EDUCATION

Sowing the seeds for good self-esteem 

ìA baby is not born with bad feelings about himself. All babies think they are wonderful,î said Violet Oaklander, a childrenís therapist (Windows to Our Children, 1988). As children grow, they receive many messages about themselves and how they are in the world. Some of these messages lead them to develop low opinions of themselves, believing that they are stupid, ugly or inadequate.

These messages can come in many ways. At worst, they are the result of direct emotional abuse and unconstructive criticism; but they can also be subtle and unintended, sometimes the result of incidents over which parents have no knowledge or control. Once a child develops a low opinion of herself, it is then easy for her to interpret her experience selectively to reinforce those seeds, and even to imagine what isnít even happening.

As parents, we can help our children to water the seeds of good self-esteem rather than the seeds of low self-opinion by praising our children when praise is due and by being specific in the way we do so. Saying to a child, ìThank you for helping me in the garden. Youíre the best gardener in the world!î sounds very positive, but to a child with self-doubt it may be dismissed as too over-the-top to be believed.

Praising a child more specifically by saying, ìThank you for weeding the garden. You did a really good job of taking care to only pull out the weeds and not the seedlings, and I liked the way you tidied up afterwardsî, allows the child to realistically feel good about their gardening abilities, to feel appreciated and to rightfully feel good about themselves.

Reaching their greatest potential 

Kingsway Christian College helps all students reach their greatest potential. Naturally, this means striving for studentsí academic, emotional, social and physical potential through a rich variety of learning experiences, but at Kingsway, it also means striving for spiritual maturity. Kingsway Christian College reinforces the Christian values taught at home.

Excellence is the hallmark of Kingswayís educational programs. These fully accredited programs provide students with clear pathways into further study and employment.

In 2004 Kingsway TEE students performed within the top five per cent of the state with 100 per cent of eligible students graduating.

Kingsway Christian College has a current enrolment of over 1,100 students at two campuses. The Darch campus caters for students from kindergarten through to Year 12, whilst Merriwa campus caters for kindergarten to Year Seven.

Kingswayís goal is to provide excellence in Christ-centred education in partnership with their families, whilst keeping Christian education affordable.

Sign language ñ a new world of communication for baby 

The frustrations that both parents and babies may feel from not being able to successfully communicate can be significantly reduced through baby sign language.

The enjoyable, well researched and effective program ëSimple Signsí has been operating in Perth for the past year with the mission of introducing parents and babies to a whole new world of communication ñ sign language.

Speech Pathologist, Samantha Bachofen has based the ëSimple Signsî program on 20 years of sound research from the US and the UK and from first hand experience of signing with her own baby.

The program:  
ï Specifically targets hearing newborns to two-and-a-half year olds. 
ï Teaches simple key-word baby signs and scientifically proven techniques to help babies make quick associations between the signs and the spoken words.
ï Offers the choice of affordable one-to-one or group sessions.

Unlike Makaton, which is usually used to support the communication development of children or adults with speech difficulties, ëSimple Signsí teaches signs from Australian Sign Language (Auslan), opening up your babyís world to an officially recognised second language.

ICE-CREAM Learning  

The International Centre for Excellence (ICE) believes learning should be as enjoyable as ICE-CREAM. It should be fun and relevant to childrenís specific needs.

We have pioneered an innovative four-pronged approach to teaching children ñ the CREAM method. This is now offered to children in Australia and Singapore. Teachers and parents can also sign up for training with us.

C: for Creative
R: for Reflective
E: for Engaged
A: for Active
M: for Multi-Sensory

Children are tested to determine their strengths and weaknesses and then placed on individual learning plans. Please call us for details on how to make sure that your child enjoys their learning as much as ICE-CREAM.

Helping students become successful learners
Julia Gilmore (M.Ed.,B.Ed.,Dip.Tch) 

Portfolios and reports will arrive home very shortly.  Secondary and primary reports can be difficult to interpret, especially if a child is not achieving his/her potential.

In a recent survey, 99 per cent of a cross section of WA teachers and parents reported dissatisfaction with the current reporting system in primary school, most saying that they had no idea whether their child was struggling, cruising or above average academically.

This is what parents from A1 Learning have said:

ìI had no idea that Jon was so far behind.  His teachers have always told us not to worry that heíll catch up.î

ìTeaganís teacher said that her handwriting and story writing have really improved since she started at A1 Learning.  She is now scoring 100% in spelling and 95% in her last math's test.î

ìMy twins, Adam and Sam were failing in Year 9.  Now they are organised and scoring mainly Bís in Math's and English.î

Too many intelligent children are failing to meet their ability levels in reading, writing, spelling and math's.  Causes may include low concentration, immaturity, and learning difficulties such as dyslexia.

Other reasons may include large class numbers, poor teaching and learning methods, moving from school to school and a lack of remedial facilities in the school. It is vital to have an educational specialist individually assess each child to find out what is happening and why and, most importantly, what you can do about it!

For further information, advice or to book for assessment and teaching programmes please call Julia on 9402 5080 or visit the website at: www.a1learning.q-net.net.au  

Making friends is important 

Most parents say that what they want most for their child is to have friends, enjoy life and be happy.  Having friends and getting along with others is an important part of being happy for a child. 

If their child is successful at school and sport, but left out on the playground, treated badly by others, or often in conflict with peers, most parents says the other successes, somehow seem unimportant.

ìPeopleî skills ñ being able to be warm and friendly, approach groups, be a good listener, handle conflict and be assertive ñ are extremely important, not only in making and keeping friendships, but later on in getting and keeping a job.

Help for childhood speech and language difficulties 

As parents we want to give our children every opportunity to pursue their dreams.
You may have become concerned about your child because they: 

ï Have difficulty making themselves understood
ï Do not understand instructions or stories
ï Find it hard to interact with their peers
ï Have trouble learning to read and write
ï Have challenging behaviour because they are frustrated by their communication difficulties

Your child may have speech and language difficulties that are preventing them from demonstrating their true potential.

Ballajura Speech Pathology Clinic can assess your childís speech and language skills and identify specific areas of strength and weakness.  An individual therapy programme will be designed and you will receive guidance on how to support your child on a developmental journey through fun and focused therapy.

Ballajura Speech Pathology Clinic treats:  
ï Dyspraxia
ï Language delay
ï Comprehension difficulties
ï Central Auditory Processing Difficulties
ï Reading and writing difficulties
ï Stuttering
ï Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Kumon creates Perthís finest students 

Parents in Perth are serious about giving their children an early start to a lifelong love of learning.  An increasing number of parents are enrolling their children at Kumon centres before they start primary school. Their wish is to have them excel at mathematics and English in a confidence-building environment.

Students start from any age in order to develop the skills that will get them through school and university comfortably. The Kumon Method develops more than studentís mathematics and English skills. Through the study of the Kumon worksheets, students acquire the experience of self-learning, and become self-motivated to learn independently and confidently without always having to be taught.

Rupert Courtney was a bright student when he started the Kumon math's programme in grade two.

ìKumon has helped me to become more organised at school and at homeî Rupert explained.  ìMum has been trying to teach me that a little every day is better than a big rush at the end.  I have to do Kumon every day, which I try to do before school.î

The Kumon programme brings both parents and the Kumon supervisor together to motivate and support the students. Michelle says ìKumon has provided an opportunity for Rupert to further extend his natural ability, it was immediately apparent that he was very motivated and really wanting to do well with Math'sî.

She has been particularly happy with how ìthe programme has developed Rupertís ability to work independently and confidently.î  Michelle believes that ìhe has become better able to manage his time and sees the benefit of doing his school homework consistently and not at the last minute.  He is also just a kid, and needs to be able to achieve balance within life. I really believe that Kumon has taught him to never give up and that a little effort each day can bring big rewards.î 

Just who is Kip McGrath? 

Kip McGrath: sounds like an American in a kilt doesnít it? But noÖ

Kip McGrath is an Australian man who had a vision, more than thirty years ago, for the future. As a classroom teacher and principal he recognised that some children need extra help with their basic academic skills: reading, writing, spelling, English and math's.

With his wife, Kip McGrath wrote the programme that still forms the basis of the KMEC system. Their catch cry became: ìGive your child a brighter futureî. There are now over 400 centres around the world, including 20 in WA.

Kip McGrath Education Centres provide professional tuition for children in Years One to 12. The philosophy is: ìAll children can learn, they only need to be taught wellî. All tutors are qualified and experienced teachers and programmes are designed to suit the needs of the individual child. Assessment is free.

A comment from a KMEC student says it all: ìAt school I used to struggle with some tasks but after attending Kip McGrath I now find I can do things above my year level with ease. I have established a reputation as one of the smarter children in my classÖî