Organising tips for the new school year

Hello Everyone,

It’s the start of a new academic and calendar year and calendar sales are at their peak. Why? Because people are planning to organise themselves for the year ahead. Yet, many children and adults struggle with organisation. Children who have a combination of a right brain and a left hand can find organising themselves a real challenge, and their parents often tear their hair out due to their children’s disorganisation! To be effective at school, it is important for children to have a plan. If you think that getting your own kids organised and into a routine is tough, spare a thought for teachers; they have a tougher time than parents. Instead of a small group of 2 or 3 children, they have large classes to keep under control and on track. So how do they do it? 

Here’s the secret: school is far more structured than home. There is a schedule which is reinforced with bells, the schedule is also being followed by other kids, so it is generally accepted as a fact of life and carried out routinely. If it works for teachers, there’s no reason why the same principles can’t work for you. The lesson is about to start!

Where to begin?

Sorting and categorising are key skills to develop in children. These skills can be nurtured by letting children help around the house. Sorting laundry, putting away dishes, grocery shopping and meal preparation - here are opportunities to learn and practice these skills and lay the groundwork for sorting and categorising at school. 

Plan Together

In many junior-school classrooms across the world, a schedule or roster can be seen stuck to a wall where it is easily visible. Bring some of the structure of school into the home by creating a task chart to help your child remember what he/she is supposed to do each day. The chart should have pictures of the tasks to be done and the times when they are expected to be completed. Allow your child to provide input to the schedule. Add in some school-type positive reinforcement like stickers or smiling-face stamps for a job well done. And remember, the best reward for children is always some extra attention from Mom and Dad. With the time you've gained from less nagging, the extra attention will be easy to give. 

Keep a list – and check it twice

Does your child feel he or she is too “grown up” for a reminder chart? Help them get into the habit of keeping a "to-do" list. Find a fun, colourful notebook and pen - make sure your child understands that the notebook is only for making lists - not for drawing or other uses (HINT: we suggest using a pocket size notebook that is easy to carry around). Use checklists to keep track of projects, chores, and reminders about what materials to take to class. Being able to cross off completed items will give children a great sense of satisfaction. 

In the (study) zone

Regardless of their age, school going children should study in the same place every night. This doesn't have to be a bedroom, but it should be a quiet place with few distractions, so the TV room is out of the question! Have all school supplies and materials nearby. Some basics to keep handy would be pens, pencils, paper clips, highlighters and a glue stick. As the year progresses, talk with your child and see what else they need. If your young child wants to study with you nearby, too, you'll be better able to monitor his progress and encourage good study habits from a young age. 

Set a designated study time

Your child should know that a certain time every day is set aside for studying and doing homework. The best time is usually not right after school - most children benefit from time to unwind first. Include your child in making this decision. On days where no homework has been set, use the study time to review the day's lessons, read for pleasure, or work on an upcoming project. 

Clear the Clutter
Teach your child to clear out their school bag at the end of each week. Have a safe place for storing important info rmation which may be needed later in the year such as classroom handouts and old test papers and throw away any rubbish that collected during the week.

Walk the Talk
Be organised yourself. You can't expect to reap what you don't sow. If you want children to be organised, demonstrate the principles by organising your own life. Invest a few minutes each day reviewing your child’s progress and improvement in becoming organised. This gives you a great opportunity to spend time with your child and also lets your child understand that being organised is important for you too.

Here’s to a productive and organised 2010!


Warm regards,

Annette & Team

Summer Holiday Fun for the Family

Hello Everyone

Summer holidays are here, and after a whirlwind year we're all breathing a collective sigh of relief at the thought of a few weeks without the pressure of work, traffic and school. Picture it: no sports events to attend on Saturday mornings, no rush to collect kids from school, and the pressure to make sure homework gets done after school is lifted - what bliss!

The first two weeks of the holidays are great as everyone unwinds. Mom and Dad are delighted that they're not stuck in traffic and the kids are ecstatic because they can sleep in, spend time with friends and relax after a stressful academic year...
Then the boredom sets in. The kids want to be taken to movies, visit adventure parks, go to restaurants or spend time at the mall with their friends, and the costs start mounting. Suddenly the school lift club seems like a less stressful (and more affordable) option. What happened to the fun-filled holiday?

In our August newsletter we talked about the power of play. We discussed the importance of encouraging our children to explore the world around them. (Need to refresh your memory? click here to download the tips again.) Many parents underestimate the importance of spending time with their children. Children, especially pre-teens, crave quality time with their parents. If you are on leave over the December holiday period, think of it as a perfect time to have fun and reconnect with your family. Here are some tried and recommended family activities that parents have shared with us :

Fun in the sun Get the kids to prepare a picnic basket and visit to the local park or botanical gardens for an afternoon. Help the kids to bake or cook a few goodies for the picnic- baking is a great way to learn about quantities, weights and measuring. This website has some great recipes for budding Jamies and Nigellas  Don't forget to pack a ball or Frisbee for some after-lunch fun!  If you have young children, spend time in the garden collecting leaves, sticks, flowers, and other things that be turned into a collage or picture. They'll learn about different textures, and it's a wonderful way to get those right brains going, regardless of their Genetic Brain Organisation Profile If the kids want to explore your holiday town you are visiting, give them a budget and then set them the task of finding activities that fit in with the budget. This is a great way to tech children how to manage finances! Hint: do a Google search on “things to do”- you'll be amazed at the upcoming events taking place or places to visit in your area.

Creative Genius Many art shops and art cafes all over the country offer painting, mosaic, and craft courses where kids can learn to create works of art. “The beauty of this option is that it is not terribly expensive but will keep the kids occupied for several hours, and most ages are catered for.” Explains one of our parents Family game evenings are normally a hit, and everyone can get involved. Come on… dust off those board games you have stacked in the cupboard and let the games begin! If you're holidaying with children of different ages, get them to write and act out a play- this is a great way to encourage everyone to play together and let their imaginations and creativity take over

Holiday Cheer If your family celebrates the festive season, make sure that the children are also involved in the pre-festivity preparations. Even the littlest ones can lend a hand with carrying things or stirring!

These are just some ideas that parents have shared with us, tell us how you make the holidays fun for you and your kids - we'd love to hear from you!

We wish you and your family a restful and happy festive season and summer break - the EduProfile team will be taking a bit of a rest over December too. We'll be back in the new year with renewed energy (hopefully great tans!) and plenty of new workshops, ideas and techniques to share with you. Look out for our first newsletter of 2010 which will be in your mailbox in late January. We hope you have lots of fun with the kids!

Warm regards,
Annette & Team 

Stress and Academic Performance

Hello Everyone

It's been a busy time for us here at Edu-Profile. As we approach the year-end exam period there is a definite increase in interest in our "Exam Stress" programme. There's no doubt about it: exam time = stress time for learners and parents alike. It's likely that you (or your youngster) have found yourself in the grip of exam stress at some point. It's that mixture of fear and anxiety when you: 

• Go "blank" and cannot recall information you know well
• Lose your usual creativity
• Misread questions
• Interpret questions incorrectly
• Become upset by the paper or a question in the paper
• Work too fast or too slowly
• Make careless mistakes
• Panic, resulting in an increased heartbeat, sweating or shivering

"Why does this happen to me - I've worked so hard!" this is a question that we're often asked. Perhaps an explanation of the origins of stress can help answer this question.

Our bodies and brains are programmed to respond to dangerous situations by either fighting or running away. Think back to our pre-historic ancestors who had to outwit wild animals to stay alive. If you were being chased by a sabre tooth tiger, there was not much time to think about what to do; that's where our "fight or flight" response helped. This programming has lasted to this day and nowadays, whenever we are in a situation that we cannot control, we become anxious or worried, a feeling which we call "stress".

We all need a certain amount of stress motivate us to action. After all, if there are no consequences for an action (whether positive or negative), why would we worry about performing or not performing that action? Positive stress gives you the energy to throw yourself into something where you want to make a contribution. Approaching exams should enhance a student's concentration and learning capability. So while a certain amount of stress is good, because it gets you alert and performing, it's when the stress becomes extreme that problems start to occur. There is a clear relationship between the demands made on us and our performance, which can be illustrated as follows:

It's the night of the school play. You're in the dressing room. The director is pumping the cast up.

"Now, I know you people are nervous. That's okay, in fact, that's what we want. You're going to perform better on stage if you're a little nervous"

The point of ‘healthy tension' is the point where performance is at its peak, where the person has been "pumped up" enough to get them going. Further demands, however, will result in a decrease, rather than an increase in performance. Continued stress over a long period of time can also result in unpleasant consequences, ranging from being too tired to burn out. This is why it is important for parents and learners to have an effective strategy in place to manage exam stress.

Those of you who are familiar with our work know that there are different Brain Profiles, each one has its own unique challenges and talents associated with school work. Each Profile responds differently to stress. The resilience and determination that we have been taught by parents, teachers and life also impact the level of stress we experience. For example, someone who has been taught to take problems in their stride is less likely to have high stress levels.

As the graph above shows, when stress starts to build the functioning of our brains is affected. The duration and intensity of stress will determine how much of one's functioning is affected. The longer we are stressed, the more it affects us. Through a Genetic Brain Organisation Profile assessment our consultants are able to explain your individual stress triggers and teach you techniques to successfully manage stress.

Regardless of one's Brain Profile, good study methods and learning habits will definitely help reduce the exam jitters. Correct preparation is critical. Remember: Fail to Plan = Plan to Fail! We've put together a "cheat sheet" to help parents and learners through exam time. Click here to download it now.

Conclusion: Examinations are stressful situations, but understanding your unique brain profile, having the right attitude and knowing the best way to prepare for them, can make them less daunting and increase your quality of life as a learner. 

Until next time, 

Annette & Team 

School readiness is child's play

Hello Everyone

I stumbled across a really profound quote this week that got me thinking "No one can whistle a symphony. It takes an orchestra to play it". In a team there is more collective knowledge than one person can possess, which is why this month, we’re doing things a little differently.

Our network of trained Edu-Profilogists is steadily growing. All are experts in their respective fields - some specialising in a variety of disciplines including Adult assessments, Sports and Pre-school development. This month, one of our Gauteng-based consultants has agreed to share her insights into a current hot topic among parents of pre-schoolers: school readiness.

Warm regards
Dr. Annette Lotter & Team

Today many parents are unsure of how to get their children school-ready. My twenty years of teaching three to eleven year-olds has taught me that the most important thing a parent can do to help get their children school-ready is to go back to basics. Think back to how we grew up. Confused? Let me explain.

Over the last five years teachers in both government and private schools have noticed that the demand for therapies such as Occupational, Speech and Physiotherapy has more than doubled. The increase in the number of children in therapy is not solely due to developments in medical research which allow us to recognise and identify problems earlier. The main reason for the upsurge in child therapy is because our lifestyles have changed radically in the last two decades.

We live hectic lives. In many cases, both parents work and there is a small (or no) support system at home. We live in complexes with small gardens, high walls and no trees. Children have to wait for their parents to find the time to watch them ride their bicycles as it is no longer safe to let them roam the streets freely as we did. Our children no longer play in the mud, “baking” mud cakes. Children don’t help in the kitchen (“they might get hurt” some parents worry). They’re not encouraged to invent games. Most children have all the newest toys money can buy, but little time to interact with their parents. The list of woes goes on and on. So what’s the answer?

How does play help little ones become school ready? Simplifying our children’s hectic lives at an early age will help them be more emotionally secure and physically ready to deal with the growing demands of school and society as a whole. It is our responsibility as parents to make sure young children exercise their “RIGHT TO PLAY” as it is through play that children learn best.

That play = learning has been confirmed over many years by many theorists, psychoanalysts, neuroscientists, educational therapists and teachers, to name but a few. This critical insight will make a significant difference in any child’s development from as early as two years.

Children need to learn kinaesthetically (that is, they need to touch, feel and move) and concretely until the age of twelve. Enjoy the moments with your child. Remember: WHAT YOU PUT IN IS WHAT YOU GET OUT, JUST LIKE YOUR BANK BALANCE!!!!! MAKE THE INVESTMENT IN YOUR CHILD COUNT - THEIR FUTURE SUCCESS DEPENDS ON IT.

For more information on our school-readiness assessments, please contact us.

PLAY, PLAY, PLAY IS THE BEST WAY!

• Make a special corner in the garden for your child to dig and play in
• Encourage sing-alongs to music
• A small trampoline is great for muscle tone and development for young and old, so hop to it!
• Play dough and plasticine are great “hands on” toys. Display your little one’s art somewhere for the family to admire

More >>>

Choosing the right Career

Decisions, decisions, decisions....

A little while ago my friend’s 5-year-old son shared his new dream with me. He has decided that he wants to work at McDonald's. A little probing revealed that the reason for his career choice was the perks. You see, Happy Meal toys are very popular among 5-year-olds, so what better way to spend one’s working life than to surround yourself with toys? Bright young man indeed! 

While I’m sure that few (if any) of your children share Connor’s dream job, at the moment most Grade 9’s are thinking about what to do with the rest of their lives.

Fifteen-year-olds are not considered responsible enough to vote, marry, sign a contract or drive a car, but nonetheless they are expected to make a decision on what career to follow for the rest of their lives! It stands to reason that when selecting subjects for their National Senior Certificate exams they should at least have in mind what career path they intend on following. Not sure where to start? Here are a few “rules of thumb” that can help make subject choice selections a breeze for you and your child: 

• Engineering, science and medicine degrees all require at least English or Afrikaans, mathematics and physical science. Life sciences are recommended, and for engineering it is a good idea to include information technology.
• For a Bachelor of Commerce degree it is essential to include English or Afrikaans and mathematics. Some universities will accept mathematical literacy for certain commercial degrees, but these are generally limited to degrees majoring in disciplines such as human resources.
• For economics, accounting and other management sciences, maths literacy is generally not accepted, or if it is accepted, your child will need to achieve a 6 or 7 achievement rating (70% or above).
• Bachelor of Arts and Law: English or Afrikaans are required, although there are generally no other requirements.
• Life Orientation is required no matter which degree is selected, and it is important that school learners realise that good results in this subject are essential, especially if they are considering pursuing a degree in medicine. 

No doubt the subject choice process has changed somewhat since you were at school. To help you navigate these tricky waters we’ve put together some valuable information about subject choices and combinations.
Click here to download it now.

In our experience career guidance should start early in the Grade 9 so that the learner and his parents have a clearer idea of the careers he should be following, the qualification(s) needed for each career, and hence the subjects he should be studying. A logical approach, don’t you think?

A good place to start is with a healthy dose of self-knowledge. We’re talking about understanding what you are GENETICALLY pre-disposed to succeed in. Without this knowledge, people tend to choose careers that are familiar (my father is an accountant, so I’ll do that too because I know something about it) or ones that their parents persuade them to follow, because the careers are perceived as ‘safe, profitable or in demand’. This is surely a recipe for disaster!

Using techniques developed in South Africa, our team of qualified Edu-Profilogists ® are able to perform a Genetic Brain Organisation Profile assessment and make recommendations for careers based on your child’s natural strengths and abilities. Please contact us and we’ll put you in touch with an Edu-Profilogist ® in your area.

You’ll be relieved to know that little Connor decided to re-think his career choice when he heard that toys were not a job perk at McDonald’s. He’s decided to become a drummer instead. Much more fun, don’t you think?

Until next time
Warm regards from Annette & the Team