This month (MAY) we are offering our readers a very special treat:

Hello there!

Brrrrrr! I hope you are wrapping up warm on these lovely Autumn mornings! Your children will be bundled up when you drop them at school, but as the day warms up they will be shedding clothes – so make sure you have marked all their bits and pieces with their names! It makes claiming those cast-off scarves, hats, gloves and jerseys so much easier. (You may even want to mark your child’s shoes and socks, kids love going barefoot, even in the coldest weather!)

This month (MAY) we are offering our readers a very special treat: a FREE educational game for your child to enjoy, a FREE Story book to read when snuggled up ready for bed, and a FREE parenting book. All you have to do is, by replying to this e-mail, order one (or more) of the following:

1.     The “TWINKLE” STORY BOOK and the matching “CULTURES” ACTIVITY BOOK.

·         FREE: EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAME – “TO THE MOON!”

·         FREE: LITTLE BOOK OF INSPIRATION – TWINKLE

·         FREE: STORY BOOK = “PUZZLING PICNIC”

2.  The “FOREST FEAST” STORY BOOK and matching “CELEBRATIONS” ACTIVITY BOOK.

·         FREE: EDUCATIONAL BOARDGAME – “FOREST TIC-TAC-TOE”.

·         FREE: LITTLE BOOK OF INSPIRATION - FOREST FEAST.

·         FREE: STORY BOOK = “JENNY AT THE SEASIDE”.

3.  The “GOOFY GOSLING” STORY BOOK and matching “ANIMALS” ACTIVITY BOOK.

·       FREE: EDUCATIONAL CARD GAMES ~ ANIMAL SNAP & MEMORY

·       FREE: ‘LITTLE BOOK OF INSPIRATION’~ THE GOOFY GOSLING

·       FREE: STORY BOOK = “TRAINS & BOATS & PLANES”

PLUS ~ WE WILL GIVE YOU A FURTHER DISCOUNT!

CHOOSE ANY ONE OF THE SETS ABOVE (1, 2 OR 3) FOR ONLY R98; CHOOSE ANY TWO FOR ONLY R89 EACH; OR CHOOSE ALL THREE FOR ONLY R79 EACH!

Reply now with your choice - we will send your invoice within 24hours, and either post or deliver your books and free gifts to your door within 24 hours of confirmation of payment.

For more DETAILS of our members-only offer, see our Catalogue at: http://www.beyondpotentialkids.co.za/Downloads/Catalogue.pdf

Thank you to those of you who participated in our Art Survey!

The winner of a hamper full of Children’s Books and Art & Craft materials is: Denise Eggberry!  We will be contacting you today to arrange delivery of your hamper! Congratulations!

Enjoy the attached newsletter!

Yours in enriched education!

Getting to Grips with Learning Difficulties

Getting to Grips with Learning Difficulties

What is a learning disability? As the name suggests, a person with a learning difficulty has trouble taking in information and learning. So what does this really mean in practice? Research and experience has shown that people with learning disabilities often struggle in a few core areas and learning processes which we need in order to learn efficiently.

Below is a list of skills and behaviours that may indicate inefficient learning and which can impact on children's learning experiences.

GROSS MOTOR.

Children who have poor gross motor skills may: ·         Trip over a lot, appear “accident prone”, frequently bumping into things, ·         Have no sense of danger or not scared of heights, be impulsive, Appear floppy and awkward when performing movement activities, Have poor balance, Have difficulty learning new motor tasks (often dislikes outdoor activities)

FINE MOTOR. Children with poor fine motor skills may: Have an immature pencil grip and drawing skills, Dislike eye-hand coordination tasks, Have poor, messy handwriting, and write slowly, Have difficulty using scissors, Perform poorly at fine manipulative tasks, Have difficulty mastering new fine motor tasks, Tire easily when performing fine motor tasks, particularly pencil skills

VISUAL PERCEPTION. (This is our brain's ability to interpret what we see.)

Children with visual perception difficulties may: Reverse letters e.g. b/d in writing tasks Lack concentration with visual tasks Have difficulty copying from blackboard Be poor readers and / or spellers Have difficulty with puzzles and block designs Have difficulty finding their place on page, or on the blackboard Have poor visual memory

READING AND WRITING.

Children who have difficulties in these areas may: ·         Find difficulty in reading and / or poor concentration ·         Find it difficult to formulate and organise ideas to write them down ·         Have messy handwriting ·         Be able to explain ideas verbally, but struggle in being able to write ideas down.

BEHAVIOURAL.

Children with behavioural problems may Have poor self esteem Lack the ability to concentrate Not mix well with peers. May prefer                                                                                                      playing with younger children Show immature social behaviour Be either aggressive / shy and timid/                                                                                                     disruptive at school
ORGANISATION. Children who lack organisational skills may: Be generally disorganised, Struggle to get themselves ready on time, Have difficulty getting things organized at school e.g. getting out pencils, paper, glue and the right book for a classroom activity.
CONCENTRATION AND ATTENTION. Children who lack these skills may ·         Have a short attention span ·         Tend to be impulsive and not think things through ·         Struggle to concentrate in class and easily become distracted ·         Struggle to listen to instructions and follow them through ·         Have difficulty completing daily routines e.g. starting and finishing getting dressed.
SELF-CARE. Children who find it difficult to look after their own needs may Have difficulties dressing themselves Struggle with using utensils to feed themselves (i.e. knife and fork) Be messy eaters Depend on others to assist with self-care tasks at an age older than normal Be slow to perform all self-care tasks
AUDITORY. Children with hearing sensitivities may Struggle to concentrate on the task at hand when there is other noise Be oversensitive to loud sounds e.g. vacuum cleaner, TV too loud Be bothered by sounds unnoticed by others e.g. fan or air conditioner. Generally children are deemed to have a learning difficulty if they struggle in a number of the above areas. If you suspect a child you know has a learning difficulty, a comprehensive assessment by professionals will give you a good idea of the best way to assist the child’s learning.

Teach your child science

Teach your Child Science

Getting involved with your child's education is the single best way to ensure he learns according to his potential. 

It's especially fun and easy to participate in his science education.

You don't need to be a scientist, or have lots of facts in your head. All you need is a love of discovery. Show your child that it's good to be curious and to ask questions. This will give him confidence in his own ability to explore. 

Here are some ways to get involved:

1. Be the Example

Show him how curious you are. Let your own sense of discovery guide your exploration. Exhibit an attitude of openness to learning. If you can access your own imagination and curiosity you'll become a co-discoverer with your child. Demonstrate the fun of exploration and the joy of learning new things.

2. Point it Out

Science is all around you. Find fun ways of showing your child the science of her everyday life. It's in cooking, cleaning, building a fire in the fireplace. It's in the yard, the garage, the basement. Maybe you are expecting a new baby, a brother or sister for your child. Maybe you live in a place where the change of seasons is dramatic. A hike or a canoe trip is loaded with science. The night sky, the morning dew, the rising and setting of the moon and sun, it's all science.

3. Teach Observation

Children are surrounded with new information. It can be a lot to take in. But they're always looking, always listening. Teach your child to pay closer attention to details. When he sees something new, ask him to notice the size and shape, the color, the smell, the sound. Teach him to take a moment to notice things.

4. Encourage Questions

Kids are full of questions. Life is too full of new information for them to go through a day without wondering about something. You should not only be receptive to their questions at all times, but you should encourage them to ask. Exercises in inquiry will serve your child in every class and every professional field later in life.

5. Take Him Seriously

Listen to his observations and to his explanations of things. It will give him confidence in his own ability to discover and it will teach him to trust his instincts. If he's off target, use it as an opportunity to help him reach the right conclusion on his own by asking him questions or pointing out things he should reconsider. Taking a child seriously and listening with respect is crucial to learning.

Paper flower craft with children enhances fine-motor development

CELEBRATE AUTUMN!

~ MAKE A BUNCH OF BRIGHT PAPER FLOWERS

 

This craft is easy, effective and great to do with children.

It enhances:

·         Fine-motor development

·         Sensory perception (children love the different textures of the materials used)

·         Creativity

·         Colour recognition,

·         Learning the names and structures of the different flowers (a mini-biology lesson!), and

·         …it will help to build positive relationships while sharing a hobby!

YOU WILL NEED:

·         Tissue paper in different pastel colours for the petals

·         Crepe paper in green for the leaves
·         Pipe cleaners for the stems (green)

·         Floral tape

·         Pinking shears

WHAT TO DO:

1. Chrysanthemums:

·         Cut out five 10cm squares of tissue paper; stack, and fold into quarters. Draw petal shapes along the two folded edges. Cut out shapes, and unfold.

·         Bend one end of a pipe cleaner to form a round nub. Use the other end to pierce a hole in the centre of the stack of petals; pull it through to form a stem.

·         At the flower base, scrunch the petals closed so they resemble a loose pom-pom. Wrap floral tape around the bottom inch of the flower's base and down the stem. Pull the layers of petals apart.

2. Carnations:

·         Cut out five 10cm squares of tissue paper; stack, and fold into quarters. Draw a quarter circle along the two folded edges. Cut out shapes with pinking shears; unfold.

·         Bend one end of a pipe cleaner to form a round nub. Use the other end to pierce a hole in the centre of the stack of petals; pull it through to form a stem.

·         At the flower base, scrunch the petals closed so they resemble a loose pom-pom. Wrap floral tape around the bottom inch of the flower's base and down the stem. Pull the layers of petals apart.

3. Daffodils:

·         Using two different colours and the pinking shears, cut two pieces of tissue paper into rectangles whose lengths are 12cm and whose widths are 6cm. Centre the smaller rectangle on top of the larger one, and fold, accordion-style.

·         Pinch the folds in the middle; hook the end of a pipe cleaner over them, and twist it.

·         Fan out the paper until the ends meet. Lift up the small layer to form the daffodil centre; trim with pinking shears.

·         Wrap floral tape tightly around the bottom inch of the flower's base and down the stem.

4. Roses:

·         Select white, pink or red tissue paper.

·         Cut 8 x 10cm squares. Trim off the edges of each square individually - to make each one slightly unique, as real rose petals are.

·         Stack 4 of the pieces of tissue paper and trim off 3 corners. Repeat with the other 4 pieces of tissue paper.

·         Make the paper rose petals look more realistic:

o   Place the stack of 4 pieces of tissue paper in your palm.

o   Set a pen on top of the stack near the pointed corner with your other hand.

o   Curl the edge up around the pen.

o   With the pen still in place, scrunch the tissue paper in your palm, so it's not too smooth.

o   Repeat with the other stack of 4 pieces of tissue paper.

·         Form a tissue paper rose:

o    Start at the centre and roll a petal into a tight whorl.

o    Add the rest of the petals, so the top edges are the same height.

o    Flatten the outer petals away from the centre – so the rose looks like its opening up.

o    Twist the bottom of the petals together underneath the rose.

o    Secure the paper rose petals with a pipe cleaner.

5. Leaves: 

For each flower: Cut 4 pieces of crepe paper 6cm x 4cm, cut out leaf shapes, scrunch and bend into leaf shapes and attach to flower stems with florist tape.

Discipline ~ How to set limits and rules

Discipline ~ How to set limits and rules

• Communicate the limits – this must be done when peace reigns, not when your child has just breached a rule. It must be clear what is expected. Prevention is better than cure!
• Let your child have a say – compromise and then buy in is important.
• Be consistent – if the rule says no TV until homework is completed, then it must be like that every day. Don’t give in just because you are tired!
• Be fair – don’t add extra consequences above those agreed. Follow through and renegotiate consequences that are not working another time.
• Don’t forget your values – different families do things differently. Don’t be taken in by, “But at Luke’s house we are allowed to…”

·         The desired outcome of any disciplinary action should be that the child:

• Recognizes and acknowledges the mistake
• Takes responsibility for the mistake
• Accepts the consequences and understands the reason for the consequences.
• Sincerely wants to change his/her behaviour

·         Most important!

• The consequence must fit the crime
• Do not threaten that which you cannot deliver
• Negotiate
• Be consistent

·         Active listening

• An important skill for parents to master is "active listening." When parents listen actively, they send children the message that they are important enough to have the parent's undivided attention.
• Many problems can be solved and even prevented when parents take the time to use active listening.
• Importantly, when parents are active listeners, they are able to guide children to solve problems for themselves.
• How to be an active listener:

• Stop what you are doing.
• Look at your child.
• Give your full attention.
• Listen to what is said.
• Comment on what you think you heard.

·         Learn to fall back and regroup

o   Parenting is not a direct science. There are no specific steps that will always produce a positive result.

o   A parenting technique or skill may work in family and not in another, with one child but not the other.

A Story to teach about baby animals - and so much more!

“Goz, the Goofy Gosling.”

ž  In “The Goofy Gosling”, the main character is Goz, a newly-hatched gosling who wanders away from his nest in search of his brothers and sisters. He meets numerous different farmyard animals and a few wild creatures too.

Have fun with your child learning the names of various baby animals, as Goz comes across a duckling, a lamb, a calf, a foal, a chick, a piglet, a caterpillar and a tadpole.

ž  The book is full of delightful pictures of our central character, Goz, and his adventures with lots of other animals, birds and more! The repetition and rhythm of the story helps to reinforce your child’s knowledge of farmyard and other animals.

ž  The ‘Enrichment’ section at the back of the book provides opportunities to learn the sounds of lots of farmyard animals, and to reinforce an appreciation of the natural world.

Theme, values and related topics in this volume:

ž  Theme: ANIMALS

ž  Values:

¡  Tenacity

¡  Determination

¡  Persistence

ž  Related topics:

¡  Self confidence

¡  Adventure

¡  Animal babies

¡  Animal noises