Category Archives: Following instruction; Brain Development

Teach Nursery Rhymes Early for Better Reading Later.

Photo Credit: http://mattnerphotography.com Researchers studied a group of 64 children when they were 3 years old, and the more rhymes they knew then, the better they were able to read 3 years later. They have concluded that this is the case because rhymes train children to be more sensitive to the speech sounds within words. (Read […]

Practica Programme Apparatus Blog Post Series – Wooden Block Set

The Practica Programme provides more than 4000 age-appropriate activity ideas for children from birth up to 7 years of age. The kit is packaged in a wooden toy box that includes a set of 8 User Guides and 28 sets of carefully selected sets of educational apparatus.   It’s the most comprehensive educational home programme […]

The Magic of Instructional Play

“Instructional play is an enjoyable activity or game that results in learning.” ~ Dr Donalyn Heise in “Dare to be Positive!”   We’ve recently had a look at how important it is to intentionally create learning opportunities for our children in which they can practise their ability to remember instructions, focus their attention, complete tasks […]

Asking and answering questions made simple

Image: www.lorenstow.co.za Most parents can agree that it is incredibly frustrating when your baby or toddler wants something but can’t communicate what it is… You don’t know what to get them or do for them, and they get increasingly frantic… Another example is when you know that your child knows something, but when you ask […]

Teaching your child to follow directions

We all know what it’s like to ask our little one to do something, and they carry on as if they’ve never heard us or can’t understand what we’re saying. However, it’s important for children to be able to follow instructions – whether its a request or a warning for their safety – by the time they […]