Multi-Sensory Learning
The importance of teaching and learning with more than just sight and sound lessons.
Multi-sensory learning has the benefit of reinforcing strengths, improving students’ weaknesses and assisting the brain in making connections between current knowledge and the new knowledge that is being taught. It also helps students who differ in learning styles to make concrete connections during the lesson.
In the BIS Library – learning is dynamic, engaging and often involves more than three of the body’s senses. The ‘/j/’ sound lesson is the perfect example of a lesson where students are facilitated in remembering the sound by tasting jelly. After singing the jolly phonics song for ‘/j/’, they move their bodies like wobbling jelly and read a book about jelly. The students then have the opportunity to enjoy smelling and tasting some jelly. Multi-sensory lessons seem more like playing than learning to children and as research has shown, this is one of the best means for children’s brains to make connections and store information.
Facilitating learning through the senses is important, in particular learning to read because reading always leans towards sight and sound. Reading is an abstract concept that requires concrete learning methods in its teaching, and not only for those who need it with regard to their learning styles.
Kirsten Stoffberg
School Librarian and Teacher
Read More
Investigating Capacity
The most effective way for students to learn new concepts is by taking part in practical investigations. This makes their learning more meaningful.
This week, the Year 1 students have learnt that capacity means how much something can hold. Our classes had great fun investigating this concept and conducted various experiments.
Fortunately, the weather was kind to us and the students could go outside and use the water troughs to do practical activities. They had to find out how many cups of water could fill a pot, beaker, vase etc. In groups they had to predict which container could hold the most water and then find a way to prove their answer. This required them to communicate their ideas and reasoning with their peers.
In class we learnt that capacity is not only about how much liquid a container can hold, we filled cups with bottle tops and corks. First making an estimate and then checking, by counting the number of bottle tops and corks the cups contained.
An important part of investigation is being able to accurately record your findings. The Year 1 students did a wonderful job of recording their findings after conducting all the capacity experiments. Well done Year 1!
Ann Cordner
Year 1 teacher
Read More
Book Week 2022: Foundation Phase And How To Ensure Success When Reading With Your Child
From the 3rd to 6th of May, we celebrated Book Week throughout the school. We do this to help foster a love and excitement for books and reading. There was a wide variety of fun and interesting events that took place.
On Tuesday, Hooked on Books came to school to entertain the students. They performed short excerpts from age appropriate books and the students even got to act out a poem with the actors’ guidance.
On Wednesday evening, the students joined their teachers in their pyjamas for hot chocolate and bedtime stories. It was an evening full of laughter, cuddles and creating fond memories with friends.
Throughout the week, The Book People gave students the opportunity to peruse a large variety of books and some purchased a book to add to their home library.
On Friday we had a character dress up day. It was wonderful seeing the creativity and pride that the children took in dressing up. During the week, Reception and Pre-Reception classes also swapped teachers at story time so that they could listen to the stories represented in the other classrooms.
Below are some tips you can use at home to make reading fun and to ensure success when reading with your child:
When you are creating fun reading activities for your children, you need to be excited about the activity too. You want to create something that is worth your child’s time to sit, listen, and learn. Here are some tips to help you succeed:
- Have a happy voice: Children are smart. If your voice is monotone and you are trying to cram in a book before bedtime, they will know it. Make your voice sound excited when you read the words. Remember to smile and have fun!
- Take your time: Plan ahead to make sure you have enough time to read before nap and bedtime. You don’t want to do fun reading activities when you or your kids are tired. They will be less likely to be engaged.
- Read over or skim the book before you get it: I found many books were not appropriate for children. They had things in there I was not ready to discuss at their young age. Protect their innocence and choose books that represent the same values you stand for at home.
- Don’t quit: Your children may not be excited at first. Keep working at it. Try different things to see what works. Don’t give up. Reading needs to be a lifelong skill that gets encouraged from when your children are young.
- Empower your children: Get your children to pick out books, give them a choice between two fun reading activities, let them pick out which book to read at bedtime, or let them choose a book to give another child as a birthday present. All these things give them ownership. If they come up with the idea or make the decision themselves, they are more likely to be engaged.
Kim Hahn
Reception Year Teacher
Read More
The Science of Play
‘Happy hearts and happy faces. Happy play in grassy places. That is how, in ancient ages, Children grew to be kings and sages.’ – Robert Louis Stevenson
Play is one of the most important aspects of a child’s life. Why? Because through play they develop their social skills, language and communication. Play can be considered a child’s “work” as it is how they learn, how they figure out who they are, how the world works and where they fit into it. It offers children a chance to exercise and develop muscle strength and with nothing more than little imagination, a playground can become a fortress, a submarine, or even a spaceship. Their brain can connect and refine pathways that enable them to feel loved, happy and safe.
Young children are natural artists and one of the keys to supporting your child’s playtime effectively is to not take over. Yes sure, it’s frustrating when they make a mess and when they aren’t “doing it right”, but to every answer, there is a question that needs to be asked. Ask them questions and let them answer for themselves. Don’t panic or get anxious when they stumble or stutter, the very idea that you are with them, at that moment, provides them with answers to questions they weren’t even asking.
Children do not need expensive or elaborate toys, as real play only requires toys and resources that are open-minded in nature. That is why so many children are more interested in the toy box that the actual toy. However, it is important to remember that as children grow, and their imagination extends outside the box, the toy inside will define what enjoyment should look like for the majority of their young adult life.
The Value of Play
You say that you love your children,
And are concerned that they learn today,
As am I, that’s why I’m providing
A variety of kinds of play.
You are asking what’s the value
Of having your children play?
Your daughter’s creating a tower,
She may be a builder someday.
You’re asking me the value
of blocks and sand and clay.
Your children are solving problems,
They will use that skill every day.
You’re saying that you don’t want your son
To play in that way.
He’s learning to cuddle a doll,
He may be a father someday.
You’re questioning the learning centers,
They just look like useless play.
Your children are making choices,
They’ll be on their own someday.
You’re worried your children aren’t learning
And later they’ll have to pay.
They’re learning a pattern for learning,
For they’ll be learners always.
– by Laurie Monopoli
So, I would like to end off and say, yes it may just be child’s play, but when you engage and make the most out of playtime, you may even find answers to questions you were never asked.
Jo-Anne Dickason
Nursery Teacher
Read More
Sound
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn”. – Benjamin Franklin.
Our budding scientists in Year 5 have been learning all about how sound is created. As stated in the quote above by Benjamin Franklin, the best learning takes place when students are actively involved in the learning process. Hence, it was time for our students to put on their scientist hats and participate in some thrilling scientific experiments in class!
As seen in the pictures below, each student had to stretch a piece of plastic film tightly over the open end of a plastic bottle. They had to then light a small candle, causing endless excitement amongst the students! It was then that the fun started. The aim of the experiment was to test if sound vibrations travel through the air, as we cannot see them with our own eyes. If this theory was indeed correct, the flame would flicker when they tapped the bottom of their bottle!
And…EUREKA!
The experiment was a success and as any accomplished scientist would do…the experiment was done repeatedly and with much amazement by each student! After all the excitement, the lesson was concluded with some serious reflection, thinking, debating and discussion about our findings.
The best way to learn science is by doing science and to never stop questioning!
Jennifer Rose
Year 5 Teacher
Read More
Bright Science Sparks
“The Shadow Proves the Sunshine” – Switchfoot
The year 4’s have just completed a week of shadow investigation. On Monday morning we set out with a mission to discover how shadows move and change throughout the day. We started our lesson in groups by answering questions about shadows and light, discussing what we already know and what we still need to learn. It was key for every group to cooperate with one another by being polite and kind to the other members of the group. Sharing and taking turns was also a key factor in working towards a group agreement on their answers.
Our research starting point was making predictions about how the shadow would move or change. A simple upright pencil on cardboard was all we needed to set this test in motion. Our first observation was that light always travels in straight lines. Anything in the way would cause a shadow. Throughout the day, in fact every hour, we witnessed that our shadow moved to the east. Our pencil shadow was long in the morning. As the day progressed the shadow became shorter, being the shortest at noon. After midday the shadow of the pencil slowly grew in length again.
Our testing was not yet complete! Working in groups again, we investigated which objects were transparent, translucent and opaque. We also discovered that we could change the size of our shadow by moving closer or further away from our light source. After collecting and recording our observations over the course of the week, all our findings were crafted into games.
Looking back over this week it is clear that every Year 4 student has taken ownership in this investigation. In return, this will create a sure scaffolding for future light exploration.
Carol Blake
Year 4 Teacher
Read More
Arts And Crafts Club Key Stage 1
Every second week KS1 meet for our after school Arts & Crafts club run by myself and Ms Hierse. We introduced this club at the beginning of this year and it seems to have taken off wonderfully.
The students look so forward to being able to come and have the opportunity to fully express their artistic and creative talents. One of our biggest aims is to utilize as many recycled materials as possible. It is a passion of ours to witness the beautiful creations that are created from simple previously used items.
We hope to see the Arts & Crafts Club grow more and more throughout the year!
Siobhan Hendry
Year 2 Teacher
Read More
Primary School Music Programme
Watch our students perform click here…
Music builds a sense of belonging, discipline, confidence, creativity, movement skills, and cooperativeness.
BIS has a developmental music programme from Pre-Reception to Year 6. The music education programme offered is holistic, child focused and inclusive. All students have the opportunity to be actively involved in learning music through singing, playing and dancing. They have opportunities in the music classroom to compose, create and perform music while developing a repertoire of songs that target specific skills appropriate to their level of learning music.
The class music programme selects songs that foster tuneful singing and aural development. Creative movement is also integrated encouraging spatial awareness. Students learn graphic and traditional notation in rhythm and melody from Year 1 onwards.
Through dancing and movement they learn a lot about rhythm and tempo and through singing they learn all about pitches and note names. We have a few percussion instruments, like bells, boomwackers, ukulele and glockenspiels that the children play to learn about pitches and rhythm.
We have two choirs in the Junior school and also a band, a small violin ensemble as well as a marimba band. We also have an extensive instrument programme and have tuition in the following instruments, flute, brass instruments, guitar, clarinet, saxophone, piano, singing, drums and violin.
In a multicultural school, music makes connections across cultures and aids those who do not yet have good English skills. It links students with the immensely rich history and diversity of cultures.
Beverley du Plessis
Music Teacher
Read More
Who’s-Done-It Mystery Game
Learning mathematics is not fun for every student. At Blouberg International School, we believe in making mathematics fun and helping students love the learning journey. One way to do this is through interactive mathematics games, such as Who’s-Done-It Mystery – Death at the Jigsaw Shop.
Who’s-Done-It Mystery – Death at the Jigsaw Shop is an engaging mathematics mystery game to motivate Year 9 students to apply their mathematics skills independently to solve the mystery of a crime committed at the Jigsaw shop. The manager is dead, and the week’s takings have disappeared.
There are 32 suspects. There are 5 clues. Each clue gives a fact about the perpetrator and eliminates half of the suspects. The clues are jigsaws. To work out a clue, you must first make the jigsaw. Round the outer edge of the jigsaw are numbers. Each number represents a letter (a=1, b=2, c=3 etc.). The first letter of the clue is underlined and then the clue reads clockwise round the shape.
Students have the opportunity to apply a variety of mathematics skills to solve the mystery: fractions, percentages, directed numbers, and converting measurements.
This week, Year 9 mathematics students paired up, played the game, and managed to eliminate suspects and come up with the real perpetrator’s name.
Here are some of my students’ immediate reactions to this fun exercise:
- Detective Riley Hanning: “This is a serious case; someone’s life is involved here, and we ought to be precise and accurate!”
- Detective Ruby Lee Gallagher: “It’s fun and engaging. How I wish this was my everyday math lesson from Year 1.”
- Detective Oratile Tsotetsi: “This is obviously one of my favourite lessons. A double lesson went quickly without notice!”
Want to take up the challenge yourself?
See below files of evidence collected by the arresting police officer at the shop and try to come up with the perpetrator’s name. You can post your evidence and proofs to my email (given below).
Let’s enjoy mathematics as a family.
Mr Hebert Tapfuma
High School Mathematics Teacher
HOD Science & Mathematics
clue1clue2clue3clue4clue5storysuspects final list
Read More
BIS Interact Club – Peace Home Homework Programme
One of BIS Interact’s main focuses is improving the quality and accessibility of education in our communities.
Next week our school will be celebrating Book Week. In commemoration of this, the BIS Interact Club will continue their weekly visits to ‘Peace Home’, a shelter for children with past challenges, who now have a safe environment thanks to their loving adoptive mother Aziza. Their task is to spend time with those children and assist them with their homework where possible.
This is an account of one of our member’s past visit to Peace Home:
A group of Interactors volunteered to go to “Peace Home” after school. We all hopped on the school bus feeling both excited and nervous. I myself was pretty nervous, as I had never been a tutor.
When we arrived, we were warmly greeted by Ms Nolan and the kids. They were very eager for us to help them with their homework. I was assigned a young boy with his maths. When we began he was struggling with adding and subtracting his fractions. I gave him some tips on how to easily do them. He quickly grasped the concept and no longer had any issues with his fractions. It felt very rewarding for both of us.
It was an amazing experience helping these kids. On our way back to school, we all shared the same good feeling. We all agreed we would volunteer again.
Oscar Berger (Year 11) – Interact Member
Read More