developed for this purpose.

Thanda’s Creative Learning Library takes your children on a magical journey using storybooks to teach them life-skills that will help help them grow into compassionate adults.

The Creative Learning Library is based on the curricula Thanda, an NGO based in the rural community of Mtwalume on the South Coast of KwaZulu Natal, has developed especially for their own in-person programmes, and they have seen incredible results using these methods.

Storybooks form the base for learning and each lesson is developed around a specific theme.

Resources include a fun storybook reading for kids and a more in-depth workshop for parents so that you are well-equipped to really explore the ideas and feelings contained in the books with your children.

There are also comprehensive downloadable discussion and activity pages to accompany each story and expand on the theme, with a focus on the development of social-emotional skills (particularly empathy, critical thinking, and social responsibility).

These allow for deeper exploration of the lessons contained in the narrative and encourage children to think more deeply and critically about the story and the world around them using questions, creative activities, games and more.

Best of all? These resources are all 100% free of charge as Thanda has developed them in response to the Covid-19 crisis in an effort to help out wherever they can.

Click through to see the storybook readings on offer (in English and isiZulu) and make sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel as more story readings will be added throughout the lockdown period. (https://thanda.org/library/education-portal/)

(Submitted by Kirstin Rowbotham)

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