Slow work speed

Some children dress very slowly and their parents are used to doing things for them. This in fact causes the child’s work speed to become even worse. Some children may experience this as the parents telling them indirectly “you are not capable to handle this task, so I will have to do it for you”. I encourage these parents to be well prepared schedule and routine wise as to wake their children earlier and to reward their children accordingly. For example: If your child dressed in 20 minutes today, he/she receives a star, after 10 stars you reward your child with quality time for example going to the zoo together. It is recommended not to reward with sweets.
Try not to interfere when your child is busy solving a problem and figuring out a task for him/herself. This process is very important as the child learns to think for him/herself Only help when your child asks for help.
When a parent hands a task (which is not too difficult for the child’s level of competence) over to a child and when the parent does not interfere, they indirectly tell the child “I believe in you, and I believe that you are capable to do this”. Children can see straight to your heart. They see in your eyes when you are proud of them and when you praise them with words and quality time, its even better.

Healthy family relationships

When a family does chores together, it can improve how well the family works together as a group. This may improve relationships within the family, if the communication is open and healthy.
Parents used to think that they will naturally get along with their children because their related. This is not the case as each child’s and parent’s temperament may differ and you have to learn to gel along just as you and new colleagues at work learn to work together. I strongly recommend the book “Growing kids with character” by Hettie Britz. This book may be available at exclusive books and Cum books. In this book Hettie explains the different temperament of children (starting from the age of 2), and of parents. You complete a questionnaire to see more or less what the temperament of your child is and at the end of the book, she explains how to handle your child emotionally according to your child’s temperament. This cannot replace the help of a professional Clinical/Educational Psychologist or a play therapist who works with your child. It can, however, assist you in communicating effectively with your child and it may help you to better understand the way your child thinks and functions and what makes him/her “tick”.
If you struggle with discipline in the household, I recommend the follow-up book by Hettie Britz on Authority. This will help you to identify and improve your style of discipline and it will generate a healthier relationship between you and your child.

Activities of daily living and chores

Parents are encouraged to assist their children in being as independent as possible in their activities of daily living by letting their children bath, dress and feed themselves.

Children should have chores to help with around the house. This enhances a child’s sense of responsibility and independence.
Chores shouldn’t take more time than 30 min a day, because children should have adequate time for playing .Make these chores part of the daily routine so that the child has a certain time on which the chore must be initiated and a deadline as to when the task must be completed.
It is recommended that parents give these instructions, step-by-step, in English as to improve a child’s following of the teacher’s instructions in the classroom.
This will furthermore improve a child’s problem solving skills as he/she will have to break a task in smaller components and decide which step to do first. This may benefit your child’s performance in math word sums later in their school career.
Let me give you some examples of activities which can improve the physical and mental development of your child:
* Sweeping a kitchen-/veranda floor (improves shoulder control and midline crossing)
* Helping the parent to wash the car with a cloth in each hand (enhances the working together with 2 hands as well as shoulder control)
* Help mom to hang the washing. Child should stand on a chair so that the wire is shoulder height. Child should use pegs. (Improves shoulder control, working together with left and right hand and improves muscle strength of the child’s hand muscles)
* Help mom to make sandwiches or bake a cake. (Improves sequencing when it is done step by step and it helps the child to plan and problem solve. When the product is finished and garnished, the child may feel proud of it and the child’s self-esteem will therefore be improved)

Television and computer/playstation games

Media (Playstation and computer games as well as TV watching) should be minimized to no more that 45 minutes a weekday and 1 ½ hour during weekends.
When working on a computer, a Child should take a break every 15 minutes and relax his/her eyes.
He/She should be reminded to maintain the correct upright posture and thus also the correct eye distance (25 to 30 cm distance must be maintained between his eyes and the book or television, after the eye test has been conducted).

Schoolreadiness Part G

MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS Continue...

Ø Take 6 sweets and explain to your child: If 2 children each have one sweetie, how many will they have together?. (Answer = 2). And If 2 children each have 2 sweeties, how many will they have together? (Answer = 4). And If 2 children each have 3 sweeties, how many will they have together?
(Answer = 6). If you have 2 sweeties and your friend has 3 sweeties, how many will you have together? (Answer = 5).

Schoolreadiness Part F

MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS Continue...

Ø Put 10 objects on the floor, ask your child to COUNT how many there are.

Ø Explain to your child that a PAIR means two. For e.g. show your child a pair of gloves. Ask your child: If 2 persons each have a pair of gloves, how many will they have together (Answer = 4). Try to have 2 pairs of gloves or 2 pairs of shoes with you to explain this to our child by showing it..

Schoolreadiness Part E

MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS Continue...
Ø Take 4 Bowls and fill them with marbles/seeds/beans.
Bowl 1 must have 3 objects in. Bowl 2-1 object. Bowl 3-5 objects. Bowl 4-3 objects
Ask your child:
Show me the bowl with the LEAST amount of marbles in.
(Answer: bowl no. 2)
Show me the bowl with the MOST amount of marbles in.
(Answer: bowl no. 3)
Show me the two bowls with the SAME amount of marbles in.
(Answer: bowl no 1 and 4)
If I use a bowl and take 2 objects away, and one object will then be left, which bowl will that be? (Answer: bowl no 4 or 1 – with 3 objects in)

Schoolreadiness Part D

MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS:
Do the following with your child:

Ø Put 5 objects in a row and teach your child in English
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
Ask your child to show you the FIRST and LAST one or SECOND and FOURTH one.
Show me the one in the middle

Ø Take an orange and cut it in half, and explain to your child that it was divided in 2 HALVES.

Schoolreadiness Part C

Spatial Concept Continue...

Have a large box at hand and give your child a ball and ask your child to:
a) Hold the ball BEHIND your body
b) Hold the ball IN FRONT OF your body
c) Hold the ball ABOVE your head
d) Put the ball INSIDE the box
e) Put the ball BESIDE the box
f) Put the ball on the RIGHT SIDE of the box
g) Put the ball on the LEFT SIDE of the box
h) Put the ball in the MIDDLE of your face

Schoolreadiness Part B

Spatial Concept

Ask your child to do the following:
a) Lie on your TUMMY on the floor
b) LIFT your hands in the air
c) Put your hand ON TOP OF my hand
d) Put your hand UNDER my hand
e) Climb OVER the table
f) Climb UNDER the table
g) Lie on your BACK on the floor

Schoolreadiness Part A

Here are some exercises to do with your child to assist him in being ready for Grade 1:

Size Concept

Take a LONG and SHORT rope and ask your child to point out the longest of the two
Show your child a picture of a NARROW passage and a picture of a WIDE passage. Ask your child to show you the narrow passage.
Cut a THICK slice of bread and a THIN slice of bread. Ask your child to point to the thick slice.
Take 3 potatoes Large, small and medium sixes. Ask your child:
a) Point to the LARGEST one.
b) Pont to the SMALLEST one
c) Arrange them FROM SMALL TO LARGE
d) Point to the one in the MIDDLE

Vestibular Stimulation

Your vestibular system is situated in the inner ear. The vestibular apparatus detects changes in speed and directions of head movement. The vestibular system forms an equilibrial trail with the visual and proprioceptive system and it also has an influence on the nervous system. The main functions of the vestibular system are: to maintain equilibrium, to direct the oaze of the eyes and to preserve a constant plane of vision. The child enjoys stimulating his vestibular apparatus and challenging his equilibrium and skills against the earth’s gravitational pull from the first time he lifts his head. Can you now see that your child’s reading can even improve when your child’s vestibular system is stimulated? Because the “ears are connected to the eyes”. Most children are too stagnant because of TV and play-station, so make sure that your child has some sort of a swing or trampoline outside or take your child to the park to play on the playground swings and merry-go-rounds on a weekly basis.

Smile educational Toys Closing down

The company is closing down; the last date to order is 26 Sept. If you still need to order products, please do so NOW!

The consultant I use is Karien Prinsloo 0826144112.
The following Smile games are a must for any Gr. double zero to Gr.7 child: Phone Karien and order them for your children:
Tangram duet,
Logi-shape,
Finger fun,
Pegboard combo and
3D designs. Dotty Designs

Attention and Concentration

A 2-year old should concentrate for 7 min.
A 3-year old should recognise people and remember names; remember where stuff is put away ; should be able to amuse himself for 30 min and should be able to concentrate on one game for 5-10min.
A 4-year old should be able to amuse him for 60 min and should be able to concentrate on one game for 10-15min.
A 5-year old should be able to concentrate at a table for 20min; recall 5 numbers on memory recall and recall 5 objects.
A 6-year old should be able to concentrate at a table for 25min; recall 6 numbers on memory recall and recall 6 objects.

M- Sit

Some children assume the following incorrect posture when sitting on a carpet:
They sit with their knees bent and their feet facing backwards. The child therefore broadens his base of support in compensating for poor trunk control. This posture may cause damage to the knee -joint. Instead of exercising trunk muscles, your child leans forward. Always tell your child to fix his legs. Your child should then sit with his legs straight forward or crossed and these 2 positions require more use of the trunk muscles.

Directionality

Teach your child to draw circles anti-clockwise. The direction of writing letters (with g and d as exceptions) is anti-clockwise. It is therefore beneficial to draw circles in an anti-clockwise direction so that your child can write the letters of the alphabet in the correct direction. Some children reverse letters such as b and d because the write them in the wrong directions. Michelle

Puzzles

Important to develop a part-whole concept known as analysis and synthesis. This helps your child to take syllables and construct a word or to brake a word up in syllables. It also helps your child to construct sentences and to do maths. If your child really struggles with the above, take your child to an Occupational Therapist for an evaluation. Phone the Occupational Therapy Association of SA (OTASA) 012 3625457 to find the number of a Paediatric Occupational Therapist near you. Guidelines: 3 year old -3/4 piece puzzle; 4 year old -5/6 piece puzzle
5 year old - 9 piece puzzle; 6 year old -12 piece puzzle; 7 year old -24 piece puzzle; 8 year old -36 piece puzzle; 9 year old -48 piece puzzle
Use the following steps: 1st separate the frame pieces from the inner pieces. ALWAYS start by building the frame. Put down the 4 corners and then build the frame. GOOD, now you may build the inner pieces. Sit with your child to make sure that your child uses this method. Let your child build a puzzle at least once a week.

Sleep

Did you know?:
a 2 year old child requires 13 hours of sleep.
5 year old 11 hours,
10 year old 9.75 hours
16 year old 8.5 hours.

Hand puppets

Just some playtime and fun for the family: You can make your own puppets together with your child. Whether you use gloves with faces on, paper mashe or finger puppets - your child will love to be creative in this area. You and your husband can host a show for your 2-6 year olds (Good for listening skills). Let your children make a team and practice and host their own little shows while you and your husband watch. Older children can arrange a big time show where the family pays entrance fees and where lemonade is served etc. ( Here you can focus on general work/busness skills)
Believe in your child and they will believe in themselves.
Michelle Robbertse

Skipping rope

A must have for every child. By the age of 6 your child should be able to skip with a skipping rope (landing on 2 feet at the same time). When your child is 5 years of age, he should be able to jump with 2 feet over a 20cm high rope. This is a basic skill needed for the symmetrical use of the two sides of the body. Star jumps, galloping and skipping should be learnt thereafter.