Encouraging your child to read is easy with these 4 steps
Getting your child to read always feels like a parenting win, doesn’t it? We’re constantly told by the media and by scientists how important it is for kids to read. And these experts certainly aren’t wrong. But encouraging your child to read is a bit tricky when they absolutely hate it? What do you do […]
Common Types of Reading Difficulties in Children
When we talk about reading difficulties it helps to think about the pattern of reading problems that the child displays. This helps us to get a better idea of whether the child’s difficulty is due purely to not having had enough experience in reading (as happens often with learning to read in English) or whether […]
The benefits of reading to children
The benefits of reading far outweigh that of almost any other educational activity. By making every day reading a priority for your family, you are not only enhancing your child’s chances of success but also helping to make them kinder, more grounded individuals. Here are some of the ways in which reading can be beneficial. […]
How to help your baby’s brain grow
Let’s first look at what science has taught us about how your baby’s brain grows: Thanks to research we now know that our brains develop and change throughout our lifetimes, but the most important foundation for brain development is laid in early childhood. The experiences we have as young children affect the physical architecture of […]
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 But I feel very strongly that cursive writing is entirely outdated and that it has to […]
Neuroplasticity in education
Neuroplasticity, in my opinion is one of the most exciting concepts discovered by brain scientists in recent years. What it means, in essence, is that our brains can change – significantly – without operations or medication. Now, don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying that there is not a place for neurological medications or operational […]
Kids learning: the interplay between memory and concentration
Does your child often forget things? Does he forget to bring his shoes or jersey back from school; forget to follow the instructions you give him or get halfway through a sentence and then forgets what he had wanted to say? It might surprised you to learn that his memory might be well developed and […]
Kids learning: Different types of memory
From time to time my assessments indicate that a child may have a memory problem and when I point this out to the parents I am usually met with a response such as: “It doesn’t make sense – she can remember things that happened years ago when she was still a little girl. She can’t […]
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. […]
What to do if your child has a slow handwriting speed
Having slow handwriting can be very distressing for children during timed tasks such as tests and exams. I often get panicked phone calls from the parents children in higher grades about this. Unfortunately a slow handwriting speed is usually only identified in higher grades, when children simply can’t keep up with volume of work required. […]
