Train your child’s brain series | Western Cape Education Department
Train your child’s brain series

Train your child’s brain series

9 July 2020

Therapists in the Overberg Education District have developed a series of newspaper articles and radio programmes to provide parents with information on how they can stimulate their child’s development during lockdown.

The “Train your child’s brain” series consists of weekly articles in the Caledon Gazette and Langeberg Bulletin and radio programmes broadcast on Radio Overberg, 101.8 FM every Thursday at 09:30.

Valenzia Mackenzie, a senior therapist in the Overberg Education District, said learning is underpinned by child development. “With the series we acknowledge that parents want to help their children, but they don’t always know how to do it and therefore needs guidance. We believe that when parents are empowered with knowledge and they implement it at home children will thrive and grow.”

Mackenzie added that not all parents in the rural district have access to data and the internet and they had to find other means to support parents. Community newspapers and radio stations were approached and a proposal was drafted. 

“My colleague, Danielle Keller, and I drafted weekly topics in our field of expertise. The same topics we use in our weekly articles are used in the weekly radio programme.”

Every article and radio programme takes the following aspects into account:

  • Train your brain: Our brain is like a muscle. It must be trained on daily basis to enhance level of functioning. 
  • Parental support: Parents play a central role in the life of children. Home is the first place where learning take place. Articles are written in easy understandable language and activities are simple with items in and around the house.
  • Needs of children: Children want to experience love, belonging, freedom, fun, power and they want to survive.

The series is currently in its fifth week