ABSA ISLAMIC BANKING TEACHES SOUTH AFRICA’S CHILDREN TO SAVE

Absa Islamic Banking today joins hands with the national Teach a Child to Save South Africa (TCTS SA) campaign, the initiative to equip South Africa’s children with basic financial literacy skills.

The Islamic chapter of TCTS SA will be launched today at the Central Islamic School in Laudium, west of Pretoria. Absa Islamic Banking will also visit two schools in Lenasia , the Al Aqsa Primary School in Sirkon Avenue and the Al Aqsa Primary School in Duck Avenue.
TCTS SA is an initiative of the Banking Association of South Africa, as well as the South African Savings Institute, and it is supported by the Department of Basic Education. Since 2008, it has coincided with Savings Month in July.

Absa Islamic Banking is involved with the Islamic chapter of TCTS SA, which rolls out nationwide between today and 10 August, shortly before the Holy month of Ramadaan, a month of contemplation, self-sacrifice and fasting for Muslims the world over. The Islamic chapter lesson plan has been structured specifically to reflect the concept of money in Islam, and incorporates the following teachings:
• Money (or resources) is the bounty of Allah
• Money has no intrinsic value, and is merely a means of trade
• Ownership of money ultimately belongs to Allah, and its use has been entrusted to us
• Hoarding and wasting of money is prohibited
• It must be lawfully earned and spent
• Paying of Zakah (obligatory religious levy if one is eligible), in which a portion of one’s wealth is given to the poor, which represents the third pillar of Islam. Zakah purifies one’s money and uplifts the community
• Sadaqah and Lillah donations (voluntary charity) safeguard one from calamities and misfortunes

“We expect to reach at least 10 000 children with our Islamic chapter lesson plan this year, which is aimed at learners in Grades 4-7. By teaching our children to save money, we are investing in the future by equipping the next generation to prudently handle their finances and not fall into debt,” says Absa Islamic Banking managing director, Amman Muhammad.

“The lesson will teach children to learn the difference between needs and wants – and to identify which is more important, what it means to save money, where and how to open a bank account, how to draw up a budget and how to start a savings plan. Learning all of these aspects of saving will provide them with a solid foundation for their future financial wellbeing.”
Absa Islamic Banking’s participation in the TCTS SA campaign is one of the ways that it can serve the communities in which it operates, says Muhammad.

“Our faith advocates charity, and this initiative is a valuable contribution that we can make to the communities that have helped to make our bank a success. In addition, Muslim employees of Absa will also be approaching schools in communities all over South Africa as part of the TCTS SA campaign. We are proud to be associated with TCTS SA, and to play a role in securing the financial future of our children.”

ENDS

Issued by Marcus Brewster Publicity on behalf of Absa Islamic Banking.

Contact:
Zubeir Shah
Tel No: 011 022 9711

HELPING YOUR CHILD STUDY

By Claire Marketos

‘Tell me, I forget. Teach me, I remember. Involve me, I understand.’- Chinese proverb

Imagine you’re nine years old. Your first test is on Friday, and you have your book in front of you. Your mom tells you to revise your study material. Feeling helpless and ill-equipped, you stare at the pages, hoping that somehow you will remember something. Soon, you lose interest and begin playing with the dog. It is not surprising that studying turns into a lonely, repetitive chore you dread – one that stifles your natural curiosity. In the words of a fifth grader, ‘Studying is not fun.’

While most schools teach learners how to study, they do so in isolated classes, instead of integrating studying skills in daily lessons and notes, so that it becomes a part of learning. It is extremely frustrating and difficult for a fourth grader to try to apply what he has learned about studying in general to specific subjects. Your child therefore depends on you for help.

Between a rock and a hard place
Instead of treating it as yet another chore, unleash your creativity and approach study time as a fun, inspiring opportunity to bond with your children. By adopting an innovative way of thinking, your child will feel more connected to you and you will empower him with an enquiring mind for life.

Children are curious and instinctively explore their environment to find out more about the world around them. By appealing to your child’s innate inquisitiveness, you can turn studying into an incidental part of his daily activities. Show him how studying can be an enjoyable way to find answers to questions. For example, use Zulu words while preparing the salad. And while driving, throw out a question “Why is it important for people to pay taxes?” This will stimulate critical thinking and lively discussion. By collaborating with your child, you will demonstrate positive ways of interacting with others to find solutions to problems. That’s a useful attribute for almost any career your child may choose later on in life.

Learning how to study effectively is a process that has to be modified according to your child’s needs. There are so many factors influencing the way children study and how well they recall the material later. Whether your child is tired after a long day at school or just battling to concentrate on the task at hand, physical and emotional well-being plays a big role as does personality.

Stumbling blocks
• If you are going through a divorce and your child worries about this, he will struggle to apply himself.
• If your child is physically unwell, he may need medical intervention before he is able to concentrate.
• If your child has learning difficulties, he may require remedial assistance before he can study effectively.
• If your child has experienced trauma or grief, his ability to retain and recall knowledge will be impaired. Play therapy, among other treatments, may be necessary to provide him with the support he needs.

How children learn
If you are going to be of any help, you need to understand how children learn and how their brains function.

Passively reading through notes, is not the most effective way to study. Research shows that children learn most efficiently by being actively involved in the learning experience. By involving your child personally through writing, speaking, or experiencing the material, you will enable him to recollect it better. Walking around while acting out their assignment helps some students retain information. Others require bright colourful pictures and concrete objects to stimulate their minds. Try different methods, until you find the best way for your child to study- the more memorable and pleasurable the experience, the better the recall.

Learning in a group also greatly improves children’s comprehension, Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky discovered in his early twentieth century research. He also found that children who worked together were able to explain what they had learned in the context of their daily lives.

Studying with, you, his peers, or teacher, helps your child clarify ideas, ask questions, and understand the subject. Vygotsky calls this ‘reciprocal teaching’ and initially used it to teach reading. So, leaving your child to study alone in his bedroom is not the greatest way to help him retain knowledge. He will recall so much more if he can visualize the material while talking about it to you.

Sensory stimulation theorist Dugan Laird found that children can remember seventy-five percent of material presented in visual form such as pictures and diagrams, thirteen percent that is auditory and twelve percent through the other senses.

Have some fun
• Help your child turn his study notes into colourful diagrams, mind maps, and cartoons.
• Involve the whole family by using different voices to speak into a tape recorder, saying important facts. Let your child listen to the tape in the car or while taking a bath.
• Use visual and auditory stimulus from the computer, to help your child remember more of his notes. A great idea is to use your child’s notes to put together a PowerPoint presentation on the computer. It is time consuming, but as a visual aid it can be invaluable.

Feeding and stimulating the brain
The brain is the source not only of our intellect, but also of our emotions. It is who we are, and our moods influence our ability to concentrate. If your child is feeling pressured or frustrated, he will find it harder to retain information. We have all heard how we only use a small part of our brains and that we rarely reach our full potential. So how can you help stimulate your child’s brain to enhance learning and memory?

The brain comprise mainly fat, so it requires ‘good fats’ and protein to function efficiently. Eating a healthy meal of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids before studying will help fuel the brain. A favourite memory booster recommended by American Mensa supervisory psychologist Dr. Frank Lawliss is banana and chocolate, preferably eaten together. Other brain foods are water, raw or steamed fruits and vegetables, avocado, whole grains, eggs, nuts, and vitamin D.

Tips to kick start the brain
• Play marching music and have your child chew gum containing the sugar substitute, xylitol, suggests Lawliss – but avoid gum containing aspartame and sugar.
• Physical exercise not only relieves stress, it also helps your child breathe more deeply, resulting in more oxygen reaching the brain. Doing a moderate amount of exercise before study will stimulate your child’s brain into action. Too much exercise, on the other hand, will make him feel tired with little energy left to concentrate.
• Games like chess, charades and building puzzles fires up the mind.
• Devise games to help your child remember his notes. Design a quiz show or modify 30 seconds as a revision aid. .
• Sleep is essential to recharge the mind and help process information- eight to ten hours’ sleep a night is ideal.

Create the right environment
As a child how many times were you told to go and sit at your desk and study? We tend to believe that to study properly we should be seated at a table in a quiet room with good lighting. Good lighting is crucial to avoid eye strain, but children learn in different ways and can study in all sorts of environments. Your child may be able to concentrate better when he walks around or sits on a gym ball with music playing in the background.

Be sensitive and flexible in the way you approach your child’s method of studying. Almost any environment can provide an opportunity to learn, so experiment with different places in the home, until you find those best suited to study. Being able to relax and being comfortable will make the experience more beneficial and pleasant. Nevertheless, trying to study in a room with the television on and other children playing is probably too distracting for most children.

Children with learning difficulties learn more effectively in an environment that is free of clutter, well organised and structured. Have all the necessary stationery available, especially brightly coloured highlighters, dictionaries, and keep a file for notes and pictures. Don’t forget to use the computer as a visual and auditory study aid.

Establish a routine
Routine makes children feel safe and secure. Children like to know with absolute certainty what is expected of them. Having a study routine will do away with questions like, ‘Do I have to study now?’ Remember to also chat about the subject in an informal way outside of study time while grocery shopping, watching the news, or when an interesting fact occurs to you. .

Most children become irritable when they are tired, so it is best not to schedule study time just before bed. Negotiate a time for studying with your child that you know is best suited to your child’s temperament. Some children study well in the afternoon after lunch and free play, while others study better after supper. Try to schedule it for the same time every day, but accommodate extra-murals and playtime. Your child needs a balanced lifestyle- time to pursue other interests and to relax in order to be successful.

Studying for hours on end is not productive. Your child will become tired and de-motivated. Memory and concentration also decrease after a while. Stick to the allotted time, and stop when that time is up. Focus instead on managing the set times efficiently. Allow short breaks to maintain concentration and to let the brain process the information. Tomorrow will provide another opportunity to study. If your child continues to spend hours doing homework and learning, it may be necessary to evaluate your expectations of him, or chat to the teacher to find out whether the workload is too heavy. If he is experiencing difficulties with some of the material, provide him with additional help.

Managing stress
Aspire to stimulating curiosity in your child along with the desire to know more about himself and the world around him, instead of merely aiming for higher grades. Children who leave school with passion and energy are motivated to seize the challenges faced in adulthood, whereas overachievers who tried to please their parents throughout their childhood may feel burned out, stressed and disinclined to pursue their ambitions.

Stressing over homework and studying is counterproductive. A stressed child can’t concentrate or remember what he is studying. Choose to stop stressing about studying and your child will most likely develop a more positive attitude towards it. Waking up early to study on the day of a test is likely to create additional stress- and it will probably be ineffective, since the brain will not have sufficient time to process the crammed information. Sleep is more important at this age than studying at the last minute.

Pressuring your child to obtain higher marks, criticising him, and making him redo work over and over again, is discouraging. Not only is your child less likely to do well, he may also develop feelings of resentment, and rebel by underachieving. Avoid comparing your children, especially across the sexes, since boys and girls learn in different ways. Research shows that children who have controlling, strict parents, tend to have lower self esteem, as they learn that they cannot be trusted to manage themselves. Avoid living vicariously through your children, and make sure your intentions are to help him find his true purpose in life.

Show your child how to relax. Deep breathing, visualizations, yoga, swaying and meditation, are all ways to deal with stress, and so focus better. Explain to your child how to concentrate in class, call on the teacher for help, and get guidelines for tests- this way much of the knowledge needed can be gained in the classroom.

What to avoid
• putting pressure on your child to get higher marks
• being overly critical
• making your child redo work over and over again
• comparing him to others, particularly a girl to a boy, or a boy to a girl
• being too controlling
• living vicariously through a child

What to do
• Teach your child relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, visualizations, yoga, swaying and meditation
• encourage your child to concentrate in class
• teach your child to ask teachers for help
• make sure your child gets guidelines for tests and exams
• approach your child’s school notes with a positive attitude and cultivate this attitude in him
• allow your child to take control of his schedule, helping where necessary
• give praise where it is due ,without allowing the praise to turn into added pressure

Keeping your child motivated
‘Aw! Why do I have to study?’ moans a sixth grader. Few children are motivated to study. How do you turn this around? What can you do to inspire your child to enjoy studying? Children watch their parents all the time and your child will copy what you do. If you’re positive and enthusiastic and have a probing mind, your child is likely to be more curious and interested in studying. Watching you read or study will encourage them to do the same.

Research shows that the children of loving parents whose expectations are reasonable have higher self- esteem, and are more motivated when it comes to studying. In contrast, the children of parents who pay attention only when they do well tend to have lower self-esteem and less confidence in their own abilities.

We all enjoy being affirmed and praised for our achievements, and you should be generous in your praise. However, research by theorist William Damon from Stanford University shows that constant praise, especially when nothing has really been achieved, actually limits a child’s abilities. Instead, he says, we should ‘guide them towards worthwhile activities and goals that result in credible self esteem.’

Create opportunities for your child to learn from his mistakes, be persistent in the face of adversity, and accomplish things on his own. Imagine the sense of satisfaction he will feel when he takes control of his notes, and rearranges them to be easier to remember. Setting realistic goals and taking steps to achieve them will help motivate your child.
.
Children have vivid imaginations and can come up with fabulous ideas to help them remember study material. Inspire your child to think laterally as he tackles his notes. Your curiosity and interest in his subjects will stimulate intellectual thought and conversation- a much more enjoyable proposition than merely studying for tests.

We all know how infectious it can be to be around someone who is upbeat and who has a high self esteem. Teach your child the power of positive thinking. Believing in himself, defining who he is and what his abilities are will give him the confidence to overcome stress, especially when studying.

Get creative
Think outside the box. Engage your child in thinking of novel ways to remember his study notes.

• When talking with your child about his study notes, add in tidbits of interesting information from your readings and travels. Children love to hear stories, and if you can tell stories relevant to their study material, it will provide a hook to help jog his memory, for example, ‘Mom saw Tutankhamen’s sarcophagus in the British Museum…..’
• Explain how their notes are relevant to their daily lives, and how as we develop as a society we build on knowledge from the past. Ask ‘what if’ questions to stimulate thinking- for example, ‘What if Thomas Edison hadn’t been curious, and hadn’t kept experimenting to find answers? We may never have discovered electricity. Then there would be so many things we wouldn’t be able to do like……”Challenge your child to come up with uses for electricity.
• Teach your child to organise his study material, and tackle difficult information first. He doesn’t need to learn work he already knows.
• Children learn best from notes and diagrams transcribed in their own words and in age-appropriate language. If your child finds his study notes difficult to understand, encourage him to summarise it in his own words. Help him draw mind maps and spider diagrams.
• Take time to teach your child to read his notes critically. Scan the material to find the most important points. Pose questions and find the answers in the study notes. Write down important points. Being able to read and take notes effectively will be of immense help once your child goes to high school.
• One picture paints a thousand words, the saying goes. This is especially true when it comes to studying. Always look for a way to represent notes visually. Help your child turn his study notes into colourful pictures and diagrams. For example, if you are studying surface and subsurface water sources, let him draw a diagram showing where the water sources are. These diagrams or pictures can be simple stick figures which don’t take a long time to draw. Use colour to make it more memorable.
• Use different coloured cards on which to write important information, such as dates. Post the cards behind the toilet door, the car seat, or on the fridge, so that your child can see the information often. Make associations like, ‘Red is 1361BC when people began to settle along the Nile River.’
• Ask your child to teach you, a teddy, a pet, or other members of the family. To teach, he will need to understand the subject material. Let him use his notes initially, but as the week goes by, let them try without notes. Or as one mother found to her delight, her daughter had rediscovered the karaoke function on the family’s music system. ‘She’s been lecturing to a phantom audience all week,” the mother said.
• Invent silly rhymes, acronyms and mnemonics with your child to help him remember difficult dates and facts.
• If your child is musically inclined, he may even make up a rap song from his notes.
• If your child has good ball skills, let him pin the answers to questions to a wall, and throw tennis balls at the correct answer.
• Putting on a puppet show for the family can help your child commit information to memory.
• Film them as they make a documentary on their assignment. They can watch it later for further reinforcement.
• Drumming is often used these days to help children with learning difficulties. Beating out facts on a drum can make them easier to recall – drumming is relaxing and helps to stimulate the brain.
• If you can actually visit the place they are learning about, do the experiment, or see the artifact in a museum, your children will easily recall it later.
• Give your child strategies and tips on how to do well on tests: “Read the questions carefully, underlining key words. Look at the mark allocation. Always answer the question even if you have to make an educated guess.”
• Guide your child to watch programmes on TV or DVD, and read newspaper articles which show how their study notes are relevant to everyday life, and to reinforce the material they have studied.

For many of us parents studying evokes unpleasant memories, which we wouldn’t want our children to experience. Throw out those old methods that didn’t work for you, and strive to replace them with inspirational ideas that make the learning experience enjoyable and memorable for your children. It is possible to show them that the world provides so many amazing opportunities that they can be part of.

Note to parents: I specifically didn’t use the word ‘work’ when referring to the child’s school notes or study notes as studying should not be viewed as ‘work’ but rather as a means of finding answers to questions.

References:
The IQ Answer by Dr. Frank Lawliss
Child Development 5th Edition by Laura Berk

This article was first published in the book “Happy Years: A guide for paqrents’ by Abraham Kriel Childcare. The copyright remains with the author Claire Marketos.

Visit Claire Marketos’ website: http://www.inspiredparenting.co.za/

UNLOCKING THE DOOR TO LITERACY FOR CHILDREN WITH DYSLEXIA

with the THRASS Synthetic Phonics Programme

In his recent report on the identification and teaching of children with dyslexia and literacy difficulties, Sir Jim Rose has identified the need for specialist teachers for children with dyslexia and for courses for teachers on selecting and teaching literacy intervention programmes. There is, however, no need for expensive new specialist programmes, as THRASS is a synthetic phonics programme that already has a proven track record for unlocking the door to literacy for all children, including those with dyslexia.

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling. Characteristic features of dyslexia are difficulties in phonological awareness, verbal memory and verbal processing speed but it is not related to intelligence.

Sir Jim Rose recommends that the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) should fund a number of teachers to undertake specialist training in teaching children with dyslexia, in order to provide substantially improved access to specialist expertise in all schools and across all local authority areas; DCSF should also commission short courses for teachers on selecting and teaching literacy intervention programmes. But he admits that it is not always easy to recognise dyslexia in young children.

There is, however, no need for expensive new programmes. What is needed is for all teachers and teaching assistants to be trained in the simple principles of synthetic phonics teaching and to deliver this regularly to children of all abilities in mainstream classrooms, thereby providing continuity for pupils and ensuring that the needs of borderline children, in whom dyslexia may or may not be recognised, are not overlooked.

Evidence shows that children with dyslexia need logical, sensible, highly structured, multi-sensory teaching that uses graphic representation, is used ‘little and often’ and allows time for reinforcement and encouraging generalisation. The THRASS ( Teaching Handwriting Reading And Spelling Skills) synthetic phonics programme, which can be used across the curriculum, meets all these criteria, while at the same time being equally suited to teaching children of normal ability.

THRASS has been pioneered by British Educational Psychologist Alan Davies, who holds the Dyslexia Institute Diploma and the British Dyslexia Association Diploma, and the very first THRASS programmes were based to a considerable extent on his work with dyslexic children and adults.

THRASS is a whole-school programme for teaching learners of all ages and abilities using pictures and keywords, and is used in thousands of nurseries and primary schools in the UK, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. It helps learners to understand the building blocks of the English language by teaching them about the 44 phonemes (speech sounds) of spoken English and the 120 graphemes (spelling choices) of written English. It is also a multi-sensory programme based on developing VAK (Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic) skills and has the potential to at least double the normal rate of progress made by primary school children who have reading and spelling difficulties, including dyslexics.

One of the THRASS key resources is the Phoneme Machine, a groundbreaking computer programme that uses moving human lips to pronounce the sounds (phonemes) in hundreds of frequently used English words. It is suitable for all ages and abilities but is of particular value for teaching children with learning difficulties such as dyslexia. The value of the Phoneme Machine was recognised in the September 2007 edition of Independent Talking Points , the magazine of the Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice (ASLTIP), in which Catherine Redmayne, the editor, wrote, “I would have paid just for some bits of this programme. Considering the whole thing was free to download, it was a wonderful offering from THRASS”.

The THRASS SING-A-LONG resources have also been particularly successful for teaching children with learning difficulties. The resources use 44 songs that teachers and parents can sing with children to explain the 44 sounds and 120 main spelling choices of English. The songs have really memorable tunes in different musical styles and dance rhythms, and wonderful imaginative titles such as “The moon fell out of the sky” and “You don’t get pandas in Africa”.

THRASS has for some time been used in the Caribbean for children with special educational needs, including dyslexia, as well as for mainstream children and has already received extremely favourable reviews there. When The Caribbean Dyslexia Association organised a SING-A-LONG workshop in 2008 the response was overwhelming. “There is so much enthusiasm within the entire programme and you can teach so much to the children through “SING-A-LONG”. It’s inspiring.” “The resources will definitely help with reinforcement of reading principles especially in dyslexic children who need opportunities for over-learning. The SING-A-LONG adds a dynamic element to the process and activities.”

It is of no little significance that in 2007 I CAN, the national education charity that provides education services for children with speech and language impairments, announced that it had chosen to further increase the use of THRASS at its Meath School in Surrey.  More recently Brown’s School, an independent special school in Kent that has an excellent record for teaching children with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, has also started using THRASS. Teaching at the school has been recognised by Ofsted as being consistently good with examples of outstanding practice and pupils making good progress, particularly in reading and spelling.

The THRASS synthetic phonics programme really does unlock the door to literacy for children with dyslexia.

Source: www.momsmatter.co.za

The Madrasah System – The Pride of our Community

The Christian community has the Church, the Jewish community has its Synagogue, the Hindu Community has it’s Mandir, the Sikh community has the Gurdwara and the Buddhists have their Temple and so on…..But the Muslim community not only has the Musjid but also the educational Madrasah.

Al-hamdulillah, Allah Ta’ala has blessed the Muslims with such a great bounty where children from as young as five learn to read the Qur’an, Islamic Taarikh (history), Adab & Akhlaaq (Manners and Etiquettes), Hadith (Traditions of Nabi Sallallahu Alayhi Wassallam), Fiqh (Basic Islamic Rulings) and much more. This is also where children complete Hifz (the memorisation of 30 chapters, 114 Surah’s and 6236 verses of the Holy Qur’an!). This in itself is a miracle of Allah Ta’ala, but the message I am trying to get across is that the Madrasah system is a bounty which through the efforts of our pious predecessors, for hundreds of years, has educated us and has saved many of us from becoming completely neglectful of the Deen.

How many Jews can read the Torah in its original Hebrew text? How many Christians can read the Bible in its original Aramaic text? How many Sikhs and Hindus can read their respective books in their original text?

Today more than 80% of Muslims can read the Holy Qur’aan in its original Arabic text. This is all through the blessings of the madrasah which even your local ‘Molvi’ owes a great deal to. Through the madrasah, an individual bases his or her moral values which carries them throughout their life.

Unfortunately, nowadays we don’t value the madrasah as much as our predecessors did. Islamic education is being disregarded. Instead of sending our children to the Madrasah to gain the necessary Islamic knowledge and practice, we would rather send them to an after-school homework club or to football practice. We have this attitude and tend to think that when our son or daughter has completed the recitation of the Holy Qur’an once or twice, then their Islamic education is complete. We don’t filly realise the spiritual benefit of the madrasah. As soon as a child steps out of the house, he or she becomes exposed to various kinds of evil temptations and mischief. The child falls prey to the tricks of the Shaytaan. As soon as they enter environments where there is little respect of teachers and the child sees the area as unsanctified, flirtation becomes a thing of the norm, swearing becomes a core part of the limited vocabulary, slander and backbiting become the discussions of the day. So many other vices become part of the child’s everyday life.

But when a child comes home, performs Wudhu and then goes to the Madrasah, He/she will safeguarded from these satanic practices. The child will sit in such an environment where the words of Allah Ta’ala are recited in melodious tunes, stories of the Ambiyaa are mentioned, and Sunnahs are explained. What can be a more virtuous gathering than this?

It is for this reason that I plead to all parents not to withdraw their children at a young age because of what has been mentioned. A couple of hours of madrasah a day really can keep Shaytaan away!

Hadhrat Moulana Yusuf Motala Saahib (db)

Courtesy – www.Inter-Islaam.co.za

http://www.talimiboardkzn.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=45:the-madrasah-system-the-pride-of-our-community&catid=34:importance-of-the-makaatib&Itemid=66

The Role of play in your child’s development

PLAYING TO LEARN

Playing is your baby’s job! When you’re ten months old, anything and everything can seem new and interesting. Most activities represent opportunities for fun and learning – whether it is seeing what happens when you slowly push your dinner, piece by piece over the edge of your feeding tray, or emptying Mummy’s handbag all over the floor while she’s busy talking to her friend. Even the most common of routines, like taking a bath, can be turned into a challenging game as you help your baby sink an empty bottle under the water to produce big bubbles. With a little imagination, you can constantly encourage your child’s development through play. Learn to see the “fun potential” in objects around the home and during daily activities. For instance, that cardboard box you were going to throw out could provide hours of entertainment. And why not distract your little one when changing his nappy by teaching him to clap along to a familiar nursery rhyme. By trying to look at every situation through your baby’s eyes, you can quickly find ways to make it more entertaining and even educational.

LEARNING TO PLAY

Babies learn through play, but they also need a hand learning how to make the most of playing. Your little one watches your every move, and most of his actions and reactions are modelled on your behaviour. So your guidance and encouragement can help him become more inquisitive, confident and sociable. Involve your baby in your activities whenever possible, turn chores into games and prompt him to investigate how objects feel, sound, or move. Point out interesting things when you’re out together – remember, his language comprehension is already well underway even though he isn’t yet talking. Get together with other babies – one is never too young to make friends! And always offer lots of reassurance as you encourage him to explore new surroundings, interact with new people and try out new activities. He needs to know you’re there, offering security and familiarity, while he is busy being sociable and adventurous.

Source: Pampers Newsletter