back to school The Malta Independent on Sunday 2 September 2018
It’s not what SPORT CHILDREN PLAY, but how they play it that matters IOANNIS COSTAS BATLLE PhD Researcher in Education, University of Bath (This article was originally published in The Conversation.)
Sport is massive and it’s everywhere: on TV, in videogames, and on the streets. As a consequence, myths about the inherent greatness of sport have grown. One such myth is the belief that sport itself is ideally suited to help disadvantaged young people develop “socially” and “psychologically”. And that sport is capable of teaching “teamwork” or “leadership”.
t is frequent to hear phrases such as “rugby teaches discipline”, or “football teaches teamwork”. And what these sentences have in common is the assumption that there is an inherent, almost magical, quality in both rugby and football. On the basis of this assumption, disadvantaged young people are encouraged to join youth sport programmes which use sport as an educational tool. The goal of these programmes – which are frequently run by charities – is to develop young people into “good citizens” by teaching them “life skills” – like teamwork or discipline. Unfortunately though it isn’t quite that simple.
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THE VALUE OF SPORT While hearing someone say “rugby teaches leadership” does not sound jarring, if one of your friends were to suggest that “finger painting teaches leadership”, you would stare at them in disbelief. The source of this disbelief stems from what have become commonsense understandings
about the value of sport. These understandings are that sport “naturally” teaches “leadership”, “teamwork”, or “critical thinking”. In turn, these commonsense understandings have become deeply entrenched in the way society values sport. Though there is evidence that sport – when delivered appropriately – can help young people develop, the picture is more complex. For instance, one of the most popular perceptions about the value of team sports is that they teach “teamwork”. But what about when young players become frustrated at teammates for having inferior technical and tactical skills? It may well be that not a great deal of teamwork is being learned when these proficient players make less skilled teammates feel inadequate and unwelcome because of their limited ability. And this is why we should be cautious about the assumed educational value of rugby (or any other sport) over any other activity – like finger painting. I respect you, you respect me But despite all this, charities frequently document cases of young people developing life
skills such as confidence and determination through sport. The voluntary sector are certainly not making these results up, so as part of my PhD research I wanted to explore this link between sport and young people’s development. I interviewed coaches and young people (aged 12-15) at a youth sports charity as well as observing coaching sessions. The young people I spoke to, highlighted their devotion for their coaches because they felt these adults cared about them as human beings. Coaches established a relationship summarised by a young girl as: It’s not you respect me. It’s an I respect you, you respect me thing. It was clear that the young people also loved the activity they did. They loved playing a particular sport, alongside a particular coach. Young people also expressed why having a sense of belonging mattered to them. They liked the environment of their coaching sessions and felt welcomed in it. It was a space where they could participate in an activity they enjoyed, with people they liked, all while feeling part of something bigger.
THE HIDDEN VARIABLE Through observing and talking to young people and their coaches, I found that while sport itself does not improve young people’s development, the “hidden” variables of passion, relationships and a sense of belonging, genuinely do. So when it comes to young people’s social and psychological development, the focus should not be on which sport to play, but on how sport is used. If a youth sport programme focuses on unlocking young people’s passion, developing meaningful relationships and fostering a sense of belonging, these programmes can be extraordinarily powerful. What this means is that sport can be a great educational tool, but so can many other interests or pursuits. And instilling passion, relationships, and a sense of belonging is something any activity – such as finger painting or stamp collecting – can achieve. As the saying goes “it’s not what you do, it’s the way that you do it”, and that couldn’t be more apparent.
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Early sight and hearing tests can prevent problems later
Good hearing and vision make learning easier Children may be unaware of certain small hearing or sight defects but these can make it difficult for them to fully concentrate on what they are doing.
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eing unable to focus clearly on work tools, when these are either too near or too far away for children to see what they are doing could lead to them falling behind, losing interest in their lessons and other school activities or being picked on by other children. Vision problems need to be identified as early as possible because the sooner they are treated the better the chance of them being corrected. Parents and teachers are often made aware that things are not as they should be when children hold books, screens and toys too close to their faces or fail to recognise people and objects from a reasonable distance. Parents also need to be alert for the presence of vision problems such as ‘crossed’ eyes or ‘lazy’ eye which develop in young children. ‘Crossed’ eyes or Strabismus, involving one or both eyes turning towards the nose or out towards the side of the face, and Amblyopia, known as a lazy eye which affects vision and can be connected to Strabismus are often noticeable enough to be spotted. Incidents of myopia, short sightedness, are increasing worldwide in children under 10. This is thought to be linked to excessive use of screens and tablets and something parents need to be aware of. Left untreated myopia can lead to children essentially missing a large amount of any visual learning. It can impair their skill in many sports and limit their enjoyment of a variety of entertainments. TEENAGE YEARS BRING OTHER CONCERNS: UV light damage, because 75-80% of our UV exposure allegedly occurs before the age of 18 and the intensity of the damage will depend on the wavelength, power level and time length of exposure, it is vital that teenagers participating in outdoor activities or working in the sun take care to protect their eyes. Sunglasses that offer at least 99% UV protection are essential. Fortunately, there are street-smart, sport-specific models available and experts to help in choosing the best. Sun damage has also been linked to cataracts forming sooner rather than later, so don't fob it off as something trivial For age and school related eye issues prevention will always be better than cure
Hearing damage can occur from babyhood, without parents being aware of it. Many children may have an undiagnosed problem, even at pre-school age, because babies and young children's ears are especially sensitive.
so now is the time to find out how safety conscious and responsible your child's school is. Does every child in the room have correctly designed and well-fitting protective eyewear during science, craft and any lessons where chemicals and small pieces of debris are likely to be around and when any sports are taking place? An alarming number of eye injuries are caused by sporting activities and suitable glasses or goggles could well save your child from serious injury. All this is bound to affect a child's school work in some way or another, so regular eye tests throughout the school year are a good idea, especially around the move to middle school and adolescence, when growth spurts occur. Hearing tests are equally important. It is no use telling your children it is important to listen in class if they have trouble hearing what is being said. To recognise the difference between speech sounds and all other background sounds, the ear must act as a superb sound analyser, or set of sound filters.
Early ear damage makes this extremely difficult, some pitches or sound levels, may be totally inaudible. Congenital defects can cause some hearing loss, as can ear infections which children can pick up easily while swimming. But noise is the most widespread reason for hearing loss. Almost everyone will have experienced temporary deafness or a ringing sound in their ears after exposure to a loud noise, usually something in the range of 80+ decibels depending on the individual's sensitivity and age. Although these symptoms usually vanish within a few days, build-up from future noise exposure can cause permanent ear damage later on. But how could this happen? Hearing damage can occur from babyhood, without parents being aware of it. Many children may have an undiagnosed problem, even at pre-school age, because babies and young children's ears are especially sensitive. Experts maintain that exposing them to any noise, equivalent to a hairdryer or louder, on a
regular basis, is putting them at risk. That includes those 'fireworks' going off frighteningly close to where tiny babies are actually managing to sleep in their prams. We are a nation of noise, when just shouting louder or turning up the volume seems to be the default way of regulating audible communication. Everyone's hearing ability is being compromised by entertainment venues, restaurants with music that drowns conversation, cinemas, clubs and even school concerts using mikes and/or amplification that is way over what is necessary. And if you need it or don't notice it after a while – we rest our case! It is not necessary for events to be heard clearly miles away from where they are being held, at the expense the delicate mechanism of our ears. Look it up if you are curious, it's honestly scary the disregard shown everywhere for the precious gift of hearing. As long as authorities turn a deaf ear/blind eye, whatever, noise will continue to be the cause of hearing damage, until it may be too late. All parents can do is discover it early enough. This is why school holiday hearing tests are so important for children and young people of all ages.
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SEPTEMBER 2018
Want to Get Your Kids into Sport? In this day and age, children often spend a lot of their freetime online – watching videos, playing games and chatting with friends – at the expense of their development.
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n an effort to encourage an active lifestyle for our future generations, the brand-new initiative, SportsKidz, has launched a unique programme, open to all children between the ages of three and 16. So, if you’re looking for an after-school or weekend activity that will keep your child active and interested, then look no further... Offering a mixture of individual sports, team-sports and team-building activities, SportKidz is a great place to try lots of different things. In addition to this, we’ve highlighted why being active is such an important aspect of a child’s life. Here at SportsKidz, we do believe that good habits start young! ENCOURAGE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE Finding the time to enjoy a hobby, keep fit and socialise, is central to leading a fulfilling life – and integrating a healthy balance into our daily routine is something that can be learned from a young age. Introducing children to sports improves their chances of leading a healthy lifestyle, reduces the risk of obesity
and associated diseases, while also improving sleeping patterns and their ability to relax, both physically and mentally. Learn Life-Long Skills Practicing sports is a great activity for young ones that helps to build social-skills, improves academic performance and grows confidence, while reaping the multiple benefits of physical activity. The skills that a child develops from doing sports – leadership skills, team-building skills and communication skills – will help them as they grow older, in their school years, careers and personal relationships. Sports encourage trust and cooperation between participants – a sure-fire way to meet new people and make friends. BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE Taking up a new sport can be both exciting and challenging, which is why SportsKidz introduces children to up to 14 sports throughout the scholastic year. This guarantees that each student discovers an activity that they enjoy and are good at; valuing participation over competition. By participating in multiple sporting activities at the weekend, kids learn different skills and techniques, work specific muscles and joints, and discover aptitudes that can be further developed as they grow older. A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS Sports teach children transferable skills – such as teamwork, focus and dedication – that can be applied to the classroom and future workplace. Through physical activity, children learn to trust in their abilities and push themselves, while learning to take constructive criticism and use it to their advantage. Team-sports and
individual sports also instil a healthy sense of competition in young people, and teach them how to deal with both winning and losing. Like the sound of SportsKidz? Why not sign up? Children will be divided into age groups of three-to-five (one-and-a-half hours a week), six-to-eight, nine-to-11 and 12+ (three hours a week). The sports on offer throughout the year include Athletics, Gymnastics, Judo, Archery, Jujitsu, Taekwondo, Handball, Basketball, Volleyball, Football, Netball, Tag Rugby, Badminton and Kwik Cricket! For more information about the SportsKidz programme, visit www.sportskidz.com.mt, email edward@sportskidz.com.mt or call on 7942 2054. The programme runs on weekends concurrently with the academic year, with the term kicking off on Friday 5 October.
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How safe are the tablets? From several medicinal items to asbestos and tobacco, many originally good things have proved to be harmful decades later.
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efore most children even reach kindergarten, their confidence on computer technology has developed to a point where they are never going to give them up. Many schools are moving to computerised teaching from kindergarten upwards. But so far there is no strong research evidence to support all the claims that this is beneficial for students; rather there is a mountain of conflicting opinions and reports about the possible damage they cause. In the comparatively short time that screens have made their way into classrooms, labs, libraries and homework domains some concerns have already arisen, based on sound facts. But, tablets are here to stay. They are linked to how technology has become a way of life, now and for the future. So, without coming down either for or against tools which a vast proportion of mankind clearly do not believe they can do without, here are some basic pros and cons which, may stir more mud into the waters but, hopefully, will even up the conversations about tablets and school work. THE CONS • The cost of the appliances, teachers’ updating courses, battery charging, servicing and replacing broken items and parts is hardly negligible. Parents providing their children’s tablets may help but that puts an added burden on them; it could also leave certain children at a disadvantage if their model is not as sophisticated as someone else’s. And, unpleasant as the thought is, tablets have a high risk of being stolen. • While a school’s tablets can have its technology policies pre-installed with the right programs and apps, and not allow for any outside play, it is as good as impossible to impose those features on a privately owned tablet; especially if other members of the family need access to it from time to time. • The immense importance of privacy must also be a consideration, what with the insidious imposition of cookies, misappropriation of data and random incidents of hacking that often have consequences far from their original target. How far can third parties follow what our children are learning and should teachers really have access to what students are doing on their mobile devices outside school and school hours? • Handheld devices aggravate Computer Vision Syndrome, which causes eyestrain, headaches,
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blurred vision, and dry eyes. Incidents of eye problems are increasing, even in younger children each year. Sensible health departments recommends children older than two years should limit their screen time to less than two hours per day. But is this unlikely to happen when they are finding their way into practically every lesson on the curriculum? Many teachers believe students are developing short attention spans and becoming too easily distracted. At least ¾ of students aged eight - 18 multitask on apps, games, and websites instead of being 100 % focused on their lesson. For older children, reading hyper-linked text may ‘over load’ the brain, making it less able to process, store, and retain information, or completely understand and apply new knowledge in the right context. Tablets and the environment are not exactly in harmony. Tablets take 100 times more greenhouse gases than books to produce. The estimated adverse health impacts from making one e-reader are 70 times greater than when making a book. Each tablet takes 15k of minerals, 300l of water, and 100kw hours of fossil fuels resulting in 30k of carbon dioxide. The average battery life of a tablet is 7.26 hours. Tablets constantly need
charging, increasing electricity demands on schools and parents’ electricity bills. And that’s not counting the time spent ‘playing’ online. • There are endless opportunities for technology whiz kids to boost their work or cheat by looking up answers, despite ever-developing ways to prevent this. Writing out work helps the memory to retain it. • And then there is: ‘Tablet froze’, ‘computer crashed’, ‘ ‘couldn’t open the page’, power cut’, ‘the only thing on my screen is a spider web’ and ‘accidently deleted it’…. which replace ‘The dog ate my homework’ excuses for the digital age. THE PROS • One tablet can hold hundreds of textbooks , homework, and other files. • Tablets can reduce the time students take to reach a learning objective by between 30-80 per cent; although, how much of what was learnt is remembered remains to be seen. • Apparently, the falling price of tablets will eventually make them cheaper than textbooks. • Tablets let users highlight and edit text and write notes, avoiding damaging a textbook for the next user. They have a search function and built-in dictionary. Plus, interactive diagrams and videos increase creativity, motivation, attentiveness and interaction with classroom work. • Downloading files from one tablet to any other increases convenience for teachers and students. Users can sign into an account from any equivalent device and access all of their information from e-textbooks and cloud servers. • They make learning fun. The organisation One Laptop Per Child dropped taped up boxes containing tablets, pre-loaded with educational apps, but with no instructions, into two rural villages in Ethiopia. With no prior education, the elementary school-age students were using 47 apps per child, a day, within five days. Two weeks on they were singing alphabet songs. And in less than five months they had customised the desktop settings by successfully hacking into the tablet’s operating system. Teachers, academics and parents, be warned!
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SEPTEMBER 2018
Collecting the kit By now the mad scramble to have everything ready for back to school day is well under way.
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he beginning of a new school year is the hardest first day back of any term, especially for all those – parents and children who are starting school for the first time, or lining up their requirements for
university. It is all too easy to pore over the seemingly endless lists of kit, stationery and uniform items, without which your child cannot possibly enter the school gates. The fact is most of these list more items than are necessary, at least in triplicate. One of each in a pencil case each day should be quite enough. Any spares are likely to end up being lost. Ask the teacher of the class your child is going into what the minimum basics are, and stick to them. You could save a fortune in bits and pieces that are more than likely to go missing, and the other items, that most classrooms should provide
anyway, can stay behind for homework use. School uniforms cannot be avoided since nearly all local schools are still not far-sighted enough to allow simple off-the-peg styles, in basic colours, which can be bought economically and individualised with each school's badges, colours and so on. Sometimes even socks are regulated. Even more demanding is the necessity for every single item to be marked with its owner name. And, please note, you are not a bad mother if you resort to one of the many labour saving kits to do this. Life is too short to spend sewing name tapes onto everything for one child, let alone any others. There's such a thing as quality time still. Take advantage of stationers who offer book covering services, or encourage older children to do their own, allowing their choice of plastic or paper covers. They may also be tempted to mark their own bags,
pencil cases and lunch boxes using quirky labels or mascots. As children get older the must-haves increase. Most schools provide a planner, or a school diary and these are really useful for keeping track of lessons, school activities and revision periods throughout the year. Schools have their own regulations about the use of mobiles; their use is often banned in schools. But most parents insist their child is at the end of a phone 24/7 for their own peace of mind, so these should have a protective covering, be pin card protected and programmed so they can be traced or deactivated if they are stolen. A suitable folder for any school ID cards, library passes and bus cards and information on any medical conditions are a good idea too. These should also have contact phone numbers, but never addresses inside. At secondary school, apart from the
usual stationery, tablets, sports kit and coursework tools, it could be useful to have a house key, a portable charger, personal hygiene and first aid items. If at all possible, the very latest the back-to-school kit should be ready two weeks ahead of term. Then, instead of being a frantic, flurry of anxiety, the final fortnight will be a time for fun and relaxing before the excitement begins.
School bags – how to buy the best
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he problem of school bags is still weighing heavily on pupils and parents alike. But until every school finds a way to arrange their time tables, syllabus and storages systems, students will have to keep humping a large percentage of their own body weight to and from school each day. It is therefore important to have a bag that is designed to take the strain so they don’t have to. Who can fail to heed warnings about skeletal and muscle damage to children as a result of carrying heavy school books and equipment when nothing is done to improve the situation? If a child experiences any pain or discomfort, either while using a school bag or
afterwards it should be checked. Thirty three bones make up the spine and these are unnaturally compressed when a child lifts a heavy, badly-packed bag, or wears it the wrong way. Designer bags in this case are those that are comfy to wear, and have wide, padded shoulder straps. There should be compartments so the contents can be distributed evenly. When children have to adjust their hips and shoulders to compensate for a lack of balance, they are risking longterm skeletal and muscular damage. Honestly, how is trailing through school with a bag even parents find heavy not seen as abuse?
THE COST OF CRAZES A school bag is not only a tool, it is a style statement. There are enough issues about starting school, or a new school year, or sixth-form college, without having to veto the one bag your child cannot be seen without, be it a furry unicorn, a homage to a movie hero, animal or human, or a logocrowned object of desire to confirm your teen’s woke status. You could try pointing out its short life expectancy, flimsy material and stitching and the, usually inflated, price but don’t count on any of that working. Instead, decide, before even going out, what you are looking for and why, and where you are most likely to find the bag, based on a design that is a good deal more important and lasting than something which will have dated by mid-term.
Make sure you try the bag for comfort. The material should be good quality and lightweight. A light metal frame to keep the bag in shape is a good idea, so is an adjustable hip strap to keep it in place correctly. And always buy the best value you can afford. Replacements can prove costly over the years. THE RIGHT BALANCE As millions of parents a day wave their little darlings off to school staggering off under damaging loads of 8 to 11 kilos, at least the load should be packed so it doesn’t shift. Heavier items
should go in the middle softer ones nearer the back. Medical advice is that a school bag should ideally have a load of no more than 10% of the child’s bodyweight to help prevent back pain; any more than 20% and something must be left behind. But, with the huge variety of school bags available and the advice of qualified osteopaths, chiropractors and physiotherapists in mind, you can do everything in your power to lighten the load for your children during their school years. Helping prevent spinal damage today will help avoid problems well into the future.
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Discipline through freedom is one of Montessori’s maxims
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In one of the early schools in Rome
Encouraging natural learning
As a teenager, MARIA MONTESSORI aimed to be an engineer, but instead she founded an almost revolutionary approach to education.
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aria Montessori was born 1870, in Italy to a mother who was very well educated for the time, and a father who was a finance ministry official, working in a state-run tobacco factory. Maria was very close to her mother who gave her plenty of support and encouragement. She was very close to her father too, but he did not agree when she chose to further her education. When Maria was three, her father’s work took the family to Florence, and two years later they went to Rome. At the age of six, Maria was enrolled in a public elementary school. She did not excel particularly in her early school years, although in the first grade she received a certificate for good behaviour; and for something called ‘women's work’, in the second grade. Maria Montessori joined a secondary, technical school, when she was 13 and studied Italian, arithmetic, algebra,
geometry, accounting, history, geography, and sciences, graduating at 16 with good grades. The same year, at the technical institute Regio Istituto Tecnico Leonardo da Vinci, she added geometric and ornate drawing, physics, chemistry, botany, zoology, and two foreign languages to her subjects, doing especially well in the sciences and mathematics. Her intention was to study engineering, which was not something women went into at all in those days. But once she graduated, aged 20, she chose medicine, which was even more unusual. Despite strong discouragement, she enrolled in the University of Rome in a degree course in natural sciences and, in 1892, earned a degree which qualified her for entrance into the medical program at the University in 1893. Continuous open hostility from her fellow students and professors did nothing to prevent her winning academic awards and finally graduating as a doctor of medicine in 1896. For the next five years, Maria Montessori worked with and researched children with all kinds of learning disabilities. She travelled, studied, spoke and wrote prominently on women’s rights and education for mentally disabled children. She chose not to marry, as that would have meant having to cease working professionally. But in 1898 she had a son, deciding to keep the relationship with her child's father secret on condition that neither of them would marry anyone else. However, when the father did subsequently marry, and feeling betrayed, Montessori decided to leave the university hospital; and place her son in foster care. He was a teenager before they were reunited, but he turned out to be a great assistant in her research. The wide research and experience Maria's work offered led eventually to her being appointed co-director of a medico-pedagogical institute for training teachers in educating mentally disabled children. The children in the model classrooms were drawn from ordinary schools but considered 'unteachable' due to their deficiencies. And yet, some of these children later passed public examinations given to so-called "normal" children. During her two years at the school, she developed methods and materials which she would later adapt to use with mainstream children. More years of research into psychology, anatomy, physiology of the nervous system, anthropology and special methods of instruction followed, and in 1906, she was invited to oversee the care and education of a group of children of
working parents in a new apartment building for low-income families in Rome. Maria was interested in applying her work and methods to all children, so she accepted. The first Children's House opened in January, 1907, with 50 - 60 children between the ages of two or three and six or seven. The classroom had a teacher's table, a blackboard, small chairs, armchairs, and group of tables for the children. There was a locked cabinet for the teaching materials that Maria Montessori had already previously developed and a stove. The children's activities included personal care such as dressing and undressing, caring for the environment, including dusting and sweeping, and looking after the garden. The children also had the use of the materials Montessori had used at a previous school. Maria herself did not do any teaching but oversaw the classroom work, provided, under her guidance. Maria observed that these young children had episodes of deep attention and concentration, multiple repetitions of activity, and a sensitivity to order in their surroundings. If they were allowed to chose their activities they were more interested in practical ones and in Maria Montessori's materials instead of the toys that were provided for them. And, surprisingly, they were largely unmotivated by sweets and other rewards, but gradually spontaneous examples of self discipline were seen. Based on her observations, Maria Montessori implemented a number of practices that became hallmarks of her educational philosophy and methods.
Maria Montessori and her son Mario
She equipped the rooms with childfriendly furniture. She introduced a range of practical activities such as sweeping and personal care, flower arranging, hand washing, gymnastics, clay modelling, design, singing, the care of pets, and cooking. Large areas of the classroom were left in the open air and children could come and go in the room's different areas as they liked. 'Lessons' had an attractive informality and great importance was given to helping one another, conversation and communication, general exercise and formal and informal games. There was attention given to religion too and several inspections throughout the day, which lasted from nine in the morning till four in the afternoon, to ensure both children and their surroundings and teaching aids were as neat, tidy and effective as they should be. Maria saw how the children reached new levels of autonomy and understanding and became selfmotivated through her methods. She realised that acknowledging and treating all children as individuals would give each one a better chance of learning and sense of fulfillment. She experimented with allowing children free choice of the materials, uninterrupted work and freedom of movement and activity within certain limits, and recognised independence as the aim of education, and the teacher's as an observer and director of children's innate psychological development A second school was opened in April, 1907. The children continued to exhibit concentration, attention, and spontaneous self-discipline, and attracted the attention of prominent educators, journalists, and public figures became interested. Maria Montessori developed more and more teaching materials for reading and writing. Four- and five-yearold children who used them became more proficient in both than children way beyond their age. Maria Montessori's work raised such international interest that more and more schools were opened and she eventually gave up her medical career to concentrate on developing her teaching system. Within six years Montessori schools were appearing in the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the Americas. They are thriving today, so are their students; all because one very wise, highly educated woman realised that children can always learn what they will need for their future and wellbeing. And they can do this best without all the mind-numbing rote learning, indoctrination and petty discipline that so often goes with what, still constitutes education even today.