Child of the Universe Montessori Mag-Nificence Sep 2016

www.childoftheuniverse.co.za

COVER MODEL: MEGAN JOINED BY JOSH

3 Hampers each containing: • Painted Hand Castanets • Claves set • Shaker eggs Small • At the Sea Wooden Puzzle 24ce • My Senses Wooden Puzzle 36pce

To enter email your addresses and your phone number to kinderlove@childoftheuniverse.co.za Subject: Subscribe

ed’s letter Greetings Montessori Teachers, Parents, Grand Parents, family and friends

ABOUT US www.childoftheuniverse.co.za PUBLISHER 2Luni Media EDITOR Linda Navon 071 346 8138 linda@childoftheuniverse.co.za

OUR “Little Boss” Carmen Ché Jardim

NATIONAL SALES & MARKETING Cj Stott Matticks 082 900 1010 candida@childoftheuniverse.co.za

DISTRIBUTION & RESEARCH Lee Coulter

CONTACT NUMBERS TEL: (011) 462-2900 0110 262 643 0110 468 737 DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this

publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the editor, advertisers or endorsers. While every effort has been made to ensure that the contents of this publication are both accurate and truthful, the publisher and editor accept no responsibility for inaccurate or misleading information that may be contained herein.

MEDIA PARTNERS

We hope you haven’t all packed away your winter kit as there is a lovely cold spell on our doorstep. In my case I am glad as I love curling up in a bundle of blankets with the cats pinning me down. Plus I have some super boots I didn’t get to wear this winter.

The months are flying by, it’s almost the end of the year… for those of you who are looking to place your children into Montessori schools in 2017 a great place to find the closest Montessori schools is to go onto the SAMA website and search per region. www.samontessori.org For those of you who are moving your children into BIG school, good luck and I hope their lights keep shining brightly.

This Montessori magazine that started off as a means to me never working for anyone else again is blossoming beyond my wildest dreams. We have gained recognition worldwide and the plan is to take it to the UK and USA in the next year. We have international people contacting us to write for us and to distribute the mag in their own schools. I must say I warms my heart, as this is my ‘baby’ and I am going to take it places. I am still in the process of studying Montessori Early Childhood Development, along with TEFL and Spanish, so I can work anywhere. Never fear when Linda is near…

Please remember, this is YOUR magazine, a platform for you to use at any time, and we would really appreciate it if you would send it on to all your parents if you are a school, and to your friends and family. All suggestions are MOST welcome. We also have giveaways in each edition, so please enter.

Our magazines are usually published by the second week of each month, reason being that, once again, we are not conventional. We like to delight our readers with something fresh and insightful to read once you have gotten over the month end rush, and can put your feet up with a nice ‘cuppa’ tea, and consciously relax with us/.

Much Love

Linda

contributing team & experts

DR MICHAEL DORER

SHARON CALDWELL

HEIDI VAN STADEN

TIM SELDIN

JACQUELYN PRICE

KYM VAN STRAATEN

SINEAD HAMILL Rhyme Time Education

KYLE PEARCH DIY Genius

JEANNE-MARIE PAYNEL

SARAH SCHERRER

SUSANNE VAN NIEKERK

MARNIE CRAYCROFT

contents ENTER YOUR SCHOOL IN THE SUNFLOWER TOPE PHOT COMPETITION AND WIN WONDERFUL PRIZES THE MONTESSORI METHOD Montessori – An Education for Creating Innovators Inspirational Quotes for Teachers Is Montessori Right for your Child?

Overcoming Learning Difficulties Evaluating Speech BABIES & BEYOND Meet Antonio – a Miracle Baby who Fights like a Lion The 9 Months of Pregnancy video clip PEACEFUL PARENTING

Age Appropriate Chores Reading with Gifted Children Why I let my Kids beat the Cr@p Out of Each Other

PLAYTIME

Connecting with Nature – Play Outdoors Crafts to make at Home

STORY TIME Holistic Benefits of Reading to your Children Story Telling & Learning with Michael Dorer Hay House Book Hampers to be won ANIMAL WORLD Furry Babies – meet the cutest little monkeys Dog Rescues a Human

HOPE BEGINS WITH YOU

Schools Competition “42 schools have already entered the competition,” said The Sunflower Fund’s CEO, Alana James. “This is the first time we are running the competition and we are so excited at this great response!

What do you need to do? Get each pupil in your school to buy a Tope and wear it on Sunflower Day – 16 September. A Tope is a multipurpose article of clothing that can be worn as a headband, scarf, armband, mask or cap. Topes come in two sizes – small (R20) and large (R25). You can purchase your Tope from Pick n Pay stores nationwide, Round Table, selected ICPA stores and also online from Zando.

Ensure that all learners have purchased a Tube of Hope – Tope and are ready to show them off on Sunflower Day. Take photos of your learners sporting their Topes and upload them to The Sunflower Fund’s Facebook page! Points will be awarded for numbers of people participating AND the most innovative use of the Tope!

All entered schools will also be eligible for the mystery Spur prize. Spur Foundation is offering 10 schools the opportunity to nominate one class in their school to enjoy the Spur surprise.

We look forward to seeing your school showcasing our Topes in a unique and creative way on Sunflower Day.

Conscious Life Magazine

Nienhuis Montessori materials Nienhuis Montessori materials meet the demands of Montessori education regarding spontaneous learning. Our high quality products enable children to become independent and critical thinkers.

Our products are based on Montessori education principles and stimulate children's desire to learn.

They promote imagination, increase insight and create a desire for quality. Children can develop without predetermined rules, but they do need individual guidance and supportive educational materials. We believe in personal growth and offer the necessary tools to support this.

THE MONTESSORI METHOD: AN EDUCATION FOR CREATING INNOVATORS

By Kyle Pearce

Imagine an education system that trained students to be creative innovators and leaders without the use of grades, tests or homework. It actually exists and it’s called the Montessori Method.

The Montessori Method focuses on fostering a hands-on, self-paced, collaborative and enjoyable learning experience. It teaches students to start small with their ideas, to build them through experimentation and to solve the problems that come up along the way with a sense of stimulating curiosity.

One of the most striking aspects of Montessori education is its similarities with the “fail fast, fail forward” do-it-yourself hacker mentality that has built many of the most innovative companies in Silicon Valley. Even the popular innovation frameworks in the global start-up scene, like agile development and lean startup methodology, share similarities with the experimental process of Montessori learning.

I believe that if we want to become better creators and innovators, we would be wise to study the principles of the Montessori Method. Even though the Montessori Method is usually associated with the primary education of children, the seven pillars of self-directed learning that it is based on also apply to adults who want to become more creative, adaptable and self-motivated: 1. Independence 2. Responsibility 3. Self-Discipline 4. Leadership 5. Initiative 6. Academics 7. Lifelong Learning

Montessori and The Importance of Lifelong Learning With the rate of change in our world accelerating and all kinds of new opportunities being created by technological innovation, lifelong learning is now a necessity for keeping up-to-date, staying relevant and thriving.

Unfortunately, our public education system — with its narrow focus on rote learning and standardized testing — is failing students and jeopardizing the future prosperity of our society. While this traditional form of education was suitable for training people for 20th-century industrial economy jobs in factories and corporate bureaucrats (jobs that are on the road to obsolescence), it does a poor job of instilling the self-directed initiative and flexibility to adapt knowledge and skills as new challenges arise.

In his popular TED Talk, Sir Ken Robinson points out the process of how our schools kill creativity (it’s the #1 TED Talk of all time so it clearly resonates with a lot of people). He argues that to thrive in the post-industrial 21st-century economy, the most important skills are self-directed initiative, curiosity and social intelligence. This is especially true for the most coveted high-paying jobs in our knowledge-based economy.

Most education reformers agree our public education system doesn’t do a great job of teaching students how to innovate. But the problem is that in a learning environment geared toward providing the right answers on standardized tests, failure is discouraged and conformity is encouraged. This makes it difficult for individual students to follow their own trial-and-error process of learning from failure, which is required to develop their capacity to become creative innovators.

If you want to learn about the differences between Montessori and traditional schooling, I highly recommend watching this video:

by Judy Hanning

Is Montessori Right For Your Child?

What was Maria Montessori's original insight?

By Bobby and June George With a single observation, Maria Montessori, the Italian educator and physician, ignited a revolution in education. She jump started what could loosely be called a new appreciation of childhood. Or, in other terms, a culture of education. She challenged us, as a society, to think differently.

As one of the first female physicians in Italy, working at the turn of the twenty-first century, Montessori hypothesized that under the right conditions - with the right set of core values and principles at play children would flourish of their own accord, with little or no overt didactic instruction from adults.

This radical idea is slowly making its way into mainstream culture. And, it is our belief that parents are the ones that will carry the torch and complete the movement that she enacted, now over one hundred years ago, by asking their children the simple question, "What do you want to learn?", and then "following the child".

While Montessori education is typically represented as brick and mortar schools with little to no technology usage, the method is increasingly being called upon for digital education. Those inroads are already happening with apps like Primary and Alpha Writer.

If we consider current trends in educational approaches, for instance, we only have to consider two of the most popular, the Alt School and the Kahn Academy, to readily identify their primary source of inspiration: Maria Montessori.

As these types of programs, and others, work to offer digital solutions to education, the Montessori philosophy is near at hand, with its personalized approach.

For parents, this personalized approach is the big differentiator to consider. Instead of thinking about education as the transmission of knowledge by a teacher to a child, as centuries of educators before her had, Montessori promoted the idea that the teacher should be the one that follows the interests of the student The defining nature of Montessori, this personalized education, means that the classroom is designed for any and every child. The curriculum moves with the child, at their own pace. The teachers observe and present students with new information when they are ready, or give a guiding hand at the right time if a child is frustrated. Perhaps the real question is if Montessori is right for your family, and a good way to find this out is to observe a classroom in action and ask a lot of questions.

In closing, what purpose does following the child serve? "The sacred fire of culture," Montessori wrote, is when the spark of interest is coupled with the flame of enthusiasm.

You see, Montessori thought that a single student should be the exemplary case by which a personalized approach to learning would be developed. She thought that education should be based on interests and enthusiasms and not administered by administrators or those with administrative powers. In short, education should be reinvented. It should inspire a life long love and passion for learning. The question we should be asking is, "What do you want to learn?"

Simple method to overcome learning problems The Learning Success System is a simple method parents can use to help children overcome learning difficulties. It simplifies the process and enables a parent to work at home with their child.

The Learning Success System:   

Convenient for both children and parents Minimizes high costs of learning centers Uses Cutting edge neuroscience research

The brain is very complex. The brain and body are highly integrated. Complex systems such as emotions, incremental learning skills, mind body connections and more come into play in the learning process. Because of this we believe that no single field of expertise has the answer to overcoming a learning difficulty. It takes a multi-disciplinary approach. That's what we have created.

You often hear people say "No two dyslexics are the same". Or "No two dyscalculics are the same".

This should make it obvious that there is no single answer. Instead it takes the right combination of answers. We think this is obvious. But that's just us. Because the right combination of answers comes from a variety of sources our approach has been to assemble a team from all of those sources.

The Main Strategy Our main strategy is divided into three parts. Some limited success can be achieved by using only one part. Which is what most programs do. We believe, that to have maximum success, a system must incorporate all three parts.

Strategy 1 - Calm the emotions.

A child cannot learn under stress. If a learning difficulty has been going on for any length of time at all, the child is stressed. Stress reveals itself in many ways. Tantrums, defiance, depression, avoidance, and manipulation are all ways in which a child protects themselves from this stress.

There is an actual neurological reason that learning is impossible under stress. There is a part of the brain that simply takes over. It shuts down the cognitive centers. It is called the amygdala. We have many approaches to calming the amygdala.

Without taking the emotions into consideration learning is at the least very difficult, and often impossible. This is one reason many systems have failed.

Strategy 2 - Incorporate the Body Learning happens from the outside in. Our sensory systems integrate together. Most learning will require more than one. When we try to isolate learning to the mind only, we are eliminating other sensory systems and blocking the natural learning process. Think about old playground games such as hopscotch, Pat-a-cake, jump rope, story telling. How many sensory systems did these games use? We must use them all to learn.

We are not stuck with the brain we were born with. Our brain can actually develop new and better learning abilities. There is only one thing that triggers the brain to grow new neurons and new neural connections. The body. To develop our brain we must use our body. This is done through learning to coordinate the body in new ways. Of special importance are cross lateral exercises. Exercises which cross the midline of the body. The Learning Success System is loaded with exercises which are designed to coordinate the body in new ways and therefor prime the brain for learning.

Strategy 3 - Build up the Fundamental Skills of Learning Learning ability is not one thing. Intelligence is not one thing. They are a combination of smaller skills.

Skills we don't really think about. Skills that are so ingrained, we hardly know we use them.

To understand these skills think about the process of reading. To read we need to be able to:     

Track words on the page Recognize characters and sight words "Hear" the words in our head Visualize the meaning Those are all individual skills needed even before start on actual reading skills. Those are the required skills to even start to learn to read. And that's the short list. There's more.

If you jump the gun and start trying to teach reading skills, you cause stress (see strategy 1). You are fighting an uphill battle you cannot win. It is essential to build up the fundamental skills of learning.

The Solution is Actually Simple Building up these skills, relieving stress, and incorporating the body are not difficult. They can be done with simple exercises. The exercises that are in the learning success system.

In the past, the problem has been that no one has used all three strategies. Most systems concentrate on the expertise of the person who came up with the system. That doesn't work. It takes expertise from a variety of disciplines. That's what we have done. Gathered the right experts needed.

ED’s NOTE This site is full of exceptional articles for teachers and parents.

Every child develops differently and at different rates. However, there are some very important skills that need to be developed in order for the child to grow and thrive as he/she continues to develop. These foundational skills are crucial for speech and language development and if not observed by certain ages we see this as a red flag that may indicate your child should be evaluated by a speech-language pathologist or a related specialist (early interventionist, psychologist, etc.).

A note on the “wait and see” approach: It is a MYTH that you should just “wait and see” if your child is a “late talker.” The “wait and see” approach can be appropriate in some circumstances, which a speech-language pathologist may even recommend upon seeing your child, however I STRONGLY encourage you to have your child screened or assessed by a speech pathologist if you have ANY concerns with his/her development at ANY AGE. The SLP can determine if the wait and see approach is appropriate for your child or not. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL AGE THREE if you have concerns at TWO! If you have concerns at two, get your child in at two. The advice to “wait until three” is not appropriate for every child and can, for some children, actually be detrimental to their development.

A note on pediatricians: Pediatricians are wonderful medical doctors…however they have VERY LITTLE training in speech & language development. They are trained to diagnose and treat medical issues, not speech & language issues. If your gut tells you something is wrong with your child and your pediatrician says to wait, go with your gut. Get your child seen by a speech-language pathologist.

With that…here are some red flags that may indicate your child should be assessed by a speech-language pathologist or related professional.

Under 18 months •No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by 6 months •No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions by 9 months or thereafter •No babbling by 12 months •Does not respond to his/her name by 12 months •No sharing/reciprocal interactions like pointing, sharing, reaching or waving by 12 months •No pointing at objects of interest by 14 months (pointing at a car driving by) •Does not understand simple common words like mama or milk •Is not using any words by 16 months •Does not imitate gross motor movements like clapping or stomping feet

By 18 Months •Does not use at least 8-10 meaningful words •Does not follow simple commands like “come here” “stop” “don’t” “give me the __________” or “touch your nose” •Does not follow your pointing with his gaze •Is not playing “pretend” with items (talking on toy phone, feeding a doll) •Does not play in proximity to other children

By Age Two •No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months •Does not follow simple two step commands such as “Get the ball and put it on the table” •Speech is not at least 50% understandable •Cannot point to pictures of items in books when asked

By Three Years •Is not using three and four word sentences •Speech is not at least 75% or more understandable •Child is leaving the beginnings or ends off of most words •Cannot accurately answer yes/no questions •Cannot answer simple “who” questions like “who is that” or “where is the truck” •Does not play with other children •Is experiencing stuttering behavior for more than 6 months

By Four to Five Years •Is not 90-100% understandable to strangers despite age appropriate articulation errors (may not be able to say /r, sh, ch, l, or th yet) •Is not consistently using 4+ word, complex sentences •Is not asking a variety of questions to gain information (who, what, where, why and when) •Is having difficulty with grammar or pronoun use •Cannot tell a simple story on topic •Cannot follow simple two step directions •Has difficulty answering simple who, what, where and why questions •Is not yet able to name a few letters, numbers, and rhyming words

Overall Warning Signs •ANY loss of speech or babbling or social skills at ANY age •Never gestures or imitates •Does not appear to understand speech, or appears to be unable to hear •Never develops words beyond repeating others over and over Hello! Welcome, I’m Katie. I’m a licensed and credentialed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) and have been practicing for 8.5 years with over 15 years experience working with children of all abilities. Though I have experience working with children of all ages, I specialize in the little ones ages 2-6. After several years working in the school system, I’m currently spending most of my time at home with my children, and see clients in my private practice. http://www.playingwithwords365.com/

Much has been written about using All About Reading with children who have special needs, and we love hearing those stories.

But there’s a group of special learners that we don’t hear about quite as often.

Gifted kids have special needs, too.

But the needs of gifted kids are quite different than those of other special learners.

Generally, gifted kids need to go faster, they make big leaps, they need to be able to interact with content on a deeper level, and they aren’t willing to put up with shallowness or inconsistencies. Though on the surface these may sound like “good problems” to have, they can make the task of choosing curriculum for a gifted child very challenging.

Not long ago, we heard from Matthew Vinson, the father of a gifted little boy. When Matthew mentioned that his son had finished all four levels of the All About Reading program in just over a year, I was anxious to hear more.

But when I saw his video of five-year-old Kobe reading When Dinosaurs Lived: Velociraptor by Kate Riggs, I knew I had to ask Matthew to share Kobe’s story with our readers.

Here’s Kobe’s story, told by his dad Matthew.

Kobe’s story begins when he was around 1 1/2 years old.

I always said that I was going to start teaching my kids at a young age so that they would have an advantage through school. I started with some animal flash cards. I would show him the pictures, say the name, and tell him a few facts about each one. It wasn’t long before he started identifying and pronouncing the names and facts clearly for animals such as rhinoceros, walrus, toucan, and more. I was amazed by how fast and easy it was for him. At the time, I didn’t know how unusual it was for a one-year-old to be able to say these things.

After the animals, I started on numbers 1-100, and within a couple of weeks, he had number recognition down. Then I moved on to letters, and within a few days, he had those down as well.

After the letters, I was starting to realize that I had a smart one on my hands. He loved it, so we ran with it. That Christmas he received an easel, and from that point on, we tackled everything—the solar system, states and capitals, presidents, money, multiplication, decimals, division, food chain, measurements—just about everything we could think of. Except for reading.

I love to read, but wasn’t too excited about teaching it. I like to fully understand something before I can teach it. Just because you know how to read, doesn’t mean you understand the rules for reading. My wife, Tiffany, suggested I quit stalling and start reading. We both knew he was eager to learn and that the timing was right.

But like I said before, I wanted to fully understand reading before I would teach it. I began to research how to teach kids to read—every bit of information I could find, but I was disappointed in what I was finding. By this time, I was probably more confused than I had been before. The information I found seemed to contradict itself and just created a lot of confusion.

Still determined, I kept searching and finally resorted to creating my own reading curriculum.

But one day I was researching phonograms and stumbled on a company called All About Learning Press. As I researched the programs that AALP offered, it seemed to be exactly what I was looking for. And the more I researched it, the more convinced I became. So I ordered All About Reading Level 1—trying not to expect too much, because it just seemed too good to be true.

A few days later I received the curriculum, and standing there flipping through pages, I was amazed. It turned out to be the godsend I was searching for. It had everything I imagined.

Kobe was eager to get started, so we started immediately after receiving it. Kobe loved it…from day one all the way to the end. It took him fourteen months to complete all four levels. He was five years old when he completed the last level.

It was the greatest discovery. This curriculum company has all the answers for reading. Every public school should have to integrate this program into their curriculum, because what the schools offer is a joke compared to All About Reading.

Kobe just turned six. He’s in kindergarten and will never have to worry about reading. He can decode pretty much any word that there is. I couldn’t have been more pleased with this program!

Thank you, Marie Rippel and team! Keep up the extraordinary work. I recommend you to everyone I know!

Kinderlove is a retail business that specialises in kiddie related products that are sourced and supplied locally and internationally.

We pride our selves in being innovative in the kiddies retail market. Not only is Kinderlove owned by parents .

We assist by empowering anyone who is involved in raising a child by providing kiddie related products, business opportunities to business entrepreneurs as well as giving our parents the chance to earn an extra income thus making parenthood that much easier.

ANGEL-BABY ANTONIO The miracle baby that cheated death This is the story of Antonio, the little fighter who doctor’s said had a 15% chance of survival. He brings joy and hope to other parents.

Mommy Carmen is 34 years old (her 1st child) and daddy Frank is 36 years old (his 2nd child). They never imagined that he would blossom as he has, and initially sent out requests for prayers for Antonio. The little man had other ideas about life, and has fought very hard to get to this point where he is finally able to go home.

However, the hospital bills are tremendous and we are hoping that you will find it in your hearts to help this little boy and his beautiful family to raise funds to cover his medical costs, which will be ongoing.

Antonio Cecil Ramalhao was born 05/05/2016 at 35 weeks gestation. He weighed a feathery 1.7 kg at birth.

He had feeding problems from the start as his parents noticed he would vomit up his feeds, cry in pain and his little tummy would run. Doctors in the NNICU where he was born chalked it up to Acid Reflux and Colic. After two weeks in the NNICU he was allowed to come home where he spent a total of five days with us before being admitted back. Doctors again treated him for Acid Reflux and Colic and released him back to us after a week in their care. We had him for a little over a day and noticed he was not feeding properly, was still vomiting and in pain, and his tummy was still running.

He was admitted to a different hospital this time, where he was diagnosed with NEC (Necrotizing Enterocolitis) and fighting for his little life. He was also diagnosed with Refeeding Syndrome, which in itself is a life threatening disorder. He was pumped with antibiotics in an attempt to save his intestines but after a few days of no improvement it was decided that we would need to call a surgeon.

His X-rays and Ultrasounds revealed no perforations of the intestine but his mother had a feeling that they were possibly perforated and asked the Paediatrician to involve the surgeon.

With Dad and brother Michael

Professor Beale was contacted to come in and perform the surgery. Upon going inside Antonio’s little abdomen it was discovered that his small intestine had indeed perforated and was gangrenous. The surgery Professor Beale performed was a lifesaving one and he removed the rotten portion of Antonio’s intestine.

Antonio made it through the operation with Sepsis which had to be treated vigorously with antibiotics. He had a second surgery once he had recovered from the infection, to create a stoma so that the rest of his bowels could heal and recuperate. He was fitted with an ileostomy bag but soon suffered a second bout of Sepsis.

His platelets dropped dangerously low and we didn’t know if our boy would make it. We called in our Priest Father Thomas to come and baptize our boy. We have been overwhelmed by the response we received from family, friends and perfect strangers. Church groups added our son to their prayers lists. We believe that all these prayers along with Father Thomas’s blessings were heard and our little star has defied death many times over.

To date our boy Antonio has survived: •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Twin Pregnancy Mom’s Gestational Diabetes and Preeclampsia Severe intrauterine growth restriction Born Premature at 35 weeks NEC (perforated intestines) Refeeding Syndrome / Dehydration and electrolyte imbalances Three Surgeries Three Sepsis infections of: Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Enterococcus Faecium Klebsiella Pneumonia Fungal sepsis Feeding intolerance GI bleeding and low platelet count Low Haemoglobin levels Blood transfusions and platelet transfusions Severe malnourishment and extreme weight loss

Antonio has come a long way since that day two months ago. He has faced so many adversities in his little three month life, adversities that would have killed any adult.

Antonio’s Story is testament to the power of God, Faith and Prayer. To great surgeons, Paediatricians and nurses, and also to parents who never gave up on their little angel.

Antonio is our brave little fighter, and we are honoured to be his parents. Through his story, he has taught many people that no matter how tough life gets, no matter how many times you are knocked down, that you can get back up and keep fighting.

We want other parents out there who are going through a similar experience to take this story as one of hope. To realise that no matter how many odds are stacked against their little ones, there is always a fighting chance.

There is a short fall of R120,000.00 so far.

BANKING DETAILS C.Boxall Capitec Edenvale Acc No:1320214655 Branch Code: 470010

Seth Foundation was founded on the 01st December 2012 by Nicole Natalie Vermaak mommy of Seth which drowned in an empty pool that had accumulated rain water in the deep end.

Nicole has made it a life mission to promote safety awareness and assist with the less fortunate children of South Africa.

Seth Foundation is a foundation that promotes child safety and offers support to families that are going through a loss of a child (in any event).

The foundation is based in South Africa.

So many of our children are in harms way due to parents not knowing about safety. First Aid Training as well as Fire Training is a must for any parent, child minder or family member who are in contact with children.

Drowning in South Africa is the 2nd highest cause of death of children, the highest cause is road accidents. So many children who have had near drowning's are left with disabilities.

ANTONIO’S CAUSE IS SUPPORTED BY NICOLE FROM SETH FOUNDATION IN HONOUR AND MEMORY OF HER SON, SETH, WHO DROWNED.

The 9 Months of Pregnancy

Have you ever wondered how a baby develops so rapidly and fully in his or her mother’s womb? Well, this astounding short video demonstrates the mind-blowing process for us to witness. It’s a computerized, fast-paced – and accurate – window to the womb.

Life is truly wonderful! In fact, the development of human life in the womb is just amazing. Did you know that everything about you — including how tall you would be, the color of your eyes, and the color of your skin– was all determined at the time of fertilization? Monthby-month you grew in the safety and comfort of your mother’s womb until the big day of your birth finally arrived!

“Life in the Womb” is a fascinating video that gives us the story of the unborn child, and demonstrates the fetus development in the Uterus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= MbJlmQwFxWs#t=37

15 Adorable Facts About How Babies Learn

By Shaunacy Ferro For the first few years of a baby’s life, everything in the world is new.

Learning is a 24/7 process. They have to figure out how to move their bodies, how to manipulate objects, how to understand and use language, and more. It’s an understandably exhausting process. Here are 15 things you might not know about what’s going on in the learning infant’s mind: 1. THEY START LEARNING IN THE WOMB. The parts of a baby’s brain that process sound start working during the third trimester of pregnancy, and it can remember what it hears in the womb after it’s born. For instance, one study found that Swedish infants only 30 hours old could differentiate between Swedish vowel sounds and the unfamiliar vowel sounds of foreign languages. Another found that when expectant mothers listened to a soundtrack with a made-up word, the infants recognized that word and its variants after birth.

2. THEY START PROCESSING LANGUAGE LIKE ADULTS AT TWO DAYS OLD. At just a few days old, infants use language processing skills similar to those adults use. People remember the beginning and ending syllables of a word more clearly, and listen for those semantic edges more carefully, since they often contain things like verb tenses and information about whether a noun is plural or singular. A 2015 study finds that long before they can talk—within two days of birth—infants are already using this trick, and can distinguish even when there’s a 25 millisecond pause between syllables or a small discontinuity in the sound that might indicate a different word or two separate words.

3. MOVING THEIR MOUTHS HELPS THEM LISTEN. Infants need to move their tongues to distinguish between sounds, according to a study of 6-month-old infants. Psychologists and audiologists found that when a pacifier prevented babies from moving their tongues, they were not able to distinguish between two novel “d” sounds.

4. IMITATION IS KEY. When babies watch an adult use a specific body part, their brains light up in the areas that correspond with that particular movement. A study of 14-month-old infants found that watching an adult touch a toy with her hand or foot activated the same regions in the infants’ brains associated with moving a hand or a foot. This neural empathy might help babies learn to imitate adults and make the same movements themselves.

5. TOUCH HELPS THEM UNDERSTAND WORDS. A 2014 study from Purdue University found that infants relate touches to the sounds they hear at the same time. Every time the experimenters said the nonsense word “dobita,” they touched the infant’s knee. Once, the infant was touched on the elbow at the sound of another nonsense word, “lepoga.” In a subsequent language study, the infants pulled the word “dobita” out of a stream of words, suggesting that the consistent touch helped them learn the word.

6. SOCIAL SKILLS HELP THEM ACQUIRE NEW LANGUAGES. Several studies have found that social interaction is key to babies’ early language acquisition. One study of 10-month-old babies who received Spanish tutoring found that when babies tracked their tutor and the toys she was holding more carefully, the infants had a boost in brain response. In other words, their social interaction boosted their ability to absorb the lesson. Previous research has shown that babies learn better through interactions with people than through video or audio recordings.

7. THEY LEARN MUSIC VERY EARLY. Before a child learns to understand language, talking sounds a lot like music—it’s repetitive and rhythmic. “So while music and language may be cognitively and neurally distinct in adults,” as psychologists write in a 2012 review in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, “we suggest that language is simply a subset of music from a child’s view.” The authors suggest that a child’s understanding of music parallels its initial acquisition of language, and merits a central place in our understanding of human development.

8. MUSIC HELPS THEM COMMUNICATE

A 2012 study of 1-year-old infants found that interactive music classes lead to better communication.

The babies learned to play percussion instruments and sing songs with their parents in an early music class.

Compared with a control group, these children showed a greater sensitivity to musical structures and tones, along with better early communication skills like waving goodbye or pointing to an object they wanted.

9. LAUGHING HELPS. Babies develop a sense of humor around 18 months old. One recent study found that laughing can help kids learn new tasks. In it, 53 babies were taught to retrieve a toy duck with the help of a cardboard rake. Babies that laughed in response to the researcher’s demonstration were much better at performing the task than a control group. Almost 95 percent of the kids who laughed raked the duck over successfully.

10. SURPRISE IS KEY.

Infants learn best when they’re surprised, a recent study found. When an object behaved in an unusual way—like a ball that appears to pass through a wall—11month-old babies paid more attention to it, and chose to explore it more. They handled the ball and tried to test its solidity, learning more about the world in the process. When the ball behaved in predictable ways, they didn’t focus on it or try to learn more.

11. THEIR BRAINS ARE SHAPED BY EXPECTATION. Very early in life, infants learn to make predictions based on their previous experience. A study of 5- to 7-month-old infants found that the part of the brain that responds to visual stimuli also responds to just the expectation of seeing something. The researchers showed a group of babies a pattern of images and sounds—a honk or a rattle followed by a red smiley face. When they stopped showing the image but played the sounds, the babies still showed activity in the visual response areas of their brains.

12. NAPPING IS CRUCIAL. If babies didn’t spend so much time sleeping, they probably wouldn’t remember what they learned. Infants are constantly learning during their first year, and they’re also constantly napping—they’re rarely awake for more than four hours at a stretch. In an experiment where researchers taught babies how to remove a puppet’s mitten and find a hidden bell, infants who napped right after the demonstration were better at recalling the demonstration. This ties in with research that finds that adults, too, consolidate memories as they sleep.

13. THEY CAN LEARN FROM ANIMALS. Think your baby is only listening to you? Think again. Infants can also learn from lemur vocalizations, a 2013 study found. In it, 3-month-old babies looked at images of dinosaurs while some sort of sound played in the background—human speech played backwards, and lemur shrieks. A previous experiment found that babies learned categories of dinosaurs better when human speech played. However, the backward speech—essentially just random sound—didn’t help the babies learn.

The shrieks of lemurs, however, did, suggesting that even if babies don’t understand the language, vocalizations can stimulate their learning process.

14. THEY LEARN TO ENJOY CERTAIN FLAVORS AND SMELLS BEFORE THEY’RE EVEN BORN. Babies’ senses start working before they’re even born, and they can learn to enjoy certain flavors and odors in the womb. One study found that babies whose mothers drank carrot juice for three weeks straight during their last trimester of pregnancy enjoyed the flavor of carrots more when their mother introduced them to solid foods compared to infants who hadn’t been exposed to carrot juice in the womb and during lactation. Another study found that infants whose mothers consumed anise (a plant with a similar flavor to licorice) during pregnancy showed a preference to the smell immediately after birth and when they were four days old.

Babies in the control group showed a clear aversion or no response to the smell.

15. BUT THERE ARE LIMITS TO WHAT THEY CAN LEARN. While infants’ capabilities for absorbing new information are amazing, they aren’t miraculous. Some educational companies advertise the ability to make even a 3month-old literate, but a 2014 study of infants and their parents found that literacy DVDs and other media tools geared toward infants under 18 months weren’t effective in establishing the ability to read. They did, however, make the parents feel like their kid was learning.

All images via iStock

ADHASA is a support group for people affected by ADHD, founded in 1989 by Heather Picton. The organization’s national office is based at the Delta School in Blairgowrie, Johannesburg and there are 40 branches countrywide.

ADHASA supports an ecosystematic approach to ADHD which examines the impact of the child/adult with ADHD on the environment; and the effect of the environment on them. Thus all aspects of the child/adult’s life should be considered.

Using this approach, ADHASA has over the past 21 years improved the lives of thousands of people with and affected by ADHD.

The devastating impact of ADHD usually hides and smothers the strengths of affected people. ADHASA encourages them to work on the areas of weakness, and also to recognize their strengths and build a life on them.

People with ADHD can become valuable members of society.

Phone: (011) 888-7655 Email: info@ADHASA.co.za www.ADHASA.co.za

WHY I LET MY KIDS BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF EACH OTHER

By our beloved Marnie from Carrots are Orange

‘Mama, I don’t want Jack to send me to the hospital.’

Okay, so maybe that start was a bit dramatic. Maybe I should not have let it go that far, but he got the point.

Was I worried my six-year-old was going to seriously injure my five-year-old?

No. Not at all. {#1 Rule: “Always take care of your brothers.”} No broken bones. No blood. Maybe a bruised ego but nothing a little TLC won’t heal up quickly.

Here is the thing: my boys, although young, know how to communicate with one another and know how to peacefully resolve conflict.

How do I know this fact? Because I have witnessed these capabilities time and time again. I was a big part of their learning.

Adults are guides to children. We need to respect them and their ability to handle themselves.

Intervening every time there is an opportunity to intervene does a disservice to the child. On the other end, not creating boundaries inhibits a child’s healthy social and emotional development. A child looks to adults for boundaries. So, I’m not implying boundaries don’t exist, quite the opposite.

Children operate with a lot of liberty within wide parameters. My job is to get them to the point where they have absolute freedom. I must guide them and help them develop the life skills and tools that will allow them to succeed.

So, when my sons bicker and wrestled in frustration and anger, I let them.

I watch closely. I’ve never had to intervene. They always come to a close on their own in their own time.

I know they know how to communicate with one another. I know they know how to resolve conflict.

Ideas to Help Get Kids

by Kim Eierman

Do you worry that your kids spend too much time indoors, endlessly captivated by electronic devices? In these digital times, 2-year-olds are more comfortable playing with your cell phone than playing in a pile of leaves. How will they learn to care about the environment if they never go outdoors?

Start the process of getting your kids out of the electronic rut and into nature.

Convince Yourself First Not sure if there really is a problem about connecting children with nature? Read the seminal book by Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder. Louv, a noted child advocacy expert, explains how the naturedeficient disorder, so common in today’s children, is linked to the rise in childhood obesity, attention deficit disorder and depression. He offers 100 actions you can take to change this.

Give a Book to Inspire Surprise your kids or grandkids this holiday season with a retro gift – a book!

Connected With Nature Bring Nature into the Classroom Some environmental organizations offer nature training all year round. A nature preserve and education center can send educators into your children’s classroom for a very reasonable fee. They offer “Meet the Animals” designed for Pre-School children.

Take a Brisk Walk or Maybe a Hike Take a drive to your closest Botanical Gardens, take a picnic and go for a hike. Many Sundays’ you will find live music in some of the bigger parks. Pop the bicycles in the boot and do a trail-ride as a family. Some Game Parks offer guided educational walks in nature.

Homemade Wind Chimes Painted in Rainbow Colours Homemade wind chimes made with sticks painted in a rainbow of colours add a splash of colour to any backyard or patio!

A fun nature craft for kids to make for their own yard or to give as a gift to someone special!

Click logo for full details

Gifts, especially those created by kids, don’t have to cost a lot of money. In fact, the perfect materials for a thoughtful gift may be sitting in your recycling bin.

Giving old items new life is not only green, it’s a lot of fun. It is so cool to take something destined for the trash and turn it into something beautiful and useful.

And when we do a craft like this with our children, we are teaching them to see “garbage” in a new, creative light.

With little more than a handful of old keys, a piece of drift wood, string, and paint, my son and I created this DIY key wind chime. It would make a lovely gift for anyone who has a garden or balcony, a birthday present for grandma, or a house warming gift for a new neighbor.

Want to know how to make your own? It’s simple!

Click logo for full details

THE HOLISTIC BENEFITS OF READING

By Tamar Dakes Botha At some point in our history, long before pen and paper, the great sages living in Asia knew it was time to share their knowledge so it wouldn't be lost with their passing. They formed guru disciple relationships where dedicated students would sit at the foot of the teacher, listen and engage in conversations. Lessons were learnt, teachings were taught and through this interaction, knowledge grew and evolved. At the invention of pen and paper, dedicated sages and students captured these important teachings into volumes of work and so their teachings were preserved.

Since then authors, poets, writers and teachers have used books as a way of capturing, preserving and sharing their knowledge, ideas and stories.

Reading stories out loud to children is similar to the guru disciple relationship. It is in the verbal interaction that takes place alongside the reading out aloud where children develop the most literary skills. Engaging in conversation during story time encourages children to ask questions. Questions are like keys that unlock the doors in our mind and in the universe, doors that open and lead us to places of deep thought and consciousness. When children are encouraged to talk about the story, they become more involved and understand more of what is being read.

Reading is a holistic therapy; it benefits the body, mind and spirit. By listening to or reading stories, children engage in the present moment and disengage from the hectic nature of our modern day lives.

They forget about their worries and stresses and lose themselves in the depths of their imaginations.

Their bodies relax, releasing muscular tension, boosting immunity.

Just like us, children also experience the "monkey mind" - thinking hundreds of thoughts every minute.

Reading before bed helps children focus their thoughts and calm the mind so they sleep more soundly.

Our brains are designed like muscles; the more we exercise them the better they work. Reading, learning new concepts and using our imaginations helps keep our brains healthy and fit.

Learning to recognize letters and eventually to read builds children’s self esteem and increases their self worth. It also fosters a sense of accomplishment and independence which helps them achieve healthy personal growth. On a spiritual level, reading helps children connect with their inner knowing.

In light of all these benefits, our children spend too much time "plugged" into technological devices and unplugged from the magnificent source of power that comes from a quiet mind and deep concentration. Go to the library, spend time reading to your child, try different kinds of books and encourage conversation through questions. Help develop your child's literary skills and in turn hopefully you will foster a deep love of reading.

If you want to deeply connect with the children in your life and ground the positive cognitive experience of reading into their physical bodies, then try the Beaming Kids series. The author has incorporated positive affirmations, breathing, relaxation and even physical postures into her stories.

Book Review by Heidi van Staden

THE DEEP WELL OF TIME

By Michael Dorer In 2009, I had my first experience of Montessori stories from Mr. Dorer in Cape Town at the South African Montessori Association conference. Hearing them told, with such detail, drama and passion was enthralling. Everyone loves stories and it is in our African blood to love being told stories.

Having a natural storyteller bring to life the Montessori materials and concepts in such a dramatic and imaginative way inspired my own inner story-telling diva. I attempted after that encounter to retell those fabulous stories as best I could. The children loved them none-the-less. Marigold and her farm-measuring triumph, a potter named Tan and his dilemma with his beautiful (but broken) plate and the wonderfully expressive story introducing the Euclidean geometry concepts were told to them over and over.

In reading ‘The Deep Well of Time’ for this review, I was transported back to the beginning of time with the Great Lesson stories, and was especially gratified to find the elusive Great River story included. It is easy to imagine a group of elementary children getting caught up in the events at the Adjective’s Picnic, and knowing that they will always know, forever more exactly what an adjective is and how it functions. Mr. Dorer has also included stories from his colleagues Larry Schaefer and Jonathan Wolff - both of whom have regaled us at South African Montessori Association conferences as well.

The great American novelist, Toni Morrisson said, “If there is a book you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, you must be the one to write it.” Mr. Dorer has written the stories that we all want to hear. These are stories that will create a bond between the teacher and the child and more importantly between the Montessori materials and the child. The countless children that these extraordinary gems will touch in times to come is truly a gift.

I reckon Maria Montessori is smiling, she may even be saying, “Michael, tu racconti le storie grande!”

Heidi van Staden 29.06.2016 www.montesoriservices.com/the_deep_well_of_time

BOOK TO BE LAUNCHED IN AUGUST AND AVAILABILITY WILL BE NOTIFIED IN OUR NEXT EDITION AND VIA NEWSLETTER.

“Look into my eyes and you will see the same expressions of pain, despair, hunger, happiness and love that other little babies feel”.

Many of us get hit by cars, shot with pellet guns and often watch our mothers die on the side of the road.

Luckily for some of us we are rescued and end up in the care of Tracy, who takes us to Aunty Dr Kerry Eason in Durban for our injuries. Tracy is an angel to us, she cares for us and makes us feel better – we love her.

We need all the same things that human babies need like bottles to feed us warm milk, blankets and other baby items.

Tracy Rowles This amazing woman dedicates all her time to the rescue and rehabilitation of vervet monkeys on the KZN coast, in and around the Umkomaas area. She is on call 24/7, caring for the injured babies and often the older monkeys. She sees the horror of what these animals go through when they are injured – she also feels the joy when her little monkeys get well again.

Its all about saving furry babies

Umsizi Umkomaas Vervet Rescue Centre

Watch Tommy get his balance!

CONTACT DETAILS Tracy Rowles Mobile: 072 883 5119 Email: tracymonkeylady@gmail.com www.umsizi.za.org

ADOPTING A BABA Would anyone like to be Tommy's Adoptive mommy and support his care and feedings. R200 per month and you get a certificate, visiting rights as well as tagged in all his photos and updates. He is our first orphan of the season this year and after a traumatic past he needs all the milk and spoils of nice toys and blankets to keep him a happy baba.

There will be lots more babies up for adoption.

An Invitation to a Baby Shower with a difference "You are cordially invited to Umsizi's Vervet Rescue's baby shower. We at Umsizi are throwing a baby shower to try get together all our needed items before the little ones start arriving so that we can offer, not only all our love and attention, but the best possible care and enrichment for these traumatized little souls.

With their mothers gone forever they need all the light and joy we can give and we need the your help to do that To donate your items you can deposit in our bank the amount chosen with a list of the items you want to see purchased. Any left over money will go towards monkey food of course. You may also drop off donations at Scottborough Vet or directly at Umsizi, just please phone Tracy to arrange before arriving.

You can follow our progress on Facebook as to how the basket is filling up, and also meet our new babies.

Bank Details and a list of items and prices are below: Bank: FNB (non profit) Chq Acc No: 624 987 321 58 Branch Code: 250 655 Swift Code: FIRNZAJJ

Items Needed: Price list: Small Lactogen 1 R 160 Large Lactogen 1 R 280 Porridge small R 30 Porridge large R 60 Fluffy blankets R 50 Towels R40 Toys R 10 and up Wet wipes R 35 Bottles R 36 (Available at vet) Meds R50 and up

Thanks so much to all our supporters . Tracy is working really hard to make a difference for these guys - let’s help as much as we can!

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her.

I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid. As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the overworked shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life.

She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.

Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms.

I would promise to keep her safe.

I would promise to always be by her side.

I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.

I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.

Support your local animal shelters – ‘forever homes’ needed

With stunning views of the Indian Ocean, surrounded by indigenous coastal vegetation, Pumula Beach Hotel makes an ideal venue for relaxing, stress free holidays, romantic retreats, family fun, weddings and conferences.

Telephone: 039 684 6717 E-Mail:

Get ready to party as Kidz Rock The Hits of 2015!

This youthful, energetic show pays tribute to the billboard number one hit songs of 2015 such as One Direction with Perfect and Drag Me Down, Justin Bieber with What Do You Mean? and Sorry, Selena Gomez with Same Old Love and Demi Lovato with Cool for the Summer.

We also pay tribute to new hit songs from icons such as Adele with Hello and Taylor Swift with a multitude of hits including Bad Blood, Blank Space and Shake It Off. Pop groups like Maroon 5 hit the number one spot with Sugar, whilst Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars released the best-selling song of 2015, Uptown Funk. Also on the playlist are songs by Meghan Trainor, Carly Rae Jepsen, Ed Sheeran and many more.

Experience the Kidz Rock band, singers and dancers in full flight as they rock the house with all the greatest number one hit songs of 2015!

Hey Kids, Lets Rock! So, grab your friends and book tickets for one big party!

Show Dates, Times, Venues & Ticket Prices: Cresta Barnyard: 8 October at 14:00 Price: R100

Emperors Palace Barnyard: 10 September, 1 October at 14:00 Price: R100

Pretoria Barnyard: 17 September at 14:00 Price: R100

Rivonia Barnyard: 24 September at 14:00 Price: R100

Bookings: Contact your preferred Barnyard Theatre or book online at: https://www.barnyardtheatre.co.za/show.aspx?sid=731 Cresta: 011 478 5300 Emperors Palace: 011 928 1108 Pretoria: 012 368 1555 Rivonia: 087 236 3088 For cast interviews, high resolution photos & show reviews contact: Clare Allan – clare@barnyardtheatre.co.za / 087 236 3088 Disclaimer: The Barnyard Theatre reserves the right to change any shows, dates, prices, cast members & show content without notice.

with much appreciation to our advertisers, contributors, endorsers and our readers namaste