5 REASONS WHY PLAYGROUP IS IMPORTANT
First-time separation between a parent and child can be overwhelming for both but the benefits of enrolling your child in a playgroup are worth it. For most kids, it takes 2 weeks or even more to adjust and adapt to the new environment, but at Coast Academy, most children usually settle in within the first week. All children are respected and their individuality and differences are embraced. Here are 5 reasons why Playgroup is Important for your child’s overall growth.
1. DEVELOPS SOCIAL SKILLS
Statistics state that social skills development in children starts between the ages of 1-3. Most kids today spend the whole day with their nannies at home. This could slow down their growth and social skills. In playgroups, children get to socialize, which helps build life skills such as self-expression, sharing, cooperation, consideration, and mutual respect, which also add up as conflict resolution skills. Our very able and qualified team inspires the children to thrive and maximize their potential by exploring and discovering the world around them.
2. ENCOURAGES PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
While most children spend their entire day at home on screen time, playgroups offer an enabling environment for a variety of age-appropriate activities ranging from physical activities such as running, jumping, balance, and swimming to block play, painting, and molding which build the children’s gross and fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and balance.
3. DEVELOPS CREATIVITY, IMAGINATION, AND MOTOR SKILLS
90% of Brain growth happens before kindergarten. Exposing your child to a playgroup environment will trigger their creativity and imagination through dress-up, role plays with the other children, music, puppet play, and other games. Storytime aids in speech, language, vocabulary development, auditory perception, and imagination whereas visual perceptions are developed through activities such as Identifying different shapes and colors and building puzzles.
4. BUILDS CONFIDENCE AND INDEPENDENCE
The warm and loving nature of our staff helps develop the child’s confidence and resilience. Children that go to playgroup turn out to be strong and independent individuals as they learn to take care of themselves and show a sense of responsibility and a desire to be competent. They learn how to manage separation anxiety, clean up after themselves after free play, make choices throughout the day, and adapt to a new environment.
5. PLATFORM FOR BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
Playgroup is hugely beneficial in building trusted relationships with each other and with their teachers and helpers. Our small class sizes help in developing close, healthy, and positive relationships. It also serves as a base for parents to meet, make friends, learn parenting tips, and network. We pride ourselves in maintaining close, healthy, and positive relationships with our parents and most importantly, vibrant and happy children.
Read MoreThe Coast Academy Cultural Day Concert 2022
Recently, The COAST Academy held its annual cultural day which, was marked with dances from different cultures ranging from the local Kenyan tribes to countries as far as Italy. “The Coronation of the King” was the title of the play, which left parents and invited guests awed at the impeccable talent displayed by the children. The event was graced by 2 of our directors: Mr. Mumo and Mr. Vonza Mwenda, and our chief guest Mr. Abdikadir Kike.
We thank all our invited guests, parents, students, and the entire Coast Academy fraternity for the success of this event.
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5 Benefits of Field Trips In A Child’s Education
Field trips offer children first-hand learning experiences. Giving equal weightage to both indoor as well as outdoor activities makes the children well-prepared for the outside world. Field trips not only expose the student to practical learning through sight, taste and smell but are undoubtedly one of the best ways to promote team spirit over several fun-filled knowledgeable activities. This term, the Coast Academy took different groups of students on different field trips applicable to their curriculum. Some of the most memorable moments in a person’s life are the field trips taken during school years. Below are 6 benefits of a field trip in a child’s education.
1. Academic growth
Students who go on field trips tend to perform better than students that are only limited to classroom learning. A child is most likely to remember something they saw rather than just sitting in class. These trips reinforce what the students learn in class which in turn makes it easier to understand better and remember.
2. Interactive Learning
In a classroom setting, engagement is usually lost through the memorization of materials. Field trips give more room for interacting with the subject of study thus making them more relevant and relatable. i.e. learning about rocks in a Geography class is not as relatable as seeing and feeling each type of rock which makes it easier for them to remember.
3. Feel of Real-world experience
This is especially when students visit historical sites that show the history of a people. Museums and Forts make the students gain historical empathy as they are taken around and get to see the way of life of the people of the past, rooms where freedom fighters were locked and the equipment used in historical wars. This in turn brings the history lessons to life. Students also get to see how class lessons are applied in real life.
4. Breaks Classroom monotony
Taking the students out on a field trip is an excellent way of breaking the daily classroom monotony. Lessons become more lively towards a trip as the students look forward to the “break”. They often serve as a powerful motivator for students.
5. Access to Different Environments
Going out on a field trip is an excellent exposure to a new environment different from the one at home. Taking children who have been born and raised in the city to the farm exposes them to an entirely different setup from what they have been accustomed to. Sometimes state exams include questions that do not bridge the gap between rural and urban students and fieldwork is a great way to build the bridge.
6. Social Interactions
Field trips create an opportunity for students to interact with fellow learners from different classes. They get to exchange ideas, learn from each other and make new friends. A timid child is also more likely to be more cheerful in such a setting than in the contained classroom setting.
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QUALITIES OF A GOOD TEACHER
We all have at least 2 teachers that we remember from our school years. A teacher that made you look forward to their lesson because of how approachable kind and friendly they were, and a teacher who was always harsh and insulting. Students dreaded classes of the latter teacher because of her hostile approach. This plays a big factor in students’ performance. Below are 7 qualities of a good teacher.
1. Patient And Approachable
Patience is an essential virtue in a teacher. It is easier for a student to approach an empathetic teacher for assistance than a hostile one. A student would rather suffer in silence than be humiliated by a teacher in class. A good teacher reassures their students which in turn boosts their self-esteem.
2. Passionate About Their Job
A good teacher is one that is excited and enthusiastic about their job. This will make them give their best and the students will in turn have more willpower to study and perform well. Class performance is also likely to be affected by this because the teacher will strive to ensure that no child is left behind.
3. Excellent Communication And Interpersonal Skills.
A class consists of children with different capabilities. It takes a teacher with excellent verbal and non-verbal communication to make sure that the message has been received and understood by each and every one in the class. This also helps in choosing the right language to correct the students without being harsh. Nonverbal cues can also help spot a child needing extra attention/help.
4. Qualified And From A Renowned Institution
There is nothing as good as knowing your content. A good teacher is one that prepares for class and has her content at her fingertips. This prevents being caught off-guard by a question from the student which will make you lose your credibility. It also makes you gain respect from the students and parents.
5. Creative And Innovative
Routine creates boredom. A good teacher is one that comes up with different, innovative, and fun ways to engage the students. This can be done in a variety of ways, i.e group discussions, inquiries, field excursions, and conducting experiments. This in turn breaks the monotony.
6. Sets High Expectations
A good teacher challenges her students to do their best, surpass their expectations and explore their full potential. Set daily goals, and weekly goals termly goals and review them accordingly.
7. Rewarding
Acknowledgment has always been like a sweet pat on the back. A good teacher praises her students for a job well done, improvement and good progress. This in turn pushes the students to do even better next time. A great sense of humor also creates a relaxed learning environment.
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IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATING THE GIRL CHILD
Half of the girls in Kenya are getting little to no education. One in 2 girls in Kenya is married at the tender age of 19. It is a fundamental right of the girl child to receive a quality education. All learning centers should ensure that they provide a friendly, safe, and conducive environment for the safety of the girl child. Educating the girl child is like educating the entire community. Below are 5 reasons for educating the girl child.
1. Increase in literacy level
When girls are educated, they Acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in the labor market. This gives them the will and confidence needed to join the employment task force.
2. Ability to Make Smart Decisions
Educated women make better decisions when it comes down to healthcare, and marriage and are less likely to endure domestic abuse. Social skills, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills are also impacted and in turn, can help in settling disputes in the community.
3. Reduction of Child Marriages.
If all girls went to school and proceeded to finish secondary, it would have a great impact on the number of early marriages in school-going girls.
4. Reduction in Child Mortality Rates
According to the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative, children of educated mothers are twice as likely to survive past the age of five. This is because they are more aware of the importance of good health care and would ensure that their children get all necessary vaccines required.
5. Continuation of Cycle
Education equips one with the socio-emotional and life skills necessary to adapt to the changing world. A girl that is educated will definitely want the same for her daughter’s education. They will beat all odds to ensure that their daughter gets quality education.
6. Economic Growth
Women invest their salaries into their families and their community at large. This in turn helps in poverty eradication. Educating the girl child will mean having more women in the workforce thus increasing the labor force needed for the country’s economic growth.
7. Self-Reliance
An educated woman is able to be self-sufficient. She is capable of taking care of her own needs without being dependent on either her husband or any other relative for survival.
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HOW TO TELL IF YOUR CHILD IS HAPPY AT SCHOOL
1. Talk to them about school
Make it a habit to discuss the day-to-day activities later in the evening. Do not be quick to condemn and don’t take matters lightly. Let them know that they can trust in you which makes you their go-to person for anything.
2. Attend school functions
Be sure to attend all school events such as Parent-teacher-student conferences, sports day and cultural day. Take any opportunity to go to the school and see how your child interacts with other children. That will give you a feel of how he is in school.
3. Engage the Teacher
Make regular follow-ups with the class teacher. This will give you an insight into how your child is fairing in school and will also alert you if it so happens that your child starts exhibiting peculiar behavior at school.
4. Ask open-ended questions
Do not ask your child questions that require a one-word answer only i.e. how was school today? Instead, ask questions that require them to go in-depth in the answering so that you get a clear picture of things that could be; what happened in class today? What do you do during break?
5. Talks a lot about school
A child that enjoys school will gladly talk about school without being prompted. They will tell you about the activities they did in school, who did what and even show you what they did in school. They will also be very eager to go back to school. (more…)
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5 BACK TO SCHOOL TIPS
Starting a new school year is exciting and can also be filled with anxiety for others, especially those joining a new school. Below are tips to curb the anxiety and prepare your child mentally, emotionally and physically for the new school year.
1. Get Back to Normal School Routine
Resume the normal school schedule a few days before school starts. This will help switch off the holiday mode and activate school mode. It involves going to bed early and getting up early to shower and have breakfast in time for school.
2. Purchase Required School Supply
Take a trip to the stationery supply stores and purchase the required tools such as crayons, story books, geometry sets, etc. Allowing your child to tag along, can make the back to school feel exciting as they get to pick their favorite pens, backpack, or supplementary book. This prepares them mentally.
3. Set Everything Ready
Organize books and stationeries, make sure the uniforms are pressed and school shoes polished. Make the necessary physical preparations i.e. visit the salon or barber to avoid last minute rush. Make the necessary arrangements for transport to and from school.
4. Acquire a Positive Attitude and Mindset.
The right attitude will greatly impact your child’s performance at school. Encourage them to Set a SMART target that will keep them focused even on those subjects that seem to be a challenge. Start the term on a high note and keep going.
5. Do a Pre-Visit to the School
If you are starting a new school, take the child for a pre-visit of the school to familiarize with the premises and if possible, get to meet the new teacher. This will ease the anxiety and help with the transition.
Read More5 UNIQUE QUALITIES OF THE COAST ACADEMY
1. Encourages healthy eating habits
All junk food such as sodas, sweets, and pizza, are strictly forbidden on the school campus in order to ensure the good health of our students. This in turn curbs lifestyle diseases such as obesity thus promoting participation in physical activities and concentration in class.
2. Promotes creativity and character development
Students at Coast Academy are encouraged to embrace their individuality. Partaking in co-curricular and extracurricular activities such as music, art, sports and athletics requires creative thinking, boosts self-confidence and nurtures talent.
3. Guaranteed Safety and Security
At Coast Academy, students’ safety is our top priority. No child is allowed to leave the school premises under any circumstance without being accompanied by a parent or guardian. All activities are supervised and safety precautions are taught to the students. We also carry out regular fire drills.
4. Excellent Academic Performance
Our Students have continued to deliver exemplary results over the years. This is made possible by the low teacher-to-student ratio which enables the teachers to offer individual attention to each and every child and assist them in their weak areas so that no child is left behind. All students get an equal opportunity because we understand that every child’s milestone is unique.
5. Impeccable Staff and students relationship
The entire Coast Academy fraternity coexists in perfect harmony. The teachers are always ready to listen, assist and offer guidance to the students. This creates a warm and friendly environment in our cosmopolitan setting while encouraging equity regardless of race, religion, or culture.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/taliamilgromelcott/2019/01/17/run-through-this-checklist-before-choosing-your-childs-school/?sh=121a92166fee
Read MoreBenefits Of A Levels
Advanced levels also known as A Levels is a 2 year program taken after completion of the GCSEs.
It offers a variety of subjects from which the students can choose 3-4, and the grades they achieve in the different subject add up to the total UCAS points needed for university placement. Below are reasons to pursue A levels.
1. A gateway to International Universities
Pursuing A levels is the increases your chances of being admitted in universities in the UK, America, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. A levels are recognized worldwide and hold the key to studying in Universities in the UK.
2. Allows Subject Preference Selection
Students taking A levels are allowed to choose 3-4 subjects that they are passionate in. This allows students to channel their passion in what they are interested in and to study subjects related to the course they aim to pursue at the University and in their future careers.
3. Excellent Option for those yet to settle on a Career
A levels gives one the opportunity to maintain a scope of subjects from different fields such as a science and a humanity or math and a language. This gives one more time for specialization while gaining skills in different fields and keeping your options open.
4. Availability of Free Study Time
Students pursuing A levels are privileged to get free study time which they can use to catch up on their studies or do some revision work and carry out research tasks assigned to them. This give them ample time to self-reflect, come up with ideas and prepare for self-directed learning that takes place in Universities.
5. Increases Employment Opportunities.
Employees have a great ranking for A-level candidates. Studying A-levels equips one with critical thinking skills and information analysis that are necessary in the work environment.
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Things to Consider When Choosing a Kindergarten in Kenya
There is nothing as exciting and scary at the same time as starting school.
Enrolling your child in Kindergarten for the first time is one of the biggest milestones in parenting. Parents want to ensure that they pick the best school for their little ones. Somewhere safe and with the best foundation for their children. Below are tips to consider when choosing your child’s first school.
1. The preferred Education system for your child
This should always come first. You need to first look at the Education system that you want your child to go through. With Education systems ranging from the British International system to the CBC system. This will guide you to the right pool of schools to pick from for your preferred curriculum for your child.
2. Prepare a list of schools and plan a Pre-visit to each of them
Write down all kindergartens from your preferred system of Education that offer all your needs. The internet is a great place to search for kindergartens near you. You can also get recommendations from other parents. Plan a pre-visit to each one of them and take your child with you during the visit to see how he interacts with the environment. Observe the atmosphere. Are the teachers and the other staff friendly? Is the school environment clean, safe, and conducive? Are the toilets clean and child friendly?
3. Teacher-to-student ratio
This is a significant factor in your child’s education. The lower the teacher-to-student ratio the easier it is for the teacher to attend to the needs of each child. At these tender ages, children need a lot of individualized attention for their different milestones. This is because children tend to have different strengths and abilities and you don’t want your child to be left behind.
4. Teacher Children interaction
Observe the class in session. How is the interaction between the teacher and the children? Do the children seem happy? Are they enjoying the lesson? Is it hands-on? Are the teachers creative, fun and patient?
5. Understand the school’s Policy and culture
How is the daily school program? The school’s values should be in line with your own. Is the school’s culture what you would like your child to practice? The school’s policy should not be uptight, all work and no playtime, as this will limit the child’s creativity.
6. Extra-curricular activities
Lots of extracurricular activities are good for the development of a child as it allows them to explore different activities discover their talents and nurture them. It also teaches the child social skills and boosts their self-confidence. Activities such as swimming, athletics and tae-kwondo are great for children.
7. Budget
This is a critical factor when choosing a school for your child. Be sure to pick a school where you can be able to pay the fees to avoid circumstances whereby your child misses out on school due to fee arrears. This should help you narrow down the list of schools to those that fit within your budget.
Budget 2022 text background. Stock photo.
8. Location
The school’s location should be somewhere conducive for learning to take place. Avoid schools that are next to a market center and look into schools in a quiet and serene environment. Give preference for schools that are near your home to reduce commute time. However, if none of the neighboring schools fit your child’s needs, ask for school transport to ease the burden of drop and pick up.
https://mumsvillage.com/lifestyle_post/evalyn-factors-to-consider-while-choosing-a-kindergarten/
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