The problem with the current schooling system in South Africa.
I have always been a big advocate of the benefits of education, but I have to admit that lately I find myself more and more disillusioned with the current schooling system in South Africa. I’m finding it increasingly difficult to defend a system which I feel has lost sight of its primary objective – giving […]
Imaginary Friends
Get a little creeped out when you hear your child having a conversation with thin air? Experts once believed that having an imaginary friend was a sign that something was wrong in a child’s life. They hypothesized that children who dreamed up imaginary friends were isolated, socially incompetent or lonely. Yet, it seems that the […]
Help prepare your child for new school year
The long, lazy summer holidays are slowly drawing to a close and families all across the country are preparing to send their children back to school next week. The December holidays are by far the longest holidays in the academic calendar and this often causes the transition back to school to be more difficult than […]
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 […]
Things to consider when choosing a school
When it comes to choosing the right school for your mainstream child, these are some of the things to consider: 1. What does your gut say? (It might sounds flaky, but I consider your first instinct when it comes to schools to be the most important. Parents usually know their children better than anyone and know […]
Should you be getting rid of the TV for the kids’ sake?
I grew up in a house where we spent about 90% of our free time watching Television. We watched the 7 am cartoon while we were having breakfast and tuned in to K-TV when we got back from school in the afternoons. My mother had the good sense to deny us access to the TV […]
A call to South African Educators
My experience in working both as a teacher and later as an Educational psychologist in school settings has helped me appreciate exactly how crucial a role educators play in the lives of our children. It is a thankless, never-ending job. A teacher’s day typically starts just after 7 am (if it’s not staff meetings, it’s […]
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 […]
Kids learning: The wonder of play dough
Kids learning about the world through the wonder of play dough. I’m not a night owl. In fact, most nights I battle to stay awake past 8pm. But last Wednesday evening I found myself in the kitchen at 11:30pm happily humming to myself and shuffling along in my slippers – making play dough. I would […]
