Word Brains

By Amy Nutt

 We live in a day and age where children are watching TV and playing video games all of the time. Sure, it may seem as if video games and television stimulate a child’s brain, but many times kids are sitting there like zombies. Unless the television show is an educational show that doesn’t bore the child or the video game is something that involves a certain degree of strategy, they’re not getting too much out of these two things. Most of all, they are not exactly using their imaginations in a world that requires its occupants to be imaginative in order to survive personally and occupationally.

As convenient as television and video games are at keeping the kids busy and behaved, it is time for parents to rebel. The revolt begins as the child develops by using such things as educational toys. Adults use puzzles, brain teasers, and other things that require thought to keep their minds sharp. It has been shown that adults who stay on top of their game with activities that make them think are taking an active measure toward preventing Alzheimer’s. By incorporating such things into a child’s life and keeping those activities as part of their life, a parent is taking an active role in ensuring that their child’s mind stays sharp. It is also important to emphasize to that child how important such activities are as an adult so that they can take a preventive measure toward diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Educational toys

Educational toys come in many different types and are available for children as soon as they learn how to grab things. They can be something as simple as a puppet or matching shapes. The child is forced to think and the colorful pieces that come with these toys make the activity interesting. What makes these activities even more interesting is when the parent is involved and praising the child when the child is successful.

Starting these activities early means that the child is going to get a developmental head start and will be using strategy easily by the time he or she begins kindergarten. Your child will have the mental maturity needed to make it through the world if you start stimulating their brains early and making it fun to learn. When kids don’t have fun learning is when they have learning difficulties throughout their entire lives. This isn’t always the case, but it has been known to happen. Many children loathe learning for one reason or another, so using educational toys can make it fun and rewarding.

Keeping it up

There are educational toys for children of all ages, so it is good to always make sure there are fun educational toys around the house that are age or intelligence appropriate. And yes, there are some wonderful brain teasers and other educational games on video game systems and computers. When the child reaches a certain age, using these as learning tools can be great. There are also great television programs that make a child think and make learning fun. It is just a matter of placing restrictions on how much time is spent using these electronic tools and making sure there is plenty of time that you and your child are doing fun learning activities together. By taking a time out and doing these activities with your child, you are not only stimulating their brain, but you are actually stimulating your own. The two of you are also spending quality time together in a world that makes quality time very difficult. So it is easy to see how educational toys can benefit you and your child in more ways than just learning.

Mastermind Toys offers a wide range of children’s toys and children’s educational toys for kids of all ages.

Your Source For Online Education

Home Schooling vs Other Educational Systems
By PCP

 Home Schooling?

In this day and age many parents are resorting to Home Schooling for their children. The cost of many educational institutions in South Africa and abroad are proving prohibitively expensive to many.

I am the father of two girls, and our eldest, only Four (4) years old at the time of this article, attends a Montessori School down the road from our home. Our school fees are R2000 (South African) per month. To some of you that may not sound like much, but if you equate that fact to many households in South Africa only earn R10 000.00 or even less.

The questions asked and proposed in this article are: Which is better?

Home Schooling?

Private Schooling?

Government Schooling?

I will continue this in a pros vs cons format under each educational type, and try to give example where I can:

Home Schooling

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Pros:

Freedom to spend time with your children. No, I dont mean that YOU will be doing the teaching. There are many professional teachers out there who offer the service of Home Schooling, which will, normally, be much less expensive than that of Private Education.

The child mostly is allowed to develop at their own pace. If you employ the services of a professional Home School Teacher, then they will ensure that your child keeps up to standard with their more main-stream counterparts.

Cons:

If you do not employ a teacher to educate your child, you will need to do this yourself. Then can be a very difficult procedure, even if you yourself are a teacher. Many parents find it hard to educate and discipline their child in a ’school’ kind of way. And eventually, those that give up home schooling their children find it even more difficult and traumatic for their child to enter the main stream schooling structure again.

Socializing? Some argue this point, but many see that Home Schooling has a lack of socializing - the student does not have other students his or her own age to socialize with.

Private Schooling

———————-

Pros:

Good Education? Some may argue this, but many fork out thousands for the Private Education of their children.

Looks good for university enrolment? Again, many can argue this, but some Universities like seeing the name of a good private school on the Enrolment Form.

Image and Status: many people see it for this only. The same reason they drive the half-a-million rand car. Status.

Cons:

The biggest is of course the Cost. In South Africa, Private schools for a single child that is in Grade 1 to Grade 7, can amount to R10, 000 or more per month. Thats for 1 child, every month. High School (secondary school) can even be more costly. But you pay for a ‘good’ education.

Image and Status: Yes I put this here too. In my opinion some people dont actually care about ‘what education’ their children get, just that they are in this school or that school. So it is a Con in a way, because those who put their child in private school, will always have to keep their child their.

Government Schooling

——————————-

Pros:

Affordable. Mostly schooling in government education institutions is much less expensive than private and sometimes even free, especially to underprivileged children.

A decent education: contrary to many peoples thoughts, South Africa still has a very good educational system that is constantly improving.

Cons:

Striking Teachers. Been a Government System, it is prone to break downs from time to time. Teachers strike for wages, teachers dont pitch up for work. All because they are protected by the unions.

Mass Schooling: Some schools have to cope with 40 or more students in one class. And no matter how good the teacher is, he or she cannot ever handle that many. Some slower children will get left behind.

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With all that said, I welcome your comments, suggestions and feedback. I hope I have not leant too closely to any particular side. The most important thing is that EVER CHILD IN EVERY COUNTRY HAS THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION!

The next most brilliant scientist who is going to make the biggest break through in medical history this century may just be that boy begging at the traffic lights!

Thanks for reading,

Christopher West

http://www.primecareplacements.co.za

home schooling
Click here to read more on high school.

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