Shelanti Private School

Different learning styles for unique talents

Maxine

The 4 C’s: 21st Century Education

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The year is 2019. Technology is ever-evolving. Every day, new job titles and positions are being created. It is for this reason that it is essential for us, as educators, to adapt our own mindsets towards the way in which we present our lessons. It is imperative that we begin to equip our modern learners with the skills which are essential in our modern world in order to succeed in both school and workplace environment. 12 specific skills for the 21st century have been identified, 4 of which we have been applying to our subjects this year, specifically with regards to the coding and robotics classes.
These 4 areas are specifically linked to LEARNING skills and are known as the 4 C’s, namely:
  1. Critical thinking
  2. Creativity
  3. Collaboration
  4. Communication

We have entered the fourth industrial revolution. By introducing coding into our curriculum, and finding the opportunities to include the 4 C’s, both as a stand-alone subject as well as integrated into everyday lessons, we are cultivating CREATORS as opposed to CONSUMERS. We are putting the power into the hands of the learners.

 

As sited by Applied Educational Sciences, “The four C’s of 21st Century skills let students create a whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts. Critical thinking teaches students to question claims and seeks the truth. Creativity teaches students to think in a way that’s unique to them. Collaboration teaches students that groups can create something bigger and better than you can on your own. Communication teaches students how to efficiently convey ideas. Combined, the four C’s empower students to become one-person think tanks. Then, when those students get together, they can achieve almost anything!”

 

As an inclusive teaching and whole-brain learning school, we aim to acknowledge these 4 C’s as well as our ever-changing school and work environment to provide optimal learning opportunities for our learners to explore the abovementioned concepts.

Our vision for coding and robotics at our school is as follows:

Empowering Shelanti learners for the future by optimizing their creativity and problem-solving skills through computational thinking. The creation of a platform on which collaboration and innovation can be developed with confidence and passion, to the benefit of the wider community.

Links to credit as well as additional links:
  1. What are 21st Century Skills?
  2. The 4 C’s of 21st Century Skills
Find out more about our enrolment criteria and book a visit to find out more about the educational experience offered by Shelanti.
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Social Skills – Kindness

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Recap from our last article:
There are 7 basic important social skills for kids to master:
  • Using manners
  • Making eye contact
  • Sharing
  • Respecting personal space
  • Following instructions
  • Listening
  • Cooperating

Even though Kindness is not specifically listed here, it does interlink very closely with all of the above social skills. For the purpose of this article, I have chosen to share how we used the concept of Kindness in one of our Shine Circle lessons here at Shelanti. 

Kindness

Expanding on a previous Empathy lesson, we discussed the concept of kindness and its value within our school specifically. Each child was asked to think of a friend they really like to spend time with and then list or draw a few things that they think makes this friend a kind person. This was the easier part and the children were able to think of various situations where their friend displayed kindness toward them. I then asked each child to list or draw why they think THEY are a kind friend to others… this got them thinking a bit more. In the end, we discussed especially how showing kindness will result in receiving kindness.

We then ended our lesson with another clip from Sesame Street – This time Elmo helped us understand kindness a bit better!

Why is it important to teach children about kindness? Here are just a few….
  • It leads to more happier children
  • Less bullying
  • Better stronger friendships
  • Higher Self-esteem
  • Increases children’s understanding of Empathy toward others
  • Increases a more positive school environment
  • Results in children with a better understanding of Social Emotional awareness
Some tips for encouraging kindness in children.
  • Model it! “Receiving” kindness will evoke a feeling of wanting to reciprocate it to others. 
  • Verbalise emotions and discuss with your child how their chosen behaviour will make others feel. Never accept rudeness when your child is angry. Rather discuss alternatives with them. 
  • Teach your child about the joy of kindness – arrange activities as a family where you can all show kindness to other loved ones or even to the greater community.
  •  

At Shelanti Remedial School we teach children not only about understanding emotion, but we also encourage children to show emotion and to be kind to others.

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Social Skills For Children

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Good social skills enable children to enjoy better peer and adult relationships. Some studies have even found that children with good social skills suffer from far less stress in general. Especially in the school environment where they are away from family and the familiar.
There are 7 basic important social skills for kids to master:
  1. Using manners
  2. Making eye contact
  3. Sharing
  4. Respecting personal space
  5. Following instructions
  6. Listening
  7. Cooperating

Each of these skills is a big topic within itself, so for the purpose of this article, I will focus on one of them and share how we used it in a Shine Circle lesson here at Shelanti Remedial School.

Sharing

We started our lesson with me presenting one banana to a group of 4 learners. I then asked them who would like to eat this banana? At least 3 of them were keen on eating the banana. I then posed the obvious issue, that we have only one banana. What should we do? This was a bright bunch and they fairly quickly suggested we share the banana into equal pieces!

 

We then had a conversation around the benefits of sharing the banana specifically – no one was let down etc.

 

I then moved the conversation to share something that belongs to them. Sharing the banana was easy, as it wasn’t theirs to start with. What if it is their favourite toy or new crayon set? This did get them talking with a bit more serious about how hard it can be to share sometimes.

 

We ended our lesson with a clip-on on how the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street learns a valuable lesson on sharing!

What are the benefits of “good” sharing skills? (Here are just a few of many!)

  • It enables children to make and keep strong friendships.
  • Sharing makes them feel good about themselves.
  • It teaches children about fairness and compromise.
  • It teaches them good negotiating and turn-taking skills.

Some tips for encouraging sharing in your child:

  • Model turn-taking skills as much as possible. With your child, as well as with other adults in your child’s presence.
  • Don’t punish your child for not sharing. Empathise with your child that you understand how hard it is to “give up” something and then encourage turn-taking. Your young child still needs to learn that giving something up for a period of time that belongs to them, does not mean they will not get it back.
  • Praise your child when you see them sharing!
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Empathy

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What is Empathy?

Empathy is the awareness of the feelings and emotions of other people. It is a key element of Emotional Intelligence; empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

Why teach and model Empathy at school?
Educating our youth in becoming committed Empathy role models, is beneficial to them, their peers and the communities they might find themselves in. Young people who show Empathy, are less likely to bully. It helps them to understand and work with others in a calm manner, which ultimately will lead to academic and then eventually career success. Teaching empathy in the classroom promotes selfless compassion and action on behalf of another person or group.
There are 3 different types of empathy
  1. Cognitive Empathy: this is a much more rational and logical type of empathy where rather than engaging in someone’s emotions you put yourself in someone else’s place, seeing things from their perspective. – empathy by thought rather than by feeling
  2. Emotional Empathy: this type of empathy is the most emotional one; mostly seen in people who move into caring professions such as nurses and doctors. People who display emotional empathy not only put themselves in someone else’s shoes but they also experience all the emotions that this person is experiencing.
  3. Compassionate Empathy: feeling someone else’s pain and taking action to help. Like sympathy, compassion is about feeling concern for someone, but with an additional move towards action to mitigate the problem.

At Shelanti Private School, we discussed the meaning of Empathy during our Shine Circle time and then extended to being kind with our words as a sign of Empathy. We learned that we must be “heart warmers” and not “heart wrinklers”.

A poem was shared:

We also discussed what it means to think before you speak:

At Shelanti we will strive to not wrinkle hearts, but make them warm and happy with showing Empathy!
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What is emotional intelligence?

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Emotional intelligence (EI), emotional leadership (EL), emotional quotient (EQ) and emotional intelligence quotient (EIQ), is the capability of individuals to recognize their own emotions and those of others, discern between different feelings and label them appropriately, use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior, and manage and/or adjust emotions to adapt to environments or achieve one’s goal(s). 

Definition by Wikipedia

Why does Shelanti Private School regard EQ as important as IQ?

EQ isn’t the enemy of IQ. It’s possible to have high levels of both. However, as humans, we are social beings and life is an inherently sociable construct. Without the ability to function well within this relational environment, it’s doubtful how far intelligence alone will get you. 

No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” EQ is, in many ways, the essence of being human.

  • Theodore Roosevelt

Emotional Intelligence, and our ability to draw on it as a reserve helps us in looking after our physical and mental health and well-being, through to our ability to inspire and lead. It’s there in our ability to manage effective relationships and our armour and shield when it comes to conflict resolution. It is, in so many ways, the driver of success.

We will share conflict resolution on later articles.

EQ as a driver of success doesn’t just apply to our personal lives. It applies in the workplace also. People with average IQ’s outperform those with the highest IQs 70% of the time. Is EQ the reason? Whilst EQ and IQ aren’t enemies, it is possible to have high levels of both, is EQ a better indicator of success?  

Shelanti Private School invests in our learners’ EQ by hosting weekly emotional intelligence classes called “Shine circle” as part of the curriculum.

Our in-house counselor, Celeste Terblanche presents these classes.

Below are 5 key elements of Emotional quotient. EQ 

What is emotional intelligence?

Celeste will share some of her lessons touching on these 5 elements in the upcoming articles. These lessons will contain some practical activities that you can do with your child at home.

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How can I help my child learn to read?

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It is your responsibility to create a love for reading long before your child enters a formal school environment.

Simple ways to teach your child how to read:

  1. Your child should see you read
  2. You must read to your child
  3. Surround your child with books

If you make time for bedtime stories your child will associate reading as something special and intimate.

This will also add to their imagination, creativity and build a rich vocabulary.

Television or any other device should never take up the place of a story.

What else can you do:

  • Draw your child’s attention to the words/signs that surround him/her. They will be able to recognise signs and the shape of letters i.e. McDonald’s sign before they actually start reading. This, however, will lead to an awareness of the shapes of a letter and later a word.
  • Find rhymes and songs, learn and sing/ say them together.
  • Play games i.e. how many words can we make that start with the letter….
  • Let’s find a word that rhymes with….
  • Sequencing games: say three words in order to let him/her repeat.
  • Learn your telephone number.
  • Talk about pictures/books or events. Encourage your child to use descriptive words and full sentences.
  • Make up stories.
  • Memory games: pack out three coloured blocks, give your child 3 seconds to look at the blocks, cover and ask your child to repeat the colours.
  • Also: cover the blocks, take one away and then ask your child which one is missing
  • You can increase the number of blocks as your child progresses
  • Talk to your child!!! Ask him/her for her/his opinion on things. Ask him/her to express what they like/didn’t like.

More Reading Tips:

  • Don’t let any of these activities be anything but a game.
  • Don’t let reading become a bore.
  • Don’t give up, keep encouraging your child.
  • Remember you are not looking at a successful outcome each time, the process is more important.
  • Smile.
  • Show pleasure.
  • Offer praise.
  • Don’t fuss over errors.

At Shelanti Private Remedial School we put your child’s needs above all else. Our teachers are skilled and our classrooms are small so that we are able to give each child the individual attention they need to succeed.

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How can I develop mathematical skills in my child

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Encourage your child to start learning math from early childhood. Early maths helps young children solve real-world problems with simple mathematical concepts such as addition and subtraction.

How to develop Mathematical skills

Play simple number games:

  • Count objects; shirts, stairs, red cars/white cars, t-shirts/socks while putting them away
  • Count the pegs as you put them in the box
  • Count the buttons on your shirt.
  • Count the windows.
  • Count the crayons etc.
  • Say number rhymes (1,2, buckle my shoe)
  • Counting songs.
  • Classify, sort and share objects according to color, shape, size.
  • Show me 3 fingers, take one away. Later you can also use the words “less” and “more”
  • Learn the days of the week, months of the year and the seasons
  • Memorise your telephone number
  • Walk and count backward
  • Memorise number sequences: start with 3 numbers and then increase the amount of numbers as your child progresses.
  • Make mathematical vocabulary part of your daily routine: early, late, morning, tomorrow, yesterday, longer, shorter.

The last word:

The emphasis should always be on having fun. Let go of the idea that your child needs to get everything correct. Enjoy the process and the time spent.

Refrain from reacting with “NO” when your child doesn’t get it correct. Remember, you also want to instill a good work ethic built on perseverance, grit, and resilience.

At Shelanti Private School we believe that good mathematical skills are important because:

  • Math is good for the brain.
  • It is helpful with decision making.
  • Math sharpens analytical skills.
  • Maths is all around us.
  • Math opens many career opportunities.
  • It develops logical thinking.
  • It’s part of our daily lives.
  • It is essential in a constantly changing world.
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How do I ensure that my child has a good day at school?

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School can be a very overwhelming and often frustrating experience, there are certain steps that a parent can take to relieve some of the stress and make their children’s schooling experience a more enjoyable one.

Below are 10 simple tips that will help your child have a good day at school

  • Be strict about a regular routine.
  • A good night’s sleep is key. A grade 1 child should be in bed by 19:30, lights out at 20:00.
  • Insist that your child eats a good breakfast, avoid sugary cereals and provide a protein-rich breakfast that will sustain your child for longer.
  • Pack water, a decent snack and a protein-based lunch. We’ll talk more about healthy eating in my next blog.
  • Pack your child’s school uniform out the night before.
  • Prepare your child’s lunch box and school bag together, put this in a designated place.
  • Make sure to set the alarm early enough so the mornings run smoothly and calmly.
  • Make sure there is sufficient time for a goodbye hug, keep in mind that a chaotic morning will lead to a chaotic day.
  • Be punctual, don’t drop your child off late for school, this models respect for others time and fosters a good work ethic.
  • Model a positive attitude towards school.

It is also important to become a part of your child’s day by asking questions; this way you will know if something is bothering your child as well as highlight good parts of their day. It is also a great way of keeping communication open with your child.

How was your day questions?

These questions will avoid “OK” and “FINE” answers.

  • Tell me about the best part of your day.
  • What was the hardest thing you had to do today?
  • Did any of your classmates do anything funny?
  • Tell me about what you read in class.
  • Who did you play with today? What did you play?
  • Do you think maths [or any subject] is too easy or too difficult?
  • What’s the biggest difference between this year and last year?
  • What rules are different at school than our rules at home? Do you think they’re fair?
  • Who did you sit with at lunch?
  • Can you show me something you learned (or did) today?

At Shelanti Private Remedial School our main focus is to create a positive teaching environment for your children.

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