Bright Young Minds
Tel: 035 786 1147
Choose the right school
for your child
Selecting a school for one’s child is one of the most important decisions a parent ever has to make.
Here are some pointers:
You may have some clear ideas of which school you want to send your child to, but if the child is old enough, his opinion matters a lot – after all, this is where your child will spend a very large chunk of their daily lives for the next few years!
Watch the local newspaper for sport and academic achievements. Attend the school’s sports matches or other events to get a sense of the school’s culture. Observe how the teachers are treating the children, and whether the children look happy, yet disciplined. Chat with current and past learners, as well as their parents. Try to get hold of any circular letters sent out to the parents and browse through a current learner’s homework book. This will give you a good sense of what happens at the particular school ‘beyond’ Open Day.
Put together a list of school options that are within your comfortable travel radius, as well as your budget. Can you afford to school fees, as well as all the hidden costs, like school excursions, sports wear, transport, hot lunches, special stationery, etc?
Not all children are academic achievers or sports stars. Find a school that offers extras like music lessons and art classes for your child to find something that he loves. Does the school have C and D sport teams or does it only cater for the top sport stars?
Living in South Africa it’s important that kids get used to living and working with people of all races, religions and beliefs. Make sure the school you choose for your child is an inclusive one where your child will be exposed to a cross-section of society and not just one demographic (yours!)
Tel: 035 772 3041
Tel: 035 772 6749
The importance of play
As parents we like to see our children excel academically, but we tend to forget how important it is to also focus on a child’s physical, as well as emotional development.
An increasing amount of experts are starting to agree that too much emphasis is being placed on academic performance, while there is a shocking lack of life skills evident among the youth of today.
What we may not realise is the fact that ‘ordinary play’ is a valuable teacher of life skills, and that we should allow our children more time to do what they do best: being children.
Here are some activities you should encourage your child to do, in addition to homework:
1 – Play. Free play creates new learning experiences and teaches children vital social, emotional and intellectual skills.
2 – Talk. Conversation is the best way for all of us – especially young children – to learn about our world and cultivate empathy.
3 – Sleep. Lack of sleep can lead to poor attention, behaviour problems, academic difficulties, irritability and weight gain among kids. Yet, between 25 and 30% of children aren’t getting enough sleep.
4 – Read. Books not only help children excel at school, but also teach them things that they’d never learn in a classroom.
5 – Listen to a story. Studies show that kids who are read aloud to have better vocabularies.
6 – Wild play. ‘Risky’ activities, like climbing a tree, allow kids to explore their own limits, enable them to assess risks and teach them independence, which leads to a more confident child.
8 – Get dirty. The next time your child wants to bake mud pies, remember that this kind of sensory play is critical for his/her development.
9 – Play with a friend. As human beings, it is essential that we practise our social skills. The class situation does not encourage informal social interaction, and technology has robbed us of basic one-on-one interaction opportunities, so we need to encourage our children to socialise.
10 – Help with dinner. Kids who learn about new foods, and how to prepare them, may be more likely to choose more nutritious foods later on in life.
11 – Walk the dog. Kids who help take care of family pets may be less anxious, less likely to develop allergies and asthma, and are more active.
12 – Plant a garden. Little gardeners get to actively engage in scientific concepts and practice math skills as they learn about plants.
13 – Play a musical instrument. Playing a musical instrument can increase your memory, improve hand-eye coordination and boost your listening skills.
14 – Participate in a community service project. Through volunteering, children can become more grateful, empathetic and feel more connected to the wider community.
15 – Draw pictures. Drawing allows children to express themselves and relax.
16 – Play dress up. When kids pretend they’re superheroes or talk to stuffed animals, they’re learning about social roles, setting the stage for later learning, and processing ideas from the world around them.
17 – Wrestle with a sibling. ‘Rough and tumble’ play teach kids decision-making skills, it relieve stress, improve their ability to read social cues and enhance their cardio-vascular health.
18 – Clean their room. A University of Minnesota researcher has discovered that one of the best predictors of a kid’s future success is whether they contributed to household chores as a young child. It teaches them responsibility, how to contribute to family life, a sense of empathy and how to take care of themselves.
19 – Write a story. By writing down stories, kids can express their feelings, stretch their imaginations and practice their fine motor skills.
20 – Zone out. ‘Chill time’ is just as important as play time and homework time. These moments allow children to reflect, rest and reset their minds and bodies.
21 – Ride a bike. Kids who are physically active have stronger hearts, lungs and bones. They are less likely be overweight and more likely to feel good about themselves.
Tel: 035 337 0042
5 key skills for academic success
As a parent you can play a huge role in helping your child achieve academic success.
Academic success is built on a combination of skills: organisation, time management, prioritisation, concentration and motivation.
Here are some tips to help get your child on the right track:
Identify problem areas
Start with simple conversation in which you find out which of these skills your child needs to develop further.
Is your child overwhelmed by assignments? She may have trouble organising time. Does your child have difficulty completing her work? She may get distracted too easily. Is your child simply not interested in school? She may need help getting motivated.
Ask him about his favourite subjects, classes he dreads and whether he’s satisfied with his latest progress report.
Whether it’s keeping track of research materials or remembering to bring home a lunch box, children need to be organised to succeed in school.
- Make a checklist of things your child needs to bring to and from school every day. Put a copy by the door at home and one in his backpack. Try to check with him each day to see if he remembers the items on the list.
- Find out how your child keeps track of his homework and how he organises his notebooks. Then work together to develop a system he will want to use.
- Shop with your child for tools that will help him stay organised, such as binders, folders or an assignment book.
Learning to schedule enough time to complete an assignment may be difficult for your student. Even when students have a week to do a project, many won’t start until the night before it’s due. Learning to organise time into productive blocks takes practice and experience.
- Track assignments on a monthly calendar. Work backward from the due date of larger assignments and break them into nightly tasks.
- Help your child record how much time she spends on homework each week so she can figure out how to divide this time into manageable chunks.
- If evenings aren’t enough, help your child find other times for schoolwork, such as early mornings, study halls or weekends.
Sometimes children fall behind in school and fail to hand in assignments because they simply don’t know where to begin. Prioritising tasks is a skill your child will need throughout life, so it’s never too soon to get started.
- Ask your child to write down all the things he needs to do, including non-school-related activities.
- Help him to label each task from 1 to 3, with 1 being most important.
It is important that your child works on schoolwork in an area with limited distractions and interruptions.
- Turn off access to email and games when your child works on the computer.
- Declare the phone and TV off-limits during homework time.
- Find space that fits the assignment. If your child is working on a science project, she may need lots of space; if she’s studying for a Spanish test, she will need a well-lit desk.
- Help your child concentrate during homework time by separating her from her siblings.
Most children say they want to do well in school, yet many still fail to complete the level of work necessary to succeed academically. The reason is often motivation. Tapping into your child’s interests is a great way to get him geared to do well in school.
- Link school lessons to your child’s life. If he’s learning percentages, ask him to figure out the price of a discounted item next time you shop.
- Link your child’s interests to academics. If he’s passionate about music, give him books about musicians and show how music and foreign languages are connected.
- Give your child control and choices. With guidance, let him determine his study hours, organising system or school project topics.
- Encourage your child to share his expertise. Regularly ask him about what he’s learning in school.
- Congratulate your child, encourage him and celebrate all his successes.
Often what holds children back from trying is the fear of failure or the memory of a time they didn’t do well. You can help break this cycle by celebrating your child’s successes, no matter how small, and by giving him opportunities to succeed academically.
