Blogs

Preschool, Grade R, Grade 1, Grade 3
As parents you want to know what your child is learning at school, however when we ask our kids what they’ve learnt at school they often don’t tell us much or they say things like; “ I played”, “We drew and coloured in”. This is especially true for children in early grades. Unfortunately this doesn’t make it easy for you to know what to help your child with and when.

How can Smart-Kids Workbooks help?

Smart-Kids Workbooks were developed to help you help your child throughout the school year. The workbooks are linked to the South African curriculum and provide activities that will reinforce what they’re learning
  • one type of activity per page with clear instructions so the learner will know exactly what to do on each page
  • appeal to learners, for example sport, space, toys, baking, beads, animals and playtime
  • workbook is designed so that learners get many opportunities to practise and develop their skills
  • have a record of learner progress in one book
  • star chart and certificates to reward
Positive Reinforcement
 All learners thrive on positive reinforcement and recognition for their efforts. In doing this you are building the learners’ self esteem and confidence. A positive reward system is far more effective than using negative punishment to discourage unwanted behaviour.  You can reward learners for:
  • Neat work
  • Achieving a high standard of work
  •  Effort and determination
  • Time management
  • Successfully completing set pages in the Smart-Kids workbooks (Let the learners circle a face on the Smart-Kids workbook page when they have completed the activity.  This enables them to reflect on how they feel about their work.) 
Introducing the Smart-Kids Workbooks to your child
  • Before showing the workbook to your child take the time to read through the book yourself.
  • Become familiar with the types of activities and think about how you will explain the activity to your child.
  • If your child is in Grade R and 1 we recommend that you work through the book with them. At this stage of their learning journey, they are still acquiring the skill to work and read independently.
 
Why are the Smart-Kids characters important?
  • The scenarios and characters in the Smart-Kids series have been carefully selected to be representative of all South African learners.
  • Children should easily be able to identify with the characters and situations presented.
  • Many children have expressed that they like a specific character, this bond with the character can encourage them to read a story that includes the character or provide that extra motivator to complete an activity which features artwork of their favourite Smart-Kid.
 Smart-Kids Workbooks supports what your child is learning in the classroom
  • Activities are aligned to the current South African curriculum, CAPS, and leveled so that your child is able to practice the skills required at the correct time of the school year.
  • We have broken up the workbook into school terms, so as a parent you can easily identify what is required from your child throughout the year.
  • Each activity is linked to a specific skill, this helps you to target skills that your child may be struggling with.
Grade R, Grade 1, Grade 2
Helping struggling readers
Do you remember how you learnt to read? The chances are that if you found learning to read easy as a child, you can’t remember a thing about it! But speak to someone who struggled to learn how to read and they can probably recall the details of every painful moment. So, how can you help your child who is... Read the full article
Grade R, Grade 1
Encouraging literacy at home
Homes are ideal places for children to learn about how we use reading and writing to get things done but also for pleasure. Use these simple ideas to help turn your home into a literacy-learning hub!
1. If you want your children to become literate, they need to see you using reading and writing in different... Read the full article
Grade R, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3
Memory training games There is no such thing as a bad memory. Just like any other muscle, your brain must be exercise and developed every day. Keep it in training! It will get used to repeated exercises and needs new challenges every now and again to improve and stay at its best.
From an early age, I started ‘training’ my... Read the full article
Preschool, Grade R, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3
Getting ready for the first day of school Your child’s first day of school is a big step. However, there are plenty of practical things that you can do to prepare them for their big day. Practical tips Tell your child what you enjoyed about your school days and talk positively about starting school. Involve your child in choosing things... Read the full article
Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7
Understanding question words
It is important to look for the question words (the words that tell you what to do) to correctly understand what the examiner is asking. Once you have read the question once circle the question word and then underline any other important key words. The combination of the circled and underlined words will tell... Read the full article

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