Read, Read, Read
Learning to read can be the most exciting time for young children. Opening up the world of books is an invitation to many adventures.
I asked some of my students why they want to read:
“So I can read stories to my sister.” – Caleb
“I want to make speeches.” – Ingelam
“Because I want to be smart.” – Emily
“So I can help my little brother.” – Iminathi
There is much that parents can do at home to keep their child excited about reading. One of the best ways, is to read to your child. Bedtime is a wonderful time to read to your child and it has the added benefit of helping them to relax and go to sleep more easily.
In the classroom, nothing takes the place of reading aloud to the students. Most students sit spellbound, listening to the stories. They love to add their own opinions on what is going to happen next or why a character should have been kinder.
Every class has a weekly library lesson and Mrs S, as she is affectionately known, reinforces what the students are learning in the classroom in her Library lessons. The Year 1 students are enjoying the fun phonic recognition games Mrs S has introduced to them. They even get to choose library books to put in the classroom book corner.
If you need a moment to relax, find a child to read aloud to.
Ann Cordner
Year 1 Teacher
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Lights! Camera! AND … Action!
In William Shakespeare’s play ‘As you like it’, he writes:
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players”
Children have the innate ability to turn a simple game into a dramatic event. With that in mind, the KS1 Drama and Music Club was established to nurture and develop these skills.
There are so many benefits for children joining a drama and music class:
- They develop friendships and self-confidence.
- It helps them with concentration and reading.
- It further develops communication skills.
- It encourages teamwork and co-operation.
- Assists in building emotional intelligence.
- It inspires their natural creativity.
Young children can create a ‘make-believe’ world, without really trying. It is up to us to nurture and develop the skills they need to transfer this into everyday life. They might not all end up acting on Broadway, or appearing in a television show, but they will have had fun along the journey.
Watch this space… Mrs Cronje and I are optimistic about our Drama Club. The possibilities are endless!
Kim Coetzer
KS1 Drama and Music Club Co-coordinator
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Year 1: Sensory Learning In Art
“There is no must in art because art is free.” – Wassily Kandinsky
The Year 1 students have thoroughly enjoyed their first art lessons for 2022. We have been focusing on the basics of learning about different lines. The students were asked to go outside with some chalk and freely draw different lines they had just learned about, on the bricks.
As teachers, we find this form of practical learning important as the students are not limited to space and creativity, and they are able to express their knowledge in a free manner. Drawing on the bricks, a versatile surface, with chalk allows for a sensory rich activity. By having these sensory experiences that are full, students tend to learn at a more rapid pace. When a student uses chalk and connects to whichever surface we are using, it helps to develop their tactile registration as well as their fine motor skills.
We look forward to using this creative and fun method of learning more often throughout the year.
“The aim of art is not to represent the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” – Aristotle
Year 1 Teacher
Erin Hierse
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Making friends in Budapest
There is so much discussion about ‘all around the world’, interschool connections and online communication right now. Not only is it a fun way for children to explore the world around them, but they can also observe the learning of the other children they are in contact with.
This allows students the opportunity to become a part of the lives of people who live on the other side of the world. Unlike just showing a map of the world in the classroom or exciting pictures from countries we’re learning about, this vivid personal connection both inspires their learning and, in its own way, makes it more meaningful to them.
This week, our Year 2 students got to interact with children from our Budapest school. A country that most of them had never even heard of before.
It was so exciting for our students to see the other students, from our sister school, wearing the same uniform that they wear in a completely different environment.
The wonderful contrast of it being winter over there at the moment and summer here made for a very fun art idea. Our Year 2’s had to make and design their very own popsicles while the other children created their own snowmen and penguins. Students had an opportunity to come up one at a time and introduce themselves, while they very proudly showed off their art pieces.
This has been such an incredibly interesting and exciting experience. Mr. Swart also popped in for a visit to say hi and interact with the students.
A wonderful way to learn and a very unique way to explore the world around them. We can’t wait to meet up with our new friends again!
Siobhan Hendry
Year 2 Teacher
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