Why cursive writing should be scrapped from the curriculum
Most adults educated in the South African schooling system will remember having to learn how to write in cursive early on in their school careers (this usually happens in Grade 3- or what used to be called Standard 1). But I feel very strongly that cursive writing is entirely outdated and that it has to […]
Help your kids get ready to go back to school
As the summer holiday draws to an end children and parents across the country will slowly starting shifting into “back to school” mode again. Whether your child is starting at a new school or has simply moved up a grade in the same school, the beginning of the school year can be a stressful time. […]
Education: A teacher’s frustration
Elizma Vlok, a friend and teacher posted the following on her facebook page recently and I totally agree with the sentiment. I become incredibly angry when parents expect teachers to “educate” their children … I obtained a 4 year B.Ed. degree so that I can TEACH your child and yes, I am more than prepared […]
Violence in schools
Violent behaviour in schools has undoubtedly increased in recent decades. For a short period following the Morne Harmse (Samurai sword killer) case things seemed to have calmed down and education specialists and teachers were all keeping their fingers crossed, hoping that was the last violent attack – but recent incidences of violence suggest that we […]
Benefits and disadvantages of homeschooling
With the increase in technologies that enable parents to work from home and from relatively remote regions I find that more and more parents are considering homeschooling their children. Added to this is the disillusionment many parents feel with the traditional schooling system and it’s overall failure to produce self-directed learners. Here are some […]
Unschooling
For a while now I’ve felt that something needs to change in our current mainstream education system – I’m just not convinced that it’s working the way it should. I’ve seen the flaws from both perspectives: For the most part the kids I work with are completely disengaged from the content they are expected to […]
Primary school: Blue Moon Montessori
I owe Cape Town’s Child Magazine and their comprehensive listing of pre-schools for this one. I would have never found the school on my own (and it turns out I couldn’t even find it with my GPS – thank goodness Jacky was able to direct me over the phone). Hidden away in a quiet bend […]
School readiness: The importance of emotional maturity
School readiness depends as much on emotional maturity as it does on scholastic ability. In order to be deemed cognitively school ready, children need to achieve a test age of 6 years 3 months on school readiness assessments. Yet, I have assessed many children who have scored much higher than this and still recommended that […]
Bergvliet Primary School
The best keep secret in the Southern Suburbs? With being new in the area and trying to set up a practice, I’ve been spending a lot of time going around to schools to meet with staff, to introduce myself and to get a general feel for each school. And what an interesting exercise it has […]
