SHEILA DREW reviews Begin at Home by Sonia Gouws and Mari Latti (Maskew Miller Longman, R 99,95)
IT is refreshing, to see something written for those children who seem to get the least attention in Curriculum 2005, the under-sevens.
The Begin at Home pack aims to help parents prepare pre-school children for formal school. The pack is aimed at parents, but pre-school teachers and caregivers, and even grade 1 teachers may also find it useful. The pack bridges the gap between home and school, and also between preschool and formal school by putting preschool in an outcomes-based education (OBE) context. It also helps to blur the distinction between so-called grade R and younger children. It does this by encouraging reading and writing in small children, which is often seen as the preserve of formal schooling.
The parent’s guide provides a simple overview of some of the basic principles of OBE with a clear diagram. There is also an easy-to-follow guide to child development. This section outlines the development of the whole child — physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually. It is interspersed with helpful hints that give practical everyday examples of how to encourage the child’s development.
The third section of the parent’s guide gives a clear explanation of how to use the pack and ends with a glossary of terms that will be useful to parents and teachers alike.
The rest of the pack consists of a finding-out book and three activity books, which are graded. Parents are encouraged not to restrict their children to one level and can dip into any of the three activity books as the child wants.
Each activity book is based on a story and the activities are related to the story. This makes the activities more meaningful and the learning fun. The main purpose of each activity is suggested at the bottom of each page and at the back of each activity book there is a more detailed explanation of the purpose of the activities.
The emphasis on worksheets is somewhat limiting. Perhaps there could have been more examples of how children can learn these skills without having to rely on worksheets. However, the authors do point out that parents should not force children to do work that they are not interested in, and warn parents not to turn the activities into homework. They also encourage parents to make their own activities for children.
Although the parents’ guide talks about emotional and social development, there could be more examples of activities to encourage this development in children. Although this interesting pack is aimed at the over-five age group, parents should encourage even younger children to engage with it.
— The Teacher/Mail & Guardian, September 18, 2000.
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