Can Schools afford to avoid Digital Education

Each day students come to school bringing dreams hope seeking inspiration

Ideally a 21^st Century Education should provide every learner with:

A personalized, student-centered learning environment
Research-based digital learning strategies implemented by caring and qualified teachers
A learning experiences that prepare students for an increasingly technology-driven workforce and world
Learning that taps into passions and interests for deeper engagement and agency
A clear pathway to post secondary success through which every child achieves his or her potential

Digital learning is replacing traditional educational methods more and more each day. In the rapidly changing classrooms, it is best to forget past practices and start thinking about newer teaching and learning techniques. Techniques that are based on digital learning tools and technologies.

The inclusion of digital learning in the classrooms can vary from simply using tablets instead of paper or using elaborate software programs that measures a learners progress and maps a way forward for the learners development.

LMS – Learning Management System – Online Learning Platform

A learning management system is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, automation and delivery of educational courses, training programs, or learning and development programs. The learning management system concept emerged directly from e-Learning. (Wikipedia)

Even social networks and communications platforms can be used to create and manage digital assignments and agendas.

Irrespective of how much technology is integrated into the classroom, digital learning has come to play a crucial role in education. It empowers students by getting them to be more interested in learning and expanding their horizons. Here is how digital learning is a step up from traditional education methods.

A learning management system (LMS) is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, automation, and delivery of educational courses. Learning management systems were designed to identify training and learning gaps, utilizing analytical data and reporting. LMS’s are focused on online learning (Wikipedia)

Students using digital learning tools and technology become more engaged in the process and more interested in growing their knowledge base. They may not even realize that they are actively learning since they are learning through engaging methods such as:

peer education,
teamwork,
problem-solving,
reverse teaching,
concept maps,
gamification,
staging,
role playing and
storytelling.

Reorienting Students for A World Where Technology Is Omnipresent

Digital learning is far more interactive and memorable than voluminous textbooks or one-sided lectures. They provide a greater viewpoints and more engaging activities. In this way students connect more actively with the learning material. Digital tools often offer a more interesting and involving way to digest information. This is reflected in retention rates and test scores. Further, by tracking their own scores and progress it can improve motivation and accountability.

Some benefits of digital learning

Learning tools and technologies like social learning platforms make it easy for teachers to create and manage groups.
The shift to digital learning can assess the benefits of tutoring while
The shift to digital learning can free up time for teachers to address individual and small group needs.
Learning now becomes customized for individual learners. The opportunity to customize learning for each student will make education more productive. Learners will progress at their own pace.

By closing the learning gaps in this way progress can accelerate. The chance for working together and peer-to-peer interaction increases, dynamic grouping, workshops, and project-based learning can add lots of collaborative learning to the already present education model.

For the Teacher

There are many online platforms like Panworld Education that provides lesson planning tools, worksheets, assessments etc. for educators. This makes their tasks easier. Educators can also join online professional learning communities to ask questions and share tips and stay connected with a global educators’ community. They can keep themselves updated with the most relevant content for their curriculum using such learning tools and technology.

These help teachers teach better and students learn better through engagement and enjoyment.

Parents can easily monitor their child’s progress which can serve as an extension to what they are learning in their classrooms. Digital learning tools and technology provide enjoyment for kids as well as numerous benefits in terms of developing a child’s well-being. Everyone benefits with the digitization of learning.

GAME BASED LEARNING

There is nothing as encouraging as instant gratification. A child’s interest in learning is enhanced since gamification makes the process much more enjoyable and interesting. This also provide instant results.

Digital Learning Tools and Technology Is Rapidly Increasing Information Sharing

Do not forget that this is not the first change in media. Six centuries ago, the printing press transformed formal education and increasing learning opportunities by providing books for all. The recent shift from print to digital has NOT only change the medium but has impacted how we learn. Digital learning allows students to access more and more information while ensuring that the information customizable and suited to their personal needs.

The opportunity to help every student learn at ‘the best pace and path’ is the most important benefit of digital learning.

Increasing Students’ Employability with Digital Learning Tools and Technology

Technology in the workplace.

Before technology reaches the classroom, they are first employed in commerce and the workplace. So, it is essential that learners are comfortable with this medium.

Entrepreneurship

With the ongoing employment crisis, it is crucial that if young people are unable to find jobs, they should have the ability to create their own and ideally even generate jobs for others. For this purpose, newer methods of learning and education need to be incorporated into the school curriculums, starting right from elementary school. Digital learning tools and technology in elementary, secondary, and high schools prepares students for higher education and modern careers by helping them acquire skills including problem-solving, familiarity with emerging technologies, and self-motivation.

Traditional Education Methods Have to be Replaced – Some things change while others remain the same

Traditional lectures may still exist along with the new-age learning tools and technology, but the lecture materials should be provided as a supplement to classroom activities and moved online for students to reference outside of the classroom. Classroom time is better used for discussing the curriculum, engaging in activities with teams and completing class projects. Students often have the option to pace their learning and even study ahead with a digital learning tool if they wish to do so. By helping children think outside their typical learning modes, digital learning inspires creativity and lets children feel a sense of accomplishment that encourages further learning.

Digital learning tools and technology fill the gaps where traditional classroom teaching falls behind. In fact, some of the efficiencies such tools bring are simply unmatchable by traditional learning techniques. From

Then there is the environmental impact recognized by the need for less paper for handouts and books to

saving time with quick access to information and the ease of research,

digital learning provides an effective way to cut costs, maximize resources

and heighten both reach and impact for students and educators alike.

Traditional lectures may still exist along with the new-age learning tools and technology, but the lecture materials should be provided as a supplement to classroom activities

Resources for the Digital Classroom

https://teachfromanywhere.google/intl/en/

Taking advantage of a child’s readiness to learn

critical periods for a child’s development occurs around age 2. What children’s experiences in this phase have lasting effects on their development

Reading time: 7min30sec.

There is electricity in the brain

Children are born with almost a full quota of neurons – white spaces (blanks) – in the brain. Through experience these spaces are connected to increase mental development. From birth to age 5, a child’s brain develops more than at any other time in life. And early brain development has a lasting impact on a child’s ability to learn and succeed in school and life. The quality of a child’s experiences in the first few years of life – positive or negative – helps shape how their brain develops.

This EXTRACT is taken from: “Benefits of reading to your child”

https://imacademy.co.za/wp-admin/post.php?post=4094&action=edit

Children’s brains develop in spurts called critical periods. The first occurs around age 2, with a second one occurring during adolescence.

At the start of this period (two-year-olds), the number of connections (synapses) between brain cells (neurons) doubles. The connections between brain cells are where learning occurs, twice as many synapses enable the brain to learn faster than at any other time of life. What children’s experiences in this phase have lasting effects on their development.

It also provides a prime opportunity to lay the foundation for a holistic education for children.

Here are four ways to maximize learning during this period:

encouraging a love of learning,
focusing on breadth instead of depth,
paying attention to emotional intelligence, and
do not treat a young child’s education as merely a precursor to “real” learning (play school).

ENCOURAGE A LOVE OF LEARNING

Instead of focusing on performance, Young children need to enjoy the process of learning. Educators and parents can emphasize the joys of trying new activities and learning something novel.

This period is also the time to establish a growth mindset. Talents and abilities are developed through effort instead of being naturally fixed.

Educators should avoid labeling children or making universal statements about their ability like “You’re so smart” these are counterproductive. Instead, emphasize perseverance. Children will learn to love learning if we show enthusiasm over the process. Do not fixate on results.[i]

FOCUS ON BREADTH, NOT DEPTH

Expose children to a wide variety of activities. It is a time to develop skills in a range of fields. Engage children in music, reading, sports, math, art, science, and languages.

Avoid focusing on results during this phase of development as to emphasize the breadth of skill development over depth.

People who thrive in our rapidly changing world are those who first learn how and then draw from multiple fields. They think creatively and abstractly – this forms well-rounded individuals.

Well-roundedness is especially important for children from ages 2 to 7. Their developing brains are ready to soak in a wide range of skill sets. DON’T OVERLOOK EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Yes, we want children to read well and learn the fundamentals of math. But we should not disregard emotional intelligence. The advantages of learning during this first critical period of brain development should extend to interpersonal skills such as kindness, empathy, and teamwork.

Empathy begins with acknowledging one’s feelings. Therefore help children label their emotions (“I feel sad”) and then tell the story about what made them feel that way (“I feel sad because I wanted ice cream and you said no”). Once children practice labeling emotions, educators can start asking questions that encourage them to consider others’ feelings.

One way to encourage care for others is to include children in what adults do for others. Even allowing young children to help with chores can make them more helpful and considerate people.

DON’T TREAT YOUNG CHILDREN’S EDUCATION AS MERELY A PRECURSOR TO “REAL” LEARNING

Children’s brains can uniquely absorb information during this critical phase.

Research shows that children in this age range are best suited to learn the patterns of language development, enabling them to master a second language to the same level as a native language. However, once children reach age 8, their language learning proficiency decreases, and second languages are not spoken as well as native ones. The same age effect is found when learning musical ability such as perfect pitch.

It is tempting to think of early childhood education as a precursor to “real” education. But these may be the years that matter most.

[i] https://www.edutopia.org/article/why-ages-2-7-matter-so-much-brain-development

Wired to Read

From preconception through the formative early years it is essential to safeguard and maximize children’s developmental outcomes

This introduction to reading will investigate:

innate nature and personality
brain development
brain structure
Early Childhood Development (ECD)

فطرة – Fitra” or “fitrah” (Arabic), is the state of purity and innocence and a natural disposition

Many of these traits can be observed in young children.

Children are often referred to as innocent – meaning they are naive, harmless, guiltless or blameless etc. So how and when do any changes in their natural disposition occur? These changes occur after exposure.

Now we may ask:
Are all children not the same?

A child is a composite human being, inheriting characteristics from the mother, father and some features that are unique to itself. Then these characteristics are manipulated through exposure. This exposure occurs prenatal and after birth.

Ihsan[i] meaning “to do beautiful things” It is a matter of taking one’s inner faith and showing it in both deed and action, a sense of social responsibility borne from religious convictions.

Development of the brain

Month One	Month Two	Month Three
Neural tube	brain cell & cerebral cortex	brain functions

Let Us Look at the Brain Development by Month

month
1	Just 16 days after fertilization, an embryo forms the neural tube. The neural tube is the earliest nervous system tissue which develops into the brain and the spinal cord.
2	During the second month this neural tube begins to differentiate into brain cells and nerve cells. The brain cells transform into recognizable brain structures. The most notable is the outer layer called the cerebral cortex.
3	By the third month the embryo display reflexes and also reacts to its environment.
4	At the end of the first trimester, hormones are released that will determine whether development will continue to occur as male or female.
5	By the fifth month, the foetus is learning to control its reactions to these sensory sensations and to control its movement.
6	By six months the brain becomes fully developed. Even though the brain has not reached its full size, most of the neurons (nerve cell) within the central nervous system are present. These nerve cells conduct electrical impulses (i.e. send messages).Significantly it is during this period that the foetus begins to prepare itself for the outside world. The foetus can experience sensory sensations such as sound, taste, and smells. The ability to consciously react to sensory sensations becomes even stronger during the sixth month. During the sixth month, another major mark of brain development occurs; the cerebral cortex splits into two separate hemispheres. Some researchers believe that, at this stage, the foetus develops the ability to remember.

Text Box: Imagine that one day you decide to count nonstop until you get to one billion. Let's assume that you could count one number every second on average, so it would take you a billion seconds. This means that it would take approximately 32 years to count to one billion. Now when the baby is born she has 100 billion brain cells. Phenomenal!

At birth 80 percent of the brain is developed and consist of 100 billion neurons or brain cells.

This means that during every minute of the pregnancy period at least 250,000 brain cells are created!

Because of this rapid pace of development, proper prenatal care is essential to the development of an unborn child’s brain.

During this process i.e. during the prenatal and postnatal, the child is being prepared for the world around it and evidently the child will be what the parent exposes it to.

Early Childhood Development

ECD is the net result of ongoing interactions between biology of children and environments

The early years are critical, because this is the period in life when the brain develops most rapidly and has a high capacity for change, and the foundation is laid for health and wellbeing throughout life.

Nurturing-care means,

care is provided in a stable environment,
being sensitive to children’s health and nutritional needs,
providing protection from threats,
providing opportunities for early learning, and interactions that are responsive, emotionally supportive and developmentally stimulating.

We emphasize

stable, responsive, and nurturing caregiving;

safe, supportive, environments;

appropriate nutrition

and protection from violence, neglect and abuse.

This is what is at the heart of children’s potential to develop

Why is there so much emphasis on ECD?

From preconception through the formative early years it is essential to safeguard and maximize children’s developmental outcomes

http://imacademy.co.za/?p=4094

references

[1] recognize and work with the sounds of spoken language

[2] television, tablets and smartphones, etc.

[3] Cognitive – relating to, being, or involving conscious intellectual activity (such as thinking, reasoning, or remembering

[i] In Islam, ihsan is the Muslim responsibility to obtain perfection, or excellence, in worship, such that Muslims try to worship God as if they see him, and although they cannot see him, they undoubtedly believe that He is constantly watching over them. That definition comes from the Hadith of Gabriel in which Muhammad states, “[Ihsan is] to worship God as though you see Him, and if you cannot see Him, then indeed He sees you”. (Al-Bukhari and Al-Muslim)

[ii] https://dyslexiaida.org/how-can-we-ensure-that-every-child-will-learn-to-read-the-need-for-a-global-neurodevelopmental-perspective/

[iii] In 2012 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, neuroscientists at Stanford University reported that

study.com/academy/lesson/prenatal-stages-of-brain-development.html

What a Child Learns in Grade 1 Early Childhood Development

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Listening and Speaking

Each morning begins with a brief whole class oral activity.

Use this time to:

• Talk about the day, date, the weather chart, children who have birthdays and any special events for the day.

• Check attendance: take a roll call to identify children present / absent

• Hear a few children share their news, ‘show and tell’ about a picture or object, talk about the diary, sports, concerts, topical events and story-telling. Try to listen to every child’s news at least once every two weeks.

Listening and Speaking Activities that target specific skills at least twice a week, concentrate on developing 2 – 3 specific skills at a time

Listens to Stories and Express Feeling

Listens to Instructions and responds appropriately
listens without interrupting, taking turns to ask questions for clarification
listens, enjoys and responds to picture and word puzzles, riddles and jokes
talks about personal feelings
sequence: Tells a story with beginning, middle and end
Answers closed and open ended questions
role play in different situations
participates in class discussions
use of terms:
sentence, capital and full stop

Reading – Milestones

Forming a Concept of Reading [i]

Where does it all begin?

Pre-Kindergarten

Children are learning the sounds of speech
They are learning letter recognition
They are becoming familiar with books and print
They are learning the purpose of text
They are using environmental print
They are able to do simple retells and to notice words

Reading development begins with the social interaction that develops between you and your child as you share books with them. Spend 5 to 10 minutes reading to your child each day.

5-6 YEAR OLDS

They learn their name recognition and let them copy it.
They learn letters and sounds.
They learn the concept of print

CONCEPT OF PRINT

They should become confident handling books. A concept of print is referring to;

holding the book correctly,
identifying the title text,
understanding that the front cover or the title page tell us what the story will be about and
they also learn directionality of reading.

Learning LETTERS versus WORDS versus SENTENCES………….

Learning LETTERS versus WORDS versus SENTENCES

They will learn that letters form words and words string together to form sentences.

LEARN TO SOUND OUT

Teachers may describe the first words your child learns to read as CVC words. Your child will learn to hear and identify each single sound. Then pull the sounds apart then slide them back together again. This skill helps with learning to write and spell words. Your child is not yet able to tell how many syllables (make a word list with two and more syllable words) a word has, but they can clap the number of sounds they hear in a word. Clapping games at home help them to practice this skill.

COMPREHENSION

They are developing their comprehension skills at this time. There are six main comprehension strategies that can be taught from an early age.

Making connections that are linking what they read (or have read to them) to what they already know about the topic.
predicting – Using the information in the text to guess what will happen next.
visualizing- Being able to make a picture in their mind about what is happening in the story. (distinguishing between fact and fiction)
monitoring- Knowing when a word sounds wrong or when a word doesn’t make sense,
summarizing- Children can explain what they have read or heard in 1 or 2 sentences

[i]www.kidspot.com.au/schoolzone/Reading-Literacy-milestones-5-6+4168+305+article.htm

Reading and Literacy: A Parent’s Guide

Dear Parent

Reading is an ongoing process.

THE NAMES AND THE SOUND THAT EACH LETTER MAKES

The First step is to teach a child the letters of the alphabet

Listen to the 42 letter sounds of Jolly Phonics, spoken in British English. Each letter sound is clearly spoken twice, before an example word is given.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ksblMiliA8

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols. This is a useful skill for learners and teachers of English who may want to check the pronunciation of a word in a dictionary. Use the phonetic chart to learn the sounds of English. Then do a quiz to see how well you have learnt them

http://www.stuff.co.uk/calcul_nd.htm

Other useful resources

THE NAMES

Proficiency at reading is only reached through regular reading.

Reading starts at home. The first step is to hear the spoken word. This is followed by ‘Telling Stories’

Why should children be telling stories?

Early Years professionals are reporting that a growing number of children are entering Reception with poor language skills. This is holding back their progress in literacy.

These children

may come from disadvantaged backgrounds or
may have English as an additional language.
Some may have a language disability.

Studies show that children with poor language are at a disadvantage when they learn to read.

We should also be telling stories so that children develop knowledge of different genres (kinds) of narrative and a love of reading and books.

Learning to tell a story develops the child’s communication skills and confidence. Read to your child

We all know reading to our kids is a good thing

Advantages your toddler or preschool-age child can receive by being exposed to the merits of reading? [i]

A stronger relationship with you. As your child grows older, he’ll be on the move—playing, running, and constantly exploring his environment. Snuggling up with a book lets the two of you slow down and recaptures that sweet, cuddly time you enjoyed when he was a baby. Instead of being seen as a chore or a task, reading will become a nurturing activity that will bring the two of you closer together.
Academic excellence. One of the primary benefits of reading to toddlers and preschoolers is a higher aptitude for learning in general. Numerous studies have shown that students who are exposed to reading before preschool are more likely to do well in all facets of formal education. After all, if a student struggles to put together words and sentences, how can he be expected to grasp the math, science, and social concepts he’ll be presented with when he begins elementary school?
Basic speech skills. Throughout toddlerhood and preschool, your child is learning critical language and enunciation skills. By listening to you read One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, your child is reinforcing the basic sounds that form language. (you can find a transcript of the book here)
“Pretend reading”—when a toddler pages through a book with squeals and jabbers of delight—is a very important pre-literacy activity. As a preschooler, your child will likely begin sounding out words on his own.
The basics of how to read a book. Children aren’t born with an innate knowledge that text is read from left to right, or that the words on a page are separate from the images. Essential pre-reading skills like these are among the major benefits of early reading.
Better communication skills. When you spend time reading to toddlers, they’ll be much more likely to express themselves and relate to others in a healthy way. By witnessing the interactions between the characters in the books you read, as well as the contact with you during story time, your child is gaining valuable communication skills.
Mastery of language. Early reading for toddlers has been linked to a better grasp of the fundamentals of language as they approach school age.
More logical thinking skills. Another illustration of the importance of reading to children is their ability to grasp abstract concepts, apply logic in various scenarios, recognize cause and effect, and utilize good judgment. As your toddler or preschooler begins to relate the scenarios in books to what’s happening in his own world, he’ll become more excited about the stories you share.
Acclimation to new experiences. As your child approaches a major developmental milestone or a potentially stressful experience, sharing a relevant story is a great way to help ease the transition. For instance, if your little one is nervous about starting preschool, reading a story dealing with this topic shows her that her anxiety is normal.
Enhanced concentration and discipline. Toddlers may initially squirm and become distracted during story time, but eventually they’ll learn to stay put for the duration of the book. Along with reading comprehension comes a stronger self-discipline, longer attention span, and better memory retention, all of which will serve your child well when she enters school.
The knowledge that reading is fun! Early reading for toddlers helps them view books as an indulgence, not a chore. Kids who are exposed to reading are much more likely to choose books over video games, television, and other forms of entertainment as they grow older.

Books have the power to benefit toddlers and preschoolers in a myriad of ways. As a parent, reading to your child is one of the most important things you can do to prepare him with a foundation for academic excellence.

NONSENSE WORDS

http://www.speech-language-development.com/nonsense-words.html

_______________________

So, what exactly is phonics?

Words are made up from small units of sound called phonemes.

Phonics teaches children to be able to listen carefully and identify the phonemes that make up each word. This helps children to learn to read words and to spell words

In phonics lessons children are taught three main things:

GPCs

They are taught GPCs. This stands for grapheme phoneme correspondences. This simply means that they are taught all the phonemes in the English language and ways of writing them down. These sounds are taught in a particular order. The first sounds to be taught are s, a, t, p.

s	a	t
t	a	p
p	a	t

GPC – stands for grapheme phoneme correspondence

Blending

Children are taught to be able to blend. This is when children say the sounds that make up a word and are able to merge the sounds together until they can hear what the word is. This skill is vital in learning to read.

Segmenting

Children are also taught to segment. This is the opposite of blending. Children are able to say a word and then break it up into the phonemes that make it up. This skill is vital in being able to spell words.

At School

When your child is enrolled at school, we assume that the child has no or very little exposure to reading.

We commence by teaching the child the alphabet. Those who have had exposure learn the letters very fast.

The name of the letters of the alphabet
Here you can find the alphabet song:

The sounds that letters make

Next we learn the sounds that the letters make or phonics.

It is only after the child is familiar with the sounds that the letter make that he/ she learns to string them together to build words. The first words that we learn are called CVC words. These are short, three letter words: e.g. consonant/verb/consonant, words

Bat cat mat sat

Pot cot rot

And finally the child learns to string these words together to form short simple sentences.

The cat sat on the mat.

The pot is a hat

Some of the words used in sentence building are called sight words. These are not words taught by sounding but they are words taken from the child’s vocabulary at are taught to the child by sight .

words like: The, and, blue, etc. are typical sight words

Remedial

What should I do if my child is struggling to decode a word?

Say each sound in the word from left to right.
Blend the sounds by pointing to each letter, i.e. /b/ in bat, or letter group, i.e. /igh/ in sigh, as you say the sound, then run your finger under the whole word as you say it.
Talk about the meaning if your child does not understand the word they have read.
Work at your child’s pace.
Always be positive and give lots of praise and encouragement.

[i]http://www.scilearn.com/blog/why-you-should-read-with-your-child

Here is what a four year old should know

I know it’s human nature to want to know how our children compare to others and we want to make sure we are doing all we can for them.

So here is a list of what children are typically taught or should know by the end of each year of school, starting with preschool.

Print out the lists and check to see if there’s anything glaringly absent
in what my kids know

Reading is single biggest contributor to academic success. Some experts say that child should read about 100 books before they enter preschool. So how is this possible? Mum or Dad taking the time every day or night (or both!) to sit and read them wonderful books.

Reading aloud stimulates the imagination, enriches the vocabulary and exposes the child to different experiences.

Our children deserve to be surrounded by books, nature, art supplies and the freedom to explore them.

They need to have the freedom to explore with these things,

to play with scoops of dried beans in the high chair (supervised, of course),

to knead bread and make a mess,

to use paint and play dough and glitter at the kitchen table while we make dinner even though it gets everywhere,

to have a spot in the garden where it’s absolutely fine to dig up all the grass and make a mud pit.

CHILDREN NEED MORE OF US

It’s human nature to want to know how our children compare to others and to want to make sure we’re doing all we can for them. Here is a list of what children are typically taught or should know by the end of each year of school, starting with preschool.

Kids will learn whatever they’re exposed to

What a four-year-old should know

So here, I offer a list of what a four-year-old should know.

They should know that they are loved wholly and unconditionally, all of the time.
They should know that they are safe and they should know how to keep themselves safe in public, with others, and in varied situations.
They should know that they can trust their instincts about people and that they never have to do something that doesn’t feel right, no matter who is asking.
They should know their personal rights and that their family will back them up.
They should know how to laugh, act silly, be goofy and use their imagination.
They should know that it is always OK to paint the sky orange and give cats six legs.
They should know their own interests and be encouraged to follow them.

If they couldn’t care less about learning numbers, their parents should realise they’ll learn them accidentally soon enough and let them immerse themself instead in rocket ships, drawing, dinosaurs or playing in the mud.

They should know that the world is magical and that so are they.

They should know that they’re wonderful, brilliant, creative, compassionate and marvellous.

They should know that it’s just as worthy to spend the day outside making daisy chains, mud pies and fairy houses as it is to practise phonics. Scratch that– way more worthy.

They need fathers who sit and listen to their days, mothers who join in and make crafts with them, parents who take the time to read them stories and act like idiots with them.