Tag: #literacy

Articles, Literacy

Mathematics Literacy Practice

Lianne Bantjes
Abacus (Math Literacy)

Literacy levels are the focus of the first three years of a child’s school life. The rest of their education hinges on the strength of the foundation created during this time.

Foundation Phase Literacy

As discussed in my article ‘What is Literacy?’, there are many different types of literacy. In the foundation phase the main focus is on LANGUAGE literacy and NUMERACY (also known as MATH literacy). By the end of Grade 3, children need to have a solid foundation in both of these literacies in order to cope effectively in the inter-sen or senior phase. When a solid foundation has not been laid, teachers often see a dramatic drop in marks from Grade 4 onwards.

Children who were doing very well in math in grade 1-3 might see a dip in marks in grade 4-5 because of their inability to read effectively. There is a link between language literacy and a child’s math marks later in school. As children move up through the grades, Math becomes more and more language based. To complete story sums and exam questions, children need to be able to read accurately, quickly and must understand what is being asked of them in order to answer the questions correctly.

Lockdown goodness

Despite how difficult the last year or so has been, many great things came out of lockdown and one of them is the fact that I came across the Play! Math website. I immediately ordered two Play! Math bundles for my nephews. I was astounded when delivery took place the following day. I love quick and efficient service and theirs is impeccable. They follow up swiftly with queries and seem very proactive and professional. As promised, the material I ordered was solid, old fashioned, perfectly laid out practice material, free of fancy fluff and bubble window dressing to make it look good.

Play!Math

Play! Math is owned and run by Anna Bezuidenhout who is the founder, author and content developer of their materials. I’ve never met Anna but it is evident that she is passionate about what she is doing. Her company provides CAPS aligned math worksheets, assessments, quizzes and exams papers for grades 1-7. Her goal is to “reach and assist as many learners across South Africa as possible”.

Content

The bundles per grade consist of the following:

  • Learner book & Answer book
  • Printable Assessments & Memo
  • Printable Exams & Memo
  • Printabe Timestables sheets
  • Free shipping

For a preview of their materials CLICK HERE.

Cost

Her prices are very affordable at the ridiculous low rate of R280 per bundle. Materials are grade specific and come in English or Afrikaans. Her product bundles are perfect for extra support for the home-schooling community as well as children in mainstream schooling. In fact these bundles are aimed at any parent that would like to give their child more opportunity to practice math in order to hone their skills and further develop their math literacy.

Conclusion

Play!Math has provided South Africa with a Math practice product that is comprehensive, simple to use and value for money.

Links

Play!Math

Additional Reading

Number Sense
https://mathsnoproblem.com/blog/teaching-practice/number-sense/

What is number sense
https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/child-learning-disabilities/math-issues/number-sense-what-you-need-to-know

Why is numeracy so important?
https://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/about/what-numeracy/why-numeracy-important

Why you can’t skip reading to your child for 20 minutes per day
https://lbliteracy.co.za/why-you-cant-skip-reading-to-your-child-for-20-minutes-per-day/

What is Literacy?
https://lbliteracy.co.za/what-is-literacy/

To explore working with Lianne in Randburg / Sandton and other areas in Johannesburg, contact her for a consultation to discuss how she can assist you.

Articles, Literacy, Reading

The Benefits of Reading Aloud to Tweens and Teens

Lianne Bantjes
Boy and his mom read together.

There is much research supporting the idea that there is great benefit in reading aloud to your teenagers. For some reason, parents still seem to think that this is something you need only do with younger children. The benefits listed below may change your mind, especially if your child is not yet an avid reader.

Reading aloud to teens has the following benefits:

  • Positive modeling of word pronunciation
  • Modeling the usage of tone, intonation and expression
  • Builds vocabulary
  • Improves comprehension skills
  • Improves listening skills
  • It is bonding time
  • It helps with discussions around difficult issues
  • It sparks curiosity
  • It contributes to a thirst for learning
  • It is a way to work through the classics with older kids & introduce different genres
  • It is enjoyable and relaxing for both parent and child

If more parents read aloud to their children there would be less need for services such as reading therapy and literacy / language support.

Further reading

To explore working with Lianne in Randburg / Sandton and other areas in Johannesburg, contact her for a consultation to discuss how she can assist you.

Articles, Literacy, Reading

The Science of Reading

Lianne Bantjes

References to ‘The Science of Reading’ are popping up all over the place. Globally there is a push to have the science behind learning to read brought into teacher training, classroom practices and professional development. This is because on an international scale we seem to be failing children in developing their literacy skills at a time when it has become more important than ever.  READ MORE about how literacy is defined today and why it is even more essential than before by clicking HERE.

Reading fluency and strong literacy skills are developed in a child when there is cooperation between the school and home environment. For things to be optimal, both places have to play their part. Being able to read does not happen as a result of 30 minutes of phonics instruction per day.  It takes much more than that – it takes exposure to books, storytelling and people reading in a child’s everyday environment as well as the opportunity to practice and access to reading material.

If a family shows an interest in books and reading then their children get the message that reading is important and not solely a school-based activity with little practical application in the real world. This message is very powerful to a young learner who may be struggling to learn to read.

The Science of Reading involves not just regular phonics instruction but instruction in all the types of knowledge that forms the foundation of skilled reading. It also advocates for exposure to language and text in a multitude of ways, both at home and at school.

Written language is a code

It is generally accepted that written language is a code for the sounds that we make when speaking a language. Letters, or letter combinations, represent our spoken sounds – they are pictures or symbols that represent these sounds. Mastering this code allows learners to read words. Reading words, however, is not enough as the reason for reading is to seek meaning. Therefore, the process of reading to learn goes beyond this. The Science of Reading stresses five keys to learning to read effectively.

The Five Keys to Reading

  1. Phonemic awareness
    • It is the ability to hear, identify and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words.
  2. Phonics
    • Phonics is knowledge of the relationship between sounds and letters.
    • Phonics instruction requires a good foundation in phonemic awareness.
    • Phonics instruction, without sufficient phonemic awareness in place, results in slow progress, frustration and ultimately a disinterest in reading because it becomes too difficult.
  3. Fluency
    • If children cannot decode what they see on the page, they cannot become fluent readers.
    • Fluency is when they move beyond decoding and are able to recognize words automatically, accurately and quickly.
    • When recognition and understanding connect it results in fluency.
  4. Vocabulary
    • Children need to gain meaning from the words they read otherwise it is pointless.
    • Reading vocabulary refers to the words that can be read AND understood.
  5. Comprehension
    • This refers to reading comprehension
    • Reading comprehension is the sum of a child’s decoding ability, their vocabulary knowledge as well as their language comprehension.

There are two essential components of reading instruction:

  1. Instruction must be explicit
    • Clear and straightforward instruction is necessary when exposing learners to the code.
    • Direct modeling of skills making use of  ‘I do’, ‘We do’, ‘You do’ practice to move towards mastery.
  2. Instruction must be systematic and sequential
    • The presentation of sounds must be in a logical order.
    • Easier skills must be mastered before moving on to more difficult ones.
    • New learning must build on prior learning.

Working memory

While learning phonics children make use of their working memory. This is a higher order skill and forms part of our executive function.  Phonological memory is essential for learning phonics and decoding skills. Children need to be encouraged to expand the use of their working memory.

Auditory processing

Children who cannot distinguish small changes in sounds tend to struggle with phonics instruction. When teaching reading it is often assumed that auditory processing skills are fully developed. However, this is not true for all children, especially those that are learning English as a second or third language. This often means that they have not yet had enough exposure to the English language and therefore their brains are not wired to process these sounds. In mixed classrooms, it would be wise to build in compensatory activities giving additional exposure based on the use of numerous information processing techniques.

Two sides of the same coin

When reading you decode and when writing you encode. They are two sides of the same coin using the same code. Improvement in one of these two skills usually has a positive effect on the other.

Links & references

How the Brain Learns to Read by Sousa, D.A
https://www.amazon.com/Brain-Learns-Read-David-Sousa/dp/1483333949#:~:text=A%20modern%20classic%2C%20updated%20for,the%20Brain%20Learns%20to%20Read.

The Science of Reading Research by G. Reid Lyon and Vinita Chhabra
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar04/vol61/num06/The-Science-of-Reading-Research.aspx

Lyon, G. R. (2002). Reading development, reading difficulties, and reading instruction: Educational and public health issues. Journal of School Psychology, 40, 3–6.

Moats, L. C. (1995). The missing foundation in teacher preparation. American Educator, 19(9), 43–51.

Moats, L. C. (1999). Teaching reading is rocket science. Washington, DC: American Federation of Teachers.

Shaywitz, S. E. (2003). Overcoming dyslexia. New York: Knopf.

Further reading

What is literacy by Lianne Bantjes
https://lbliteracy.co.za/what-is-literacy/

What is the Science of Reading by Timothy Shanahan
https://www.readingrockets.org/blogs/shanahan-literacy/what-science-reading

The Phono-graphix Reading Company
https://www.phono-graphix.com/index.php

Develop a culture of reading in your home by Lianne Bantjes
https://lbliteracy.co.za/develop-reading-culture/

Why you can’t skip reading to your child for 20 minutes per day by Lianne Bantjes
https://lbliteracy.co.za/why-you-cant-skip-reading-to-your-child-for-20-minutes-per-day/

To explore working with Lianne online in Randburg / Sandton and other areas in Johannesburg, contact her for a consultation to discuss how she can assist you.

Articles, Literacy, Reading

Literacy & Reading Intervention:

Lianne Bantjes
Boy leans against the back of a chair looking despondent.

Why wait for failure and its repercussions?

Taking a ‘wait and see’ approach to the development of your child’s literacy skills is a dangerous game to play and may have ramifications for their self-image, success in other subjects, your back pocket as well as your family’s leisure time.

Language literacy & the Foundation phase (Grades 1-3)

The goal of the foundation phase is to develop a child’s language and number literacy in preparation for the inter-sen phase, which begins in grade 4 in South Africa. In the foundation phase children ‘learn-to-read’ but in the inter-sen and senior phases they are required to ‘read-to-learn’. Therefore your goal as parents and our goal as foundation phase educators should be to focus on…

  • building a strong foundation by developing phonemic awareness and reading fluency
  • growing a love of reading in each child
  • solving problems related to literacy as they come up
  • overcoming obstacles related to reading before our children reach Grade 4.
  • understand that after Grade 3 there is little to no time within the curriculum for teachers to help children with basic reading skills.

A child who cannot read at grade level, or whose skills are not well cemented, will often begin to drop in marks across all subjects, as they move up past grade 4. Parents, whose children have always done well in Grades 1-3, may find that their child’s marks begin to drop considerably and their child may even end up failing subjects like Maths, as they progress through the inter-sen phase into the senior phase. This drop in marks is mainly because subjects now become more language-based e.g. story sums in math, understanding what is required when reading a test / exam question. Children fail because they can no longer cope with the amount of information they are presented with or the speed at which they need to read & process this information.

The result is that the gap between the struggling child and their ‘speedy reading’ peers continues to grow and so does the burden of catching up. The problem multiplies as time goes by.

Take responsibility and do not ignore signs of struggle.

Your child’s issues from last year may not be apparent just yet, but could still be bubbling under the surface. Do not ignore what you already know. If you have any inkling that your child is struggling, help should be sought straight away. At the first sign of trouble with a child’s reading ability that you feel ill-equipped to deal with, seek help from a reading therapist or specialist remedial teacher.

As a parent, you need to be involved in reading with your child one-to-one on a daily basis. This is not optional. The only way that you can pick up problems is to be reading side by side with your child on a regular basis. The only way you can foster a love of reading is to be reading to your child daily.

For more information on developing a reading culture in your home, please click here. If you’d like to know why you can’t miss out on reading to your child daily, read the following article by clicking here.

The consequences of waiting until they fail

  1. Damage to your child’s self-image and confidence levels.
    Failure can result in a child experiencing feelings of shame, embarrassment and self-consciousness. A child who feels this way no longer feels open to learning and no longer feels brave enough to participate in class..
  2. Reading resistance
    A child becomes resistant to reading when the reading tasks that everyone else copes with becomes too difficult for them to cope with. We find that they begin to avoid reading at all costs as it makes them feel bad about themselves. This results in decreasing opportunities to practice their reading skills, thus widening the gap between the child and his/her peers even more. The problem starts to multiply.
  3. Extended recovery/catchup
    Waiting to intervene means that the recovery / catchup period has to be much longer and is more challenging for your child. The fact that the intervention will take longer also means that it is more expensive. The earlier you intervene the easier it is to get the child reading at grade level again, which might save you having to assist them with other subjects at a later date.
  4. The gap between the struggling child and his/her peers widens
    The more a child falls behind the more they miss out on opportunities to practice their reading skills. This results in the gap between the child and his/her peers widening, as the others gain momentum with each bit of progress they make. As a result, the child who struggles falls further and further behind and it increasingly becomes harder to catch up, until it eventually becomes impossible.
  5. A love of reading does not develop
    A child who struggles with reading usually does not develop a love of reading. For this child, there is no pleasure, joy or meaning to be found in reading. This means that they seldom become independent readers who are able to read independently and teach themselves. They remain reliant on teachers and other adults for learning to take place.
  6. Knock-on effect with other subjects
    Other subjects become more complex as children move up the grades. A child’s ability to engage with a subject is limited by their literacy level. If they are not fluent readers and not yet reading at grade level then they are unable engage meaningfully with the subject and will not take away from each lesson as much as their peers are able to. Their scores in subjects such as Math may start to drop after Grade 4. This is because from grade 4 onwards math becomes more and more language-based e.g. story sums and written instructions.
  7. Behaviour issues
    Children who do not cope, who know that they are not coping, often develop behaviour problems in class. This could be due to feelings of inadequacy and uselessness, lack of self-worth, frustration, fear, humiliation and embarrassment.
  8. Prevention is always better than cure (remedial)
    Preventing reading-related problems is much easier than taking remedial action later on, when the problems are more complex and firmly entrenched. Adolescents who do not find a cure for their reading woes, or who start with intervention too late, often find it difficult to persevere and stay in school through high school. Quite often they drop out before they matriculate.

At what point should you intervene?

At the first sign of difficulty, you should start to monitor your child’s progress and look for clues as to what might be going on. It is never too early to intervene or to consider screening or assessments.

How you intervene can make an enormous difference to how a child feels. Any intervention needs to leave the child feeling good about themselves, that they have improved in some way, that catching up in more manageable than they thought, that they are supported, motivated to try again next time and also having enjoyed themselves. It needs to be a positive experience. This is where dads sometimes go wrong when they decide to help. They turn into drill sergeants and every session ends up in tears.

What do parents need to understand?

  • All parents need to understand that literacy development starts in the home.
  • Talking and engaging with your children in robust conversation around interesting subjects is a good start.
  • The dinner table is the perfect place for this to happen regularly.
  • Having books visible and accessible in the home environment is also essential – even if they are library books.
  • Your children must also see you setting the example by reading yourself.
  • Reading aloud to your children on a daily basis is not negotiable as it lays the most important of foundations for literacy development.
  • All of this gives the teacher something to build on.
  • If your child is going to school without this foundation then your child already suffers from a deficit in comparison to his peers – before he/she has even started.
  • Don’t despair, as it is NEVER TOO LATE TO START READING ALOUD and helping your child along the path to literacy.
  • START TODAY!

What does intervention look like and where do you start?

  1. Visual screening
    Your first move should always be to have your child’s eyes tested by a behavioural/pediatric optometrist. Reading difficulties can be a result of poor eyesight but they could also be due to problems with the movement of the eyes and how well they work together. Sometimes eye strengthening exercises are all that is required, and not expensive glasses.
    1. Ariella Meyerowitz at Sunny Road Optometrist in Glenhazel – https://sunnyroad.co.za/
    2. Spectacle Centre in Linden – http://spectaclecentre.co.za/
    3. EyeTek at the Pick n Pay Centre where William Nicol Dr & Republic Rd meet – https://www.eyetek.co.za/
    4. UJ Optometry Clinics – https://www.uj.ac.za/faculties/health/Optometry/Pages/Optometry-Clinics-.aspx
    5. Dr. Larry Berman Optometrist – https://larryberman.co.za/
    6. For more information and all you need to know about children’s eyesight, please click here.

  2. Auditory screening
    Hearing plays a very important role in learning about sounds, and the symbols that represent them, when learning a language. A child who does not hear well, either because of a physical impairment or because of a processing problem, will struggle to learn to read.

    If you detect any problems, take your child for a hearing test to eliminate loss of hearing as a cause for not being able to hear sounds accurately or clearly.

    Have your child tested further if your child shows signs of difficulty with auditory processing. Auditory processing is how the brain perceives and processes what the ears can physically hear. In other words, your child may be able to hear perfectly but for some reason have difficulty with processing what he/she hears. In this instance, the brain and the central nervous system cannot process sound properly. So the child can hear just fine but they are unable to process the information correctly and meaningfully. This is more common than you might think.

    Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) needs to be diagnosed by an audiologist from around the age of 7 onwards, once the brain functions are fully developed.
    For more information about the signs of APD, please click here
    1. Geraldine Rowell – Speech Therapist & Audiologist – geraldinerowell@gmail.com or 082 850 6328
    2. Nicolene Vlok & Partners at Hear Care Plus with branches in Linden, Linksfield, Mulbartan, Waterfall and Constantia Kloof- http://www.hearcareplus.co.za/index.php/contact-us/
  3. Hire a Tutor
    Your child may simply need some one-to-one assistance providing repetition and more opportunity to practice the skills and code knowledge that they have learned. Every child is different and some children need more repetition & practice than others.

    Hiring a tutor may be recommended by a teacher if it is evident that you do not have time to consistently assist your child. This may require that the tutor works with your child a few times a week. In the long term, this may ensure that your child gets one-to-one assistance with reading, spelling, vocabulary, comprehension and writing.

    Keep in mind that you will have to look at the qualifications of the tutors you hire as anyone can be a tutor – even high school students. Tutors are unregulated and come in all shapes and sizes in terms of experience, qualifications, knowledge and ability. They are also usually less expensive than trained specialists, but keep in mind that where tutors are concerned you get what you pay for.
    1. First Tutors – Click Here
    2. Straight A Tutors – Click Here
  4. Remedial Teacher / Reading Therapist
    If you are serious about helping your child in the shortest time frame possible, then you may want to contact a reading therapist or remedial teacher. If your child shows a combination of a few of the following:
    1. Your child complains whenever you suggest reading.
    2. Your child is unable to read the readers sent home from school and tends to learn them by rote.
    3. Your child gets fatigued after a short period of reading and is not able to decode words they read yesterday.
    4. Your child gets anxious about reading aloud at school.
    5. Your child frequently guesses what the words in front of them are based on the first letter, rather than decoding them.
    6. Your child reads impressively fast but when you actually listen to them you realize that they guess many of the words, add in words that are not there, omit words that are there, adds sounds to the ends of some words and leave the sounds off the end of others.
    7. Your child sometimes confuses ‘b’ & ‘d’, ‘m’ & ‘w’, ‘t’ & ‘f’ , ‘p’ & ‘b’ and reads some words backwards.
    8. Your child frequently misreads words that they know well.
    9. When writing words your child leaves off the ending sounds, leaves out letters for sounds in the middle of the word, writes letters backward and spells words creatively e.g. ‘blek for ‘black’
    10. There is a fight before or during reading time.
    11. Your child’s teacher indicates that your child is not keeping up with their peers and voices his / her concerns.
    12. If there are clear signs that your child is not reading effectively or that he/she has problems with spelling, you can and should contact a reading therapist who specializes in the explicit teaching of reading in carefully planned stages.
      1. Read for Africa has a list of certified reading therapists across several provinces and many suburbs – Click Here
  5. Educational assessment & screening with a Psychologist / Psychometrist
    If you or your child’s teacher have any other academic concerns on top of their concerns related to reading, then take your child for a full psycho-educational assessment. This will give you a clear picture of what to focus on and where to start seeking help.
    1. Samantha Leader – Educational Psychologist – Randburg / Pine Park – 083 226 8401
    2. Aileen Morrison – Educational Psychologist – Randburg / Greenside – aileenpsychologist@gmail.com
    3. Melanie Smith & Chenelle Cohen at Psych Assess – Psychometrists – Bordeaux South – melanie@psychassess.co.za / chenelle@psychassess.co.za – To find out more, please Click Here.
  6. Pediatric Occupational Therapy should this be recommended by a teacher, GP or an educational psychologist
    Occupational therapy can help with certain issues related to reading, such as not being able to cross the midline.
    1. Tracy Angerson & Associates Occupational Therapy in Blairgowrie – 082 786 8552

In conclusion

There is so much that can be done for children who show the slightest signs of struggle with reading. Always start with the basics – bonding & discussion around stories, books available in the home environment, bedtime stories – then make time to help them grow their skills and knowledge on a daily basis if you can. If you can’t, then hire an extra pair of hands that can help. If you suspect the problems are of a more serious nature, then have your child assessed or consult a reading therapist.

Whatever you do, try to intervene before failure becomes an issue.

Further reading

To explore working with Lianne in Randburg / Sandton and other areas in Johannesburg, contact her for a consultation to discuss how she can assist you.

Articles, Literacy, Reading

Grade R & Russian Roulette

Lianne Bantjes
Smiling Grade R children sit on a bench while doing an activity with their teacher.

Do you know enough about Grade R to make an informed decision about where to place your child? If your child has already been placed, do you know what your role is during this year, in laying strong foundations for literacy development?

Nursery School

You can ask any parent what a child does at nursery school all day and they’ll be able to give you a list of activities, that tumble off their lips before you’ve even finished asking the question. Everyone knows that at nursery school children play, draw, cut & paste, paint, sing & dance, mold play-dough into shapes, build with blocks and play games. We also know that they learn about colours, numbers, shapes, days of the week, months of the year and seasons. Add to that vocabulary, how to wash their hands, how to look after their belongings, table manners and that ‘caring is sharing’. These are the obvious things, but of course, there is more – much more. By having fun at school kids become smarter, a little more independent and ultimately ready for ‘big school’.

Grade R – the reception year

How many parents with children entering Grade R within the next couple of years can state, with as much certainty, what takes place in a Grade R classroom? You may have a few ideas in your head, but are you certain? Are you one of those parents that thinks that Grad R is all just play and is not very important in the grand scheme of things? Are you one of those parents that think that Grade R is just like Grade 1? Do you know the difference between nursery school and Grade R? Is there even a difference? Grade R is a bit of a mystery to most people and parents are not enough ‘in the know’ about this fundamentally important year that can really make a big difference academically.

Grade R was initially introduced by the Department of Education to bridge the gap between affluent schools and impoverished schools, and also to meet school readiness needs across the board. It has been part of the General Education Training Band (GET) since 1998. It has been around for a while and is now offered as the reception year at most public schools, some nursery schools and many Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers across the country. Unfortunately, this extra year has so far reportedly not contributed hugely to bridging the educational gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’, but has actually widened it.

With Grade R being so widely available, many children attend some form of Grade R before entering Grade 1. This could be through a public school or through a private center. This should mean that these children are entering Grade 1, ready to learn, on an equal footing with their peers. Unfortunately, this is not the case for some.

There are as many variations & interpretations of the Grade R curriculum as there are ECD centers and schools out there. There is a smorgasbord on offer. So how do you choose wisely between them? What do you look for? If you’ve already chosen one what should you expect?

Is Grade 1 a level playing field

In addition, there are still some children who do not have the luxury of attending any type of schooling, let alone Grade R, before entering Grade 1. On the other hand, there are other children that are already burnt out, stressed out and disinterested in school due to developmentally inappropriate learning tasks & activities, being under pressure to perform and the over-assessment that sometimes happens in Grade R classrooms. As a result, the Grade 1 classrooms can be an unpredictable mess of maturity levels, emotions, skills, knowledge, ability, anxiety and fear at the beginning of the year. The Grade 1 teachers are expected to level the playing field within 1 year, which is highly improbable unless they have class sizes of 10-15 children.

There can be consequences for placing children in Grade R to young

Parents are placing their children into Grade R as early as they possibly can, mostly for one of two reasons. One, which I have heard multiple times is that the fees for Grade R are lower than nursery school fees and the belief that if your child is already in Grade R, at your chosen school, then they will get preference when it comes to Grade 1 applications. The other reason is that parents want their children to have a headstart and an advantage over their peers. I must warn you that putting your child into Grade R prematurely is not wise and may not give your child a headstart at all. In fact, it may even backfire and have the opposite effect if they are not ready, or mature enough, to cope.

Parents dare not ignore the importance of this year for childhood development, school readiness and the building of a strong foundation for the development of language learning & literacy development. However, not all Grade R classrooms are made equal and you need to ensure you find a good one.

The role of the home environment

If you listen to what some parents are saying and their versions of how they approach schools and teachers, it is evident that parents believe that education is solely the responsibility of the school. They, therefore, believe that if their child is not doing well it is entirely the school’s fault. There are so many problems that arise from this type of thinking, however, there are good reasons for why it exists, which I won’t go into now. However, I want to challenge this thinking because after more than 20 years in the field of education I know that success is about teamwork and collaboration between the home and school and that this teamwork results in academic success and highly literate children, who grow up to be employable and have great prospects in their chosen field.

The home environment plays a critical role in providing stimulation, a love of learning, a good work ethic, as well as the development of emergent language & literacy skills. If the adults surrounding a child set a good example and, through their behaviour, send the message that reading and literacy skills are important, then the child will ultimately think so too.

A parent’s attitude towards education, the school and teachers can have a significant impact on a child’s views on attending school and learning. So be careful what you say in front of them and be aware of the behaviour & attitudes you demonstrate.

Raising Literate Children

“Learning to read for meaning is the most critical skill children learn in primary school. It is the skill upon which all other skills depend.” (Nic Spaull, Jan 2019). From Grade 1-3 children are expected to learn-to-read and to achieve being able to read for meaning. From Grade 4 onwards they should be able to read-to-learn. Little to no time is spent on developing reading skills after Grade 3. You will need to make an investment in a remedial intervention or pay an English teacher/tutor to assist your child in catching up. This has long term ramifications for your child’s self-confidence and your own time and money.

Literacy development is a team effort between the school and the home and the sooner you start the better. It is a daily task that slowly builds up to the acquisition of the desired skills and ability. There is no shortcut. There is no crash course and no quick fix. You can’t totally outsource it. The child loses out if one party is not doing its bit on a daily basis. It is a daily slog and grind, which if you commit to ultimately results in the gift of literacy, that can never be taken away.

Do you know & understand what it takes to raise literate children or are you just winging it in the hope that your child has a successful journey through 13 years of schooling? Are you going to leave your child’s literacy development solely up to a confused and ailing education system or are you, as a father or mother, personally going to contribute? Are you going to make sure that your child does not miss out?

Wouldn’t you rather find out NOW about

  • your role as a parent in the development of literacy skills
  • the ins and outs of Grade R
  • how Grade R helps build a foundation for future literacy (reading, writing, speaking and understanding)

Don’t play Russian Roulette. ATTEND one of my upcoming WORKSHOPS and find out all you need to know about brain development, school readiness, Grade R & developing literacy in your child as you close some of the gaps in your knowledge. These workshops are aimed at parents with children aged 3-5 years old (either in Grade R already or going into Grade R in the next couple of years).

These workshops are how I help parents of young children make certain that they find a good fit for Grade R and that they lay the most solid foundations for literacy that they possibly can, without leaving anything to chance. Grade R is now seen as the entry point into the school’s foundation phase, in which your child will learn-to-read and develop a solid foundation for learning at school. It is my job to show you, through these workshops, how to ensure that this happens so that by the end of Grade 3 your child is ready for reading-to-learn rather than still learning-to-read. 

If these are your goals too, then join me at one or more of my workshops and become informed on how YOU can positively contribute to your child’s education and future academic success.

See the ‘Workshops’ tab for upcoming dates.

References

Spaull, N. (Jan 2019). Priorities for education Reform (Background Note for Minister of Finance 19/01/2019. (13 November 2019) <https://nicspaull.com/2019/01/19/priorities-for-education-reform-background-note-for-minister-of-finance-19-01-2019/#comments>

Further reading

To explore working with Lianne in Randburg / Sandton and other areas in Johannesburg, contact her for a consultation to discuss how she can assist you.

Literacy, Past Workshops

Grade R and the Foundations of Literacy.

Lianne Bantjes

Are you the parent of a child who will be entering Grade R in the next couple of years? Then, this workshop is for YOU – Johannesburg

The Reception Year, Grade R, is a fundamental year in the development of a child’s literacy and their love of school & learning. We should never run the risk of it being a wasted year or a negative experience. There is a wide range of ‘Grade R’ environments & curriculum on offer and therefore, as parents, it really helps to be in the know.

Lianne, a teacher with over 20 years of experience in the field of education & training, will help you to understand some of the theory behind what takes place in a Grade R classroom. She will also give tips and advice on what shouldn’t happen and what you can do at home to build on what is learned at school.

This will enable you, as parents, to understand the school environment better, maximize the benefit your child takes away from this year, communicate more effectively with your child’s teacher, constructively support and build on the learning taking place, support the school & teachers in meaningful ways and ensure that your child has a happy and successful start to life at school.

You will learn…

  • how you, as a parent, can contribute to your child’s literacy development
  • what role you can/should play in your child’s academic life
  • what literacy is and how it affects academic success across all subjects
  • how Grade R contributes to the development of advanced literacy
  • what Grade R is all about & what should take place in the classroom
  • the value of learning through play – structured & unstructured – at home & at school
  • what neural pathways are and how they are created
  • what is meant by school readiness, how Grade R contributes to this and why it is important for entry into Grade 1

Literacy development should be the concern of the family as a whole and therefore, Lianne encourages mothers, fathers & guardians of any type to attend this workshop and fill in the gaps in their knowledge.

Choose your dates

2020 dates TBA – Johannesburg
18:45 – 21:00
Kingfisher Drive, Fourways / Standard Drive, Pine Park (Randburg)

For more information about Lianne & LB Literacy, click here.

To explore working with Lianne in Randburg / Sandton and other areas in Johannesburg, contact her for a consultation to discuss how she can assist you.