Playing and Learning

Hope to see many of you on Friday 🎊

Just a few more days left until the Delta Park School Roadshow.
We are so excited to welcome Playing and Learning, the ECI store and SA Toy Trade on Friday!
Don't miss out!

Transform your therapeutic practice with Bellavista S.H.A.R.E.! The Issie Senses methodology equips health professionals and educators with the skills to adapt and utilise sensory environments therapeutically. Tailored for professionals with a therapeutic or educational background, the blended-learning course includes:

💡Asynchronous Learning with online videos and short assignments
💡Synchronous Learning with two afternoon sessions
💡Optional three-session supervision

Join us for case study collaboration and hands-on training in the Multisensory Therapeutic Environment (MSTE). Enhance your expertise and make a difference!🌟

🔗Link in bio.

Thoughtfully designed to suit a child's developmental stages, the TopBright Early Childhood Development Boxes range in complexity to meet many stages in a child's growth and development. It is ideal for babies and toddlers, from 9 months upwards, depending on the child's stage of development, offering years of meaningful play and learning.

These sets are excellent for enhancing fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness. The rich, interactive gameplay nurtures motor-skill development and encourages a strong foundation in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) learning.

9-10 Months: https://www.playingandlearning.co.za/products/topbright-educational-activity-box-25pcs-9-10-months

13-15 Months: https://www.playingandlearning.co.za/products/topbright-educational-activity-box-40pcs-13-15-months

19 - 21 Months: https://www.playingandlearning.co.za/products/topbright-educational-activity-box-17pcs-19-21-months

Join our mailing list for discounted pricing. Get in touch: [email protected] / 084 607 7220

Thoughtfully designed to suit a child's developmental stages, the TopBright Early Childhood Development Boxes range in complexity to meet many stages in a child's growth and development. It is ideal for babies and toddlers, from 9 months upwards, depending on the child's stage of development, offering years of meaningful play and learning.

These sets are excellent for enhancing fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness. The rich, interactive gameplay nurtures motor-skill development and encourages a strong foundation in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) learning.

View more on each box here:

TopBright Early Childhood Development Box 25pc; 9-10 Months: https://www.playingandlearning.co.za/products/topbright-educational-activity-box-25pcs-9-10-months

TopBright Early Childhood Development Box 40pc; 13-15 Months:
https://www.playingandlearning.co.za/products/topbright-educational-activity-box-40pcs-13-15-months

TopBright Early Childhood Development Box 17pc; 19 - 21 Months:
https://www.playingandlearning.co.za/products/topbright-educational-activity-box-17pcs-19-21-months

Browse all our new arrivals here: https://www.playingandlearning.co.za/collections/new-arrivals-6

Join our mailing list for discounted pricing. Get in touch for more info: [email protected] / 084 607 7220

Book your tickets today!

Come and talk to Leemor from Playing and Learning about their range of educational and therapeutic resources at the Neurodiversity Conference on 17 August at Freeway Bybelkerk in Boksburg.

As Playing and Learning, we understand that learning can be engaging, interactive, and fun and that is precisely what we aim to deliver through our range of educational and therapeutic resources. We believe in the power of play as an effective tool for education & therapy. We’ve harnessed this belief to create a diverse catalogue of products that inspire curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity in children of all ages. We have always recognized the importance of inclusivity in education. Our products are designed to cater to diverse learning styles and needs, making them accessible to a wide range of learners, including those with special needs.

🎫 BOOKING OPTIONS

1. Register and buy your tickets online at https://www.wigglyeducationonline.co.za/event-details/neurodiversity-conference

2. Alternatively request a group booking form from Christelle by emailing [email protected] or send a whatsapp to 063 610 0882. An invoice will be sent accordingly and payment can be made via EFT.

For more information:
Christelle Koekemoer
063 610 0882
[email protected]

😍😍😍
Such a simple act of kindness can make a huge difference!

We need your help in making some "jars of hope" soup packs or jars, to contribute towards weekly food parcels for our learners please.
Unfortunately, we no longer have a consistent food supply to give our learners a weekly food parcel, and we're calling on you to help us, help our learners.
Donations can be dropped off at Casa do Sol school in Linden.
Please contact 011 782 0231 for further information

Very insightful 👏

PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS: THE STEPPING STONES TO READING

What is phonological awareness?

Phonological awareness can be described as having the awareness of what sounds are and how they come together to make words. It is an umbrella skill that includes identifying and manipulating units or parts of oral language—for example, words, syllables, onsets, and rimes. It is meta-cognitive, involving the awareness/ability to think about one’s own thinking regarding the sound structures of language. This awareness allows one to attend to, discriminate, remember, and manipulate sounds at different levels. Phonological awareness is an important foundation for reading.

What are the stages of phonological awareness?

Children start developing specific phonological skills around the age of three, though their listening skills have been developing since before birth. Very young children become aware of environmental sounds, such as a phone ringing, dogs barking, taxis hooting, and thunder.

Around the age of three, children begin to recognize rhymes through exposure to simple rhymes from caregivers or in school, like "Humpty Dumpty" and "Wielie-wielie-walie."

Awareness of syllables begins to develop around ages four to five. At this stage, children realize that words are made up of syllables. For example, they might clap and count how many syllables are in their name.

By around age six, children start identifying the beginning, middle, and ending sounds in words, such as recognizing that "ball" starts with the /b/ sound. They also begin to blend sounds heard on an auditory level into words, like hearing /d/ /o/ /g/ and saying “dog.”

Around age seven, phonological segmentation and manipulation skills develop. Children learn to segment words into their different sounds, for example, hearing "mat" and identifying the sounds /m/ /a/ /t/. They also start manipulating sounds to form new words, such as changing the /c/ sound in "cat" to /m/ to make "mat."

How do these skills influence a child’s ability to read?
Learning to read is a complex process. Children must hear and identify individual sounds in speech, recall the letters of the alphabet to match each sound, and blend the letters together to decode words. This process is further complicated by the fact that letters can represent different sounds in English, such as the letter "g" representing the sound “g” in "goat" and “j” in "giraffe."

How can teachers, therapists, and parents help children develop phonological awareness skills?

Sing songs with rhyming words, such as "Hickory Dickory Dock."
Play ‘Rhyme Time’, where you think of words that rhyme with a given word.

Read rhyming books, like "Room on a Broom" by Julia Donaldson or "Hog in the Fog" by Julia Copus.

Play silly tongue twisters, like “She sells sea shells on the sea shore.”

Play “I spy with my little eye” to make your child more aware of beginning sounds.

Play “Sound Sleuth”, where your child finds objects starting or ending with a specific sound.

Use Lego bricks or beads to count the sounds in words. For example, "cat" = /c/ - /a/ - /t/ would be three sounds, so use three beads or bricks.

Robot Talk: Say a word stretched out with each sound separated by about a second, for example, /s/…/l/…/a/…/p/, and your child responds with “slap.”

What role does a Speech-Language Therapist (SLT) play in helping with your child’s literacy?

Speech-language therapists play a key role in developing phonological awareness and literacy. They collaborate with teachers to provide instruction on phonemic awareness and related literacy skills and are involved in assessing and providing intervention for students with reading and writing disorders.

For more resources and information for educators, healthcare professionals, and caregivers, visit www.bellavista.org.za.

Get your hands on this awesome Sensory Bundle Deal and triple the Fun! Only valid until 31 July 2024.

Order 1 x Bilibo large, 1 x Peekaboo Sensory Bag and 1 x DIY Calm Down Bottle in your prefered colour / theme and save R398. Now only R1299.

View all the details here: https://www.playingandlearning.co.za/products/sensory-bundle-deal-july

Explore the best in independent, creative and open-ended play with these delightful, colourful Magnetic Tile sets. Magnetic tiles enable the construction of 3D structures, presenting a richer spatial experience. The building process serves as a catalyst for thought stimulation, fostering creativity and logical thinking skills.

Browse the full range here: https://www.playingandlearning.co.za/collections/magnetic-tiles

Need more info or a quote? Get in touch: [email protected] / 084 607 7220

❤🌈

Numbers that make sense!
With SumBlox, the height of each number block corresponds to its value. Stack a "2-block" on top of a "3-block" and they equal the same height as the "5-block." This simple connection between height and symbol allows for children to grasp math concepts earlier, assimilate them stronger, and retain them longer. A great resource for any classroom, whether at home or at school, as well as Montessori & Waldorf classrooms. Order the 27pc Starter Set for R1399: https://www.playingandlearning.co.za/products/sumblox-starter-set-27pc