Meeting the needs of children in the classroom

By Claire Marketos

www.inspiredparenting.co.za

We all agree that teaching in South African Government Schools is challenging. Large classes; children speaking different languages of varying abilities in the same class; enough admin to employ a full time PA; a controlling bureaucratic education department treating teacher’s like puppets on a string; and of course poor pay, lack of resources and support. It is not surprising that talented, creative teacher’s soon become disillusioned or change careers leaving us with boring, uninspiring classrooms where our children’s needs are not being met.

Over regulation of teachers and they in turn of students has led to complacency. The focus on teaching and testing facts has left little time for individual, original, and innovative learning. As Alfie Kohn a foremost educator says: “It’s best to see what we do through the eyes of those to whom it’s done.” Ask our learners how they feel about school and most children will respond negatively.

Do we continue ignoring the moans of our children that school is boring and repetitive and carry on helplessly; blaming the education department and apartheid for our impasse or do we look to our children for inspiration? Here are simple things that can be done in any classroom regardless of the status quo which gives children what they need to be happy and successful.

Children need to feel acknowledged and connected to their teachers. At my son’s school in Johannesburg the teachers greet every child in their class and ask them how they are doing before class starts. This simple gesture which takes only a couple of minutes ensures each child is acknowledged and feels important. Nurturing a connection between teachers and learners helps protect the child against emotional problems, as the teacher is aware of any concerns the child may have. Sometimes the teacher is the only adult the child can bond with. Even with forty children in a class all the children can be acknowledged in five minutes by their teacher before classes start.

Children need to be involved in the learning process. Not allowing children a say in how they learn is naïve. Children are incredibly creative and resourceful. They have the ability to choose exciting ways of learning and will enthusiastically pursue the information they need to complete the learning process. If we want new, independent thinkers we need to stop stifling our children’s natural curiosity. While we all need guidelines to work from, allowing children to be involved in planning lessons and choosing themes will not distract from the core learning aspects, which the teacher can incorporate. Stimulating, novel ideas will emerge as children take responsibility for their work and behavior.

The grade R class my son was in chose their themes for the year, with excited young learners bringing books and dinosaurs to class and even becoming dinosaurs as their imaginations were set free. Grade 6 learners, if asked, would rather devise, plan, and run their own little ’business’ for a couple of weeks instead of filling words  in yet another boring worksheet, when covering the learning outcome of ‘entrepreneurial knowledge’, for the third year. Yet no one bothers to ask them!

Children need to develop reading, research, analytical, and questioning skills for self development and a democratic society. Even children who are learning in their second language can with the assistance of a teacher develop questioning and research skills while improving their command of the language of learning.  The spotlight on producing high marks distracts teachers from the learning process. The experience the children have and the skills they develop as they are learning should be the primary concern of all educators. For example, interviewing people working in technology and Science, and studying environmentally friendly projects that are successfully making money while preserving the environment, will not only make the learning outcome of ‘the interrelationship between science, society and the environment,’ real for learners, but will lead to discussions on global warming, and a responsibility to develop pollution free technology. Most companies and professionals would jump at the opportunity to talk to children if asked; all it takes is a phone call from the teacher. Learners may even be invited to participate in ongoing projects businesses have implemented. The value of a learning experience such as this surpasses any grade a child can get by filling in a worksheet.

Children need to be building on the foundation of their knowledge rather than redoing work they already know. Having children of mixed abilities in the same class requires the teacher to be creative and create a learning environment that will meet the needs of ALL the learners. Even in schools where there is no money available, this can be done by sharing resources and ideas with other schools and teachers; downloading information from the internet; using the local library; fund raising for computers to be accessible to children in the classroom; using resources in newspapers or putting pressure on the powers that be to produce or import material. ‘A one size fits all’ approach in our classrooms is not working as brighter pupils are bored most of the time, and many children with learning difficulties don’t receive the help they need.

Making students wait while other learners receive assistance or making them repeat work they already know is limiting their potential and encouraging behaviour problems. For example children that can add and subtract do not need to complete 20 sums to ‘practice’ their skills, they need to be solving mathematical problems incorporating addition and subtraction. Learners that are still battling with basic concepts in mathematics may benefit from working with bright learners, but they will benefit most from working with concrete apparatus and their teacher so they can grasp the basic concepts. Making children write out their spelling test in rough so it can be written neatly in their English book is teaching them that spelling is boring, tedious and that neatness is more important than the written word. Discovering the meanings of words as children use the words in writing for the theme they have chosen will not only teach them how to spell the words, but it will also teach them how to use the words correctly in context.

Children need alternative assessments to grades. Our obsession with tests is leaving little time for learning as teachers focus on assessment. We kid ourselves into believing that if children are achieving high grades at school it must be a successful learning environment, but are we achieving these results at a cost to the child? If learning is not fun for our children we are failing as educators.

Alfie Kohn in his article ‘Degrading to De-grading’ gives several reasons why assigning a mark to everything children do makes them lose interest in their subjects as well as school. He states:” Grades tend to reduce students’ interest in the learning itself.  One of the most well-researched findings in the field of motivational psychology is that the more people are rewarded for doing something, the more they tend to lose interest in whatever they had to do to get the reward (Kohn, 1993). Grades tend to reduce students’ preference for challenging tasks, and reduces the quality of students’ thinking.  Grades distort the curriculum, and waste a lot of time that could be spent on learning, as well as encouraging cheating. Grades spoil teachers’ relationships with students, and student’s relationships with each other.” As our children need to be involved in the learning process so they need to have a say in their assessment- setting “criteria for excellence” and being able to recognize when a learning outcome has been successful or requires additional work, as one would on any business project.

Children need to be taught by kind, empathic teachers that respect children. Screaming, shouting, demeaning, belittling and threatening children are all punitive ways of controlling children and seldom work as these castigatory ways of interacting with children are repeated over and over. If we want to eradicate bullying in our schools we need to look at what behaviour we are role modelling for our children.

The need to constantly control children by not allowing them to work independently or in groups on different projects because “chaos would ensue” is an awfully narrow minded approach to education. Teachers that feel they can’t cope in this type of learning environment should ask for assistance from parents who would be willing to be teacher’s aides, and for resources such as computers, enrichment and remedial material which can be obtained online or from other countries. Team teaching, giving student teachers the opportunity to spend time in classrooms each week, hiring remedial and ESL (Engish second language) teachers if English is the medium of learning are other ways of ensuring the needs of all the pupils can be met.

Children need to be able to learn through experimentation. Giving children the answers to fill in on a worksheet or criticizing them for making mistakes is a breakdown on the teacher’s part to comprehend how children learn. Tryputting yourself in the children’s shoes and imagine how they must feel when they are constantly being evaluated and criticized for learning. If you are always being reprimanded for speaking out, questioning your teacher and daring to experiment new ways of doing things, is it any wonder we have a deficit of analytical thinkers in South Africa. Most teacher’s who identify with the criticisms in this article will understand how the children feel because they do not like being questioned about their methods of teaching.

The teacher’s role should be to facilitate the learning process, as learners present, discuss and debate. Making mistakes is an essential part of learning and children should not be shamed for their errors. They should rather be encouraged to problem solve an alternative solution.

Children need to be taught study skills and simple note taking as part of learning. From the moment children can write sentences they can be taught to take simple notes, create mind maps, and make up silly rhymes, acronyms and mnemonics to remember their work.

Children learn best from notes written in their own words in language appropriate for their age. Giving them study notes written in adult language to study from is not only difficult for children to understand and relate to, but also discriminates against children who are learning in a second language or have learning difficulties. Good study skills take years to master and need to be included in the student’s daily lessons, so that it becomes a part of learning. It is frustrating and arduous for a child to try to apply what they have learnt on a study skills course to their class notes. While worksheets that guide learning have a place in education, pack them away for a month and watch how your learner’s writing and note taking skills improve. 

Children need teachers who can act as mediators. Facilitating dialogue between children in conflict can take 5 or 10 minutes of break time, empowering children with empathy and the appropriate words to express themselves, helping reduce the cycle of violence in our schools. Teachers who are perceptive enough to know when children are not getting along and put time aside for an intervention are teaching them that it is never acceptable to be a bystander when someone needs help.

Children need their basic needs met. For most children in South Africa having food, shelter, and love is not something they receive on a daily basis. School may be the only sanctuary they have, and so while teachers are not social workers sometimes they need to step in and organize help for the child.

Clearly South African schools provide a unique learning environment. To those teachers who are inspiring our children and making learning fun, THANK YOU! You are a light in the darkness May you be rewarded for your passion. To those career turn to your learners for inspiration and let them excel as their needs are being met. In the words of Nelson Mandela “As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Weblink: Learn the Quran through Lego

Shukran to Brother Yacoob for sharing this amazing website Teaching Kids the Holy Quran http://readwithmeaning.wordpress.com/

ATTENTION-DEFICIT / HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD)

Description and History

• Attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) describes children who display persistent age-inappropriate symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity.
• ADHD can only be identified by characteristic patterns of behaviour, which vary quite a bit from child to child.
• The behaviour of children with ADHD is a constant stress and frustration for the child, and for parents, siblings, teachers and classmates.
• Over the past 100 years, numerous biomedical and psychosocial explanations have been used to explain the troublesome behaviours of ADHD.

Core Characteristics

Ø The DSM-IV-TR uses two lists of symptoms to define ADHD. The first includes symptoms of inattention, poor concentration, and disorganization. The second includes symptoms of hyperactivity and behavioural impulsivity.

Ø Children who are inattentive find it difficult to sustain mental effort during work or play. Sustained attention, or vigilance, is the core attention deficit in children with ADHD.

Ø Children with ADHD are extremely active, but unlike children with a high energy level, they don’t accomplish very much.

Ø Children with ADHD are impulsive, which means they seem unable to bridle their immediate reactions or to think before they act.

Ø A diagnosis of ADHD requires the appearance of symptoms before age 7, a greater frequency and severity of symptoms than in other children of the same age and gender, persistence of symptoms, occurrence of symptoms in several settings, and impairments in functioning.

Ø DSM specifies three subtypes of ADHD based on primary symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity-impulsivity, or a combination of both.

Associated Characteristics

o Besides their primary difficulties, children with ADHD display other problems such as cognitive deficits, speech and language impairments, interpersonal difficulties, and task and situational factors.

o Children with ADHD display deficits in executive functioning, the higher-order mental processes that underlie the child’s capacity for self-regulation.

o Most children with ADHD are of normal intelligence. Their difficulty is in applying their intelligence to certain everyday life situations.

o Children with ADHD experience school performance difficulties, including lower grades, a failure to advance in grades, and more frequent placements in special education classes.

o Many children with ADHD have a specific learning disorder, typically in reading or math.

o They often have speech and language impairments and also have difficulty using language in everyday situations.

o They may experience health-related problems, especially sleep disturbances, and are accident prone.

o They experience numerous interpersonal problems with family members, teachers and peers.

Accompanying Psychological Disorders and Symptoms

Ø A factor that makes ADHD so challenging is that children with the disorder have much higher than expected rates of other psychiatric disorders.

Ø Many children with ADHD meet the criteria for oppositional-defiant-disorder and conduct disorder.

Ø About one-quarter of children with ADHD experience excessive anxiety.

Ø Many children with ADHD experience depression. Although depression may be partly related to their demoralization as a result of their symptoms, it also can result from an elevated risk for depressive disorders in families of children with ADHD.

Prevalence and Course

• The best estimate is that ADHD affects about 3% to 5% of all school-age children.
• The diagnosis of ADHD is about two to three times more common in boys than girls.
• Symptoms of ADHD change throughout the course of development. A difficult infant temperament may be followed by hyperactive-impulsive symptoms at 3 to 4 years of age, followed, in turn, by the emergence of inattention around the time that the child starts school.
• Although the symptoms of ADHD may decline in prevalence and intensity as children grow older, for many individuals ADHD is a lifelong disorder.

Theories and Causes

v Theories about possible mechanisms and causes for ADHD have emphasized deficits in motivation, arousal, self-regulation, and behavioural inhibition.

v There is strong evidence that ADHD is a neurobiological disorder; however, biological and environmental risk factors together shape its expression.

v Findings suggest that ADHD may be inherited.

v Many factors that compromise the development of the nervous system before and after birth may be related to ADHD symptoms, such as pregnancy and birth complications, low birth weight, malnutrition, maternal alcohol or tobacco use, early neurological insult or trauma, and diseases of infancy.

v Although diet, allergy, and lead have received much attention as possible causes of ADHD, their role as causal primary causal factors is minimal to nonexistent.

v Family problems may lead to a greater severity of symptoms and relate to the emergence of associated conduct problems.

Treatment

ü There is no cure for ADHD, but a variety of treatments can be used to help children cope with their symptoms and deal with any secondary problems that may arise over the years.

ü The primary approach to treatment combines stimulant medication, parent management training, and educational intervention.

ü Stimulants are the most effective treatment for managing symptoms of ADHD; however their limited long-term benefit raises important issues about their clinical use that are yet to be resolved.

ü Parent management training (PMT) provides parents with a variety of skills to help them manage their child’s oppositional and non-compliant behaviours and cope.

ü Educational interventions focus on managing inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive behaviours that interfere with learning and on providing a classroom environment that capitalizes on the child’s strengths.

ü Additional interventions for ADHD include family counselling and support groups, and individual counselling for the child.

(Mash & Wolfe, 2002)

Parental Management

ü Change your expectations of your child.

ü Modify the environment, not the child.

ü Concentrate on building self-esteem.

ü Use positive and negative reinforcement instead of punishment.

ü Change your child management techniques.

ü Use a token system.

ü Use of time-out (Use chair or mat).

ü Apply rules, review the rules and ask the child to repeat the rules. Review rewards if rules are kept and consequences if rules are broken.

Educational Management

ü The class setting must be structured.

ü Children must be made to follow 3 basic rules, that is :

1. Follow instructions.

2. Be friendly to others.

3. Do your best.

ü Give children feedback on their performance and on instructions every ten minutes.

ü If a child breaks a rule, he / she will have to write repeatedly that he will not break that rule again.

ü Reduce the length of work given to ADHD children.

ü Concentrate more on accuracy of work done by the child than on the quantity of the work that was completed.

ü Notice the extent to which the child has solved the problem creatively.

ü The speed at which the child completes his / her work is not as important and his / her problem solving ability.

Nasreen Ebrahim-Sardiwalla

Clinical Psychologist

B.A.(Unisa), Hons (Unisa),M.A. Clin. Psych(UFS)

 

 

Sister Nasreen is a Durban-based psychologist. She can be contacted via email: nasreens@telkomsa.net

STUDY METHODS

When you hear the word ‘STUDY’ you probably feel: No need to anymore. With just a little planning and knowing how to study, those study times can easily become a productive & funfilled time that makes you feel:

So let’s see how this is done…

STUDY TIMETABLE

If you structure your study days you will find that you will be able to create a balance between your studies and leisure. You will also be able to have the necessary breaks in order for you start the next study session afresh.

Remember the ffg. when structuring your timetable:

ü Work your study timetable in conjunction with your exam timetable. Ensure that you have made adequate provision for the subject by the time the time comes to write that subject.

ü Also allocate more time to subjects you find more difficult.

ü Ensure that your break & leisure times don’t exceed your studying time.

ü Anticipate that sometimes you may not be able to keep up to your timetable due to unforeseen circumstances, however these times must be made up for.

ü Keep your timetable pasted on the wall in front of your desk as well as on the fridge so your parents can also monitor it.

EXAM & STUDY SKILLS

Reading

· The first time you study new material, you should read through it.

· Any new material must be read at least three times.

· On your first read, just read but make sure you are concentrating.

· On your second read, read for understanding by using a highlighter to highlight what you think are the main points.

· On your third read, go through these highlighted points and jot down more pertinent points that come from them.

· If you still don’t grasp something go back to your textbook and original notes and read again.

· Closer to your exam, make sure that you go through the highlighted sections and notes you have made. (so now you have less to learn because you have condensed your work).

Studying & Memorising

· For factual subjects such as Biology, History etc. the above reading method works very well.

· In subjects such as these, use your own acronyms, tables, drawings, cartoons and metaphors to help you remember confusing facts.

· You can also read your notes out loud and record it – listen to these records while you are dressing, eating, getting ready for school, etc. The more you hear them, the more they will register in your memory.

· For any subjects that have diagrams, don’t just memorise the diagram. Redraw it yourself and label it by looking at the textbook and then try redrawing it again without the aid of the textbook.

· For subjects such as Accounting, Physics and Maths, do as many examples as possible. Don’t do the examples after looking at the correct answer at the back of the textbook – try to work out the answer on your own first before checking the answer.

· For English and Afrikaans, ensure that you have read your setworks thoroughly and that you have understood them. Try explaining the story to someone to see how much of it you remember. A study guide is also very helpful for these subjects. Here again, use assignments or past question papers – the more examples you do, the more you will begin to see what is expected of you.

· When memorizing huge volumes, don’t strive to do it all at once. Break it down into smaller chunks and only go onto the next chunk until you fully remember the first chunk.

· Try not to do memorizing at night as you are tired. Rather leave that for early morning.

Exam Skills

§ Always ensure that you know the exact date and time you will be writing a paper.

§ Ensure that you are at least half an hour early at the exam venue so that you do not reach there in a panic.

§ Ensure that you have all the correct stationery for that paper.

§ Keep your wrist watch on your table so that you can keep track of the time without constantly having to look at your wrist.

§ Time your self – if your paper has 5 questions and it is a 60min paper then you have 12mins to answer each question. Also ensure that you still have a little left over time to go back to difficult questions and to check your paper.

§ Read through the entire question paper before you begin. By doing so you will know what is expected of you by reading all the instructions. You will also be able to decide which section you want to answer first.

§ Always answer first what you know and what you are confident in.

§ Read each question thoroughly, underlining key words in the question.

§ If a question is starting to feel difficult, don’t panic! Take a deep breath in and go to another question. Mark a star next to the question you left out so you can return to it. Do so after you have completed all the questions you know.

§ When answering a multiple choice question paper, use a process of elimination.

§ When you have completed your paper, never hand it in, even if you have time left – go over it again and again to make sure that you have not left anything out.

§ When you go home, forget about the paper you have written and concentrate on the one you are going to write the next day.

General

v Study in a place where there are no distractions. If you like listening to music when you are studying, ensure that the volume is low.

v Study in a room that is well ventilated and has good lighting.

v Eat healthy snacks while studying such as fruit, nuts, milk, etc.

v Don’t skip meals during study periods.

v If your mind wanders focus on the fact that the quicker you finish the quicker you will reach your break – if you have wasted time daydreaming, cut-down your break time and use it to study.

v Talk to your friends about what you have learnt –that way you will learn from each other.

v Give yourself a treat after you’ve had a good and profitable study session.

GOOD LUCK!!

Nasreen Ebrahim-Sardiwalla

Clinical Psychologist

B.A.(Unisa), B.A.Hons (Unisa), M.A.Clin Psych(UFS)

Jazakallahu khairan to sister Nasreen for the above article.

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.
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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