Blogs

Grade R, Grade 1, Grade 2
Which books are best?
With so many choices of children’s books available, do you wonder which ones would be most beneficial for your child? Here are a few simple guidelines to help you choose the best books for your child.
 
The whole point of giving children books to read and of reading to them is to ‘switch’ them on to reading. So, the most important thing to remember when selecting books for your child is that whatever your child wants to read, is the best thing for him or her to read. Do not worry about whether a book is at the ‘correct’ reading level or on a ‘suitable’ topic or ‘well-written’ – a ‘good’ book is any book your child wants to read! This really is the most important guideline of all!
 
The graded readers that children get at school as part of their reading lessons have been designed to keep-it-simple – especially the first books in a series. This means that they have a much less varied use of language and vocabulary than storybooks. Good graded readers are a useful tool for teaching your child to read but on their own they are not enough. To give your children a richer, more balanced reading experience, choose storybooks or interesting information books for the times when you read to your children.
 
Try to give your children as wide a selection of books as possible. Regular visits to bookshops and the library are a great way of exposing them to lots of books. Notice which books they seem interested in and buy or borrow these ones. Of course, you may also want to encourage your children to try something new by choosing a book they’ve never see before. This is good idea but always remember that you’re taking a risk – your child might hate the story!
 
And what if your child really doesn’t like books? Then try other forms of reading material like magazines, comics and stories that you download on a computer or kindle.
 
It’s simple: children learn to read by reading so whatever we give them to read or read to them needs to encourage them to read more!
Preschool, Grade R
Materials:
Plastic bottles/containers with lids
Paper or a funnel
Rice, pasta, screws, beans, beads (any small, hard objects which can be placed in the bottles/containers)
Stickers for decorating
 
Instructions: Using a funnel or a piece of paper rolled to act as a funnel, fill the bottles/containers with... Read the full article
Preschool, Grade R, Grade 1
Materials:
Toys/household objects that can be used to measure length and height (e.g. Legos, blocks, books, apples, spoons)
 
Instructions:
Have your child use different household objects to measure length and height. Determine how many Legos tall the couch is, or have your child lie down and see how many apples tall... Read the full article
Preschool, Grade R
Materials:
Cookie cutters in various geometrical shapes (If you don’t have these, you can use a knife)
Your child’s favourite “cut-able” foods – pancakes, cheese slices, fruit, bread
 
Instructions:
Using cookie cutters, cut shapes into your child’s favourite foods. Discuss the... Read the full article
Preschool
Finding fun activities for your children that are educational but engaging doesn’t need to feel like work. In this blog series, I’ll be giving you lots of activity ideas for children of all ages, from toddlers to Grade 3.  

TODDLERS: (ages 1-3)

Make a Shape Book

Materials:
Coloured... Read the full article
Preschool, Grade R, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7
When your children lose interest in learning, you may find yourself wondering how you’re ever going to get them excited and motivated again. These tips will help you get them fired up and back on track! Be passionate about your teaching. Even if you’re having a bad day, be expressive, smile and put excitement into your voice.... Read the full article

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