Educational materials used to determine ability

For the study, published in the Journal of Educational Psychology, researchers examined 117 babies, aged nine to 18 months.

One group was provided with educational materials in the form of a baby media product, including DVDs, word and picture flashcards, and flip books to be used daily over a seven-month period.

The other group received no materials. Assorted tests were used to determine the babies’ ability to “recognize letter names, letter sounds, vocabulary, words identified on sight, and comprehension.”

Products shown to have no effect

The end of the experiment showed no difference between the group that had the materials and the one that didn’t.

Although educational DVDs and similar products were shown to have virtually no effect, they do seem to have an effect on parents.

Parents have confidence in products

“It’s clear that parents have great confidence in the impact of these products on their children,” says lead study author Susan Neuman, a professor in NYU Steinhardt’s Department of Teaching and Learning. “However, our study indicates this sentiment is misplaced.”

Used to encourage cognitive development

While babies exposed to educational DVDs may not to learn to read any faster, it’s still possible to encourage cognitive development. A 2012 study by researchers at North Dakota State University and Texas A&M found that babies who sit up — either alone or with assistance — will reap the most reward from educational toys and videos.

(AFP Relaxnews)

The post Baby development: Can you teach your baby to read? appeared first on All4Baby.

A Whole New World

BASA Chief Executive Officer, Michelle Constant believes that art is crucial to the development of a child who feels whole and she says, “Arts and culture inspire creative thinking in adults and drive a level of social capital, humanity and imagination. With this in mind, it makes sense that art should take its rightful place as a key component in the education of our children.”

“The arts help link children to their humanity as they learn to the see the ‘other’ in their world. Through theatre or dance, by way of example, young people are introduced to worlds that are not their own, and they learn to see the differences and similarities giving them a much needed sense of empathy.”

“Parents can play an important role in their children’s art education. Art classes in the afternoon, bedtime stories, nature walks, visits to art galleries and even a fun initiative like the Nestlé SMARTIES Box-a-Thon can do much to open a child’s mind and inspire their creative and imaginative thinking process,” adds Constant.

A Sense of Fun and Play

As a member of the Nestlé SMARTIES Box-a-Thon judging panel, Constant admits that she’ll be looking for confirmation that entrants let their imaginations run wild and that above all, they had fun. From a SMARTIES breathing dragon to an extra-terrestrial creature from another planet, children are invited to be as creative as they wish as they engage with this “Out of this World” competition. “We’re not looking for a perfect artist; we’re looking for passion and imagination,” says Constant.

Art in the South African Context

“The arts have such an important place in our country and can do much to drive our economy. Artists are never in decline, but sadly our audiences are and as parents we have the power to change that. By teaching our children that by embracing the arts they can enjoy a sense of fun, quirkiness and even caring that can only enrich their lives, we can ensure that the arts retain their rightful place in South African society,” concludes Constant.

9Bring the arts right into your home with the Nestlé SMARTIES Box-a-Thon.  Once their out of this world model has been completed, children need simply to take a photograph of their inspired design and upload their pic onto www.SMARTIES.co.za. One winner will be the lucky recipient of a family holiday for four to Orlando, Florida in the USA. Runner-up prizes include a Kindly Fire HD tablet with fun and educational games, as well as clothing vouchers to the value of R1 500.

The competition starts on April 15th and ends June 30th 2014. Winners will be announced on August 8th, 2014 on www.SMARTIES.co.za. Terms and conditions can be found on the website.

The post Business and Arts South Africa Partners with Nestlé SMARTIES Box-a-Thon to inspire creativity in Children appeared first on All4Baby.

Pampers® has come up with a solution to this dilemma. By making use of the items that you already have in your home, and your Pampers® Active Baby-Dry nappies, you don’t need to buy toys for your child to be able to play and learn.

Nappy changing time provides you and your child with some uninterrupted bonding time. The new Pampers® Active Baby-Dry nappies feature a host of new characters – the Pampers® Buddies. Use the Buddies to teach your child colour, animals and texture.

Here is another idea of how to make a toy from household items:

My first car

What you need:

• 1 paper towel roll
• 4 cold drink caps
• 1 straw
• Food colouring, wrapping paper, magazine pages or paint for decorating
• Scissors/ sharp knife
• Pencil
• Glue

What to do:

1. The first step is to decorate the paper towel/ toilet paper roll.

If you are painting it – ensure that you wear old clothing. Place old newspapers on your working station to protect the area.

• If you are using normal paint: paint the roll on the outside and wait for the paint to dry.
• If you are using food colouring: mix the food colouring with a little water and use it like paint.

If you choose to cover the roll, glue the wrapping paper/ magazine pages onto the roll ensuring that the outside area is covered as neatly as possible.

Optional: if you would like, you can also paint the cold drink caps – as these will be used as wheels.

2. Cut the straw in half.
3. Place the roll in front of you horizontally and cut two small snips 3cm apart on one end of the roll. This will be the back of the car.
4. Draw a one cm rectangle a few cm’s close to the back of the car and cut it out. This will be where the driver sits. (Use a Lego man if you have one to be the driver)
5. Measure with the straws where the wheels of the car will be. Use the scissors or knife to cut 4 holes in the paper roll (2 holes on either side of the roll) – big enough for the straw to fit through.
6. Use the knife to pierce holes in the centre of the caps, ensuring that the holes are big enough for the straw to fit.
7. To assemble put the straw halves through the holes. One half in the front and the other at the back.
8. Finally, slide the caps through the straws.

You and your child can now enjoy playing with your home-made car.

The post Homemade baby toys: My first car appeared first on All4Baby.

Language development and the ability to learn

An undetected hearing loss in a child will hamper their speech and language development as well as their ability to learn, which often leads to communication difficulties and social isolation that has the potential to leave a child bewildered and alone in a world of silence.

According to Hema Thakor, a Client Relations Executive at Oticon South Africa, a leading hearing aid manufacturer, the gap between the vocabulary of children with normal hearing and those with hearing loss widens with age. “Without intervention, children with hearing loss may struggle to catch up and therefore it is important to act early if you suspect your child has a hearing loss. The earlier the problem is identified and intervention begun, the less profound the ultimate impact will be,” says Hema.

Hema Thankor, Client Relations Executive of Oticon SouthAfrica

From the womb

Infants are able to recognise familiar voices even before they are born, which is why babies get excited in the womb. “As a parent, you will expect your child to respond to your voice when you speak to them, or for them to move their head or eyes to follow the sounds they are hearing or to startle at loud sounds such as a door banging. If there is however no reaction then it would be prudent to investigate your child’s hearing,” says Hema.

Difficult to pick up

A mild hearing loss is often not picked up as it is easy to miss that a child cannot hear soft sounds. It normally only comes to light once the child starts talking between the ages of one and one-and-a-half years of age. A delay in their language development is an indicator or once they start school and struggle to hear well in the classroom.

If a parent suspects that a child has a hearing loss, they often do not know how to go about confirming it. “It can be quite a traumatic discovery and many parents spend quite some time in a state of denial, because they find it too painful to accept what is happening. It is a perfectly normal reaction, but for the sake of your child it is important to contact an Audiologist and to have your child’s hearing tested as soon as possible,” urges Hema.

 Hearing loss can occur if an infant:

• Is born prematurely
• Has stayed in the neonatal intensive care unit
• Is given medications that can lead to hearing loss – ototoxic drugs such ARVs
• Has a family history of childhood hearing loss
• Has had complications at birth
• Has had infections such as Meningitis or Cytomegalovirus
• Is exposed to very loud sounds or noises even for a brief duration

When and how can a child’s hearing be tested?

A child’s hearing can be tested as early as the day they are born. In fact, the majority of medical facilities in the private sector offer newborn hearing screening programs that will test the child’s hearing before they are discharged.

In an infant the aim would be to test whether the ear is functioning correctly by objectively assessing the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear (cochlear), which means that the infant does not have to respond to the test but that the equipment utilised will determine the results.

Recommended screening technologies include oto-acoustic emissions (OAE), which assess cochlear functioning, and auditory brainstem responses (ABR), which record neural activity in response to sounds.

The tests are accurate and take one to three minutes to perform; and have the same sensation as simply putting a finger in the infant’s ear.

“A hearing loss or the degree thereof is often not diagnosedduring one assessment in infants.An Audiologist willoften at the very least repeat the same test twice or perform multiple tests to confirm results in order to ensure the reliability of the results,” says Hema.

Treatment options

There are various treatment options available, following an accurate diagnosis. “Speak to your doctor or Audiologist about optimising the hearing that your child has, to develop his or her speech and language.This could result in your child being fitted with a hearing aid or cochlear implant.

However, your Audiologist will be best equipped to advise which is better suited to your child. Remember that the road to hearing is often thwarted with emotional distress, so don’t embark upon the process alone, even parents need support,” concludes Hema.

For more information, please visit www.oticon.co.za

The post What if my baby has hearing loss? appeared first on All4Baby.

Busy parents of young children everywhere will be delighted by the launch of an innovative play-based educational programme focusing on the all-round development of children in the 0-6 age group.

Subscription-based conitnuity programme

Mysmartkid [www.mysmartkid.com] is a subscription-based continuity programme which uses toys, tools and play-based activities to promote school readiness and the reaching of key developmental milestones in the field of early childhood development (ECD).

Launched by Leisure Books, a leader in the field of member-based subscription programmes in South Africa, the programme also includes a website with an online shop for both members and non-members as well as suggested activities and expert advice.

John Samson, Business Manager of Mysmartkid, said: “The new Mysmartkid programme is a convenient, fuss-free, value-for-money investment in your child’s future.

“Our aim is to offer peace of mind and convenience for parents and parents-to-be who often find themselves overwhelmed by an avalanche of information, advice and childhood paraphernalia.

“Mysmartkid offers these parents a one-stop-shop solution: advice, activities and toys backed by experts to help your child reach his or her developmental milestones in the comfort of your own home and in a fun way,” he explains.

A smart box targeted to your child’s age group

Members sign up to the programme on a 12-month basis. Every two months they receive a ‘Smartbox’ of curated items, usually toys, educational products and activities, targeted to their child’s age group. Accompanying the Smartbox is a full-colour newsletter packed with relevant advice and information as well as tips on how to use the material with your child.

Involvement of ECD experts

A key benefit of Mysmartkid is the involvement of a panel of leading ECD experts.  “Professionals from the fields of occupational and play therapy and child psychology, themselves parents, have helped develop the programme and will continue to play a key role. Their expertise and insights are instrumental in keeping Mysmartkid relevant, targeted and up-to-date,” says Samson.

Other key benefits include

The Mysmartkid programme is available for a subscription fee of R295 every second month, which includes free delivery of the Smartbox. Members will also receive targeted age-appropriate email newsletters jampacked with additional information, advice and activities. Other key benefits to subscribers to the Mysmartkid programme include:

• Free welcome gifts of a children’s backpack (valued at R175) and an exclusive handbook written by an occupational therapist giving parents a step-by-step outline of their child’s ECD milestones.
• Member-login access to www.mysmartkid.com with its free information, expert advice and ideas for further play-based activities promoting ECD milestones.
• Exclusive members-only discounts through the Mysmartkid online shop.
• A monthly member newsletter brimming with expert advice, tips and information for parents.
• Immediate access to an online parent forum.

About the Author: To join Mysmartkid or to find out more information about the programme, sign up at www.mysmartkid.com

The post Putting play at the heart of early childhood development appeared first on All4Baby.

As moms, it doesn’t matter how vigilant we are, our tiny tots can crawl and walk their way out of our line of vision in a matter of seconds.

For this reason, it is vital that we baby proof our homes sooner rather than later.

On all Fours

“You may think you have all the danger points covered, but you’ll be surprised how your perspective changes when you get down to baby’s level. It’s a good idea to crawl around your home before declaring it baby proof. By way of example, there may be a plug point underneath a counter which you may have missed, or a sharp corner of a tile that has gone unnoticed,” advises Astrid Anderson of Fountain Medical, distributor of Clevamama in South Africa.

What’s Cooking?

According to Anderson, one area in the home that requires particular attention is the kitchen. “From hot stoves and ovens to boiling kettles and ceramic dishes that may break, the kitchen is a minefield for inquisitive little explorers. The good news is that there are products on the market that can give moms more peace of mind when it comes to this hotspot.

The Clevamama™ Transparent Oven Guard, by way of example, helps protect little hands from scalds and burns. The guard reduces oven heat by up to 50% thereby preventing injury. The transparent material also allows moms to see into the oven and is easy to clean. Using heat resistant double-sided suction pads it only takes seconds to attach to a metal or glass oven door.

Used alone or in conjunction with the Clevamama™ Transparent Oven Door Guard, the Clevamama™ Oven Door Lock is a heat resistant lock that prevents children from opening hot oven doors. This simple effective lock is easily attached and very secure.

About the Author: The Clevamama™ Transparent Oven Door Guard is available at Baby City, Toys R Us and Baby Boom while the Clevamama™ Oven Door Lock is also available at these and selected Checkers stores.

The post Baby Proofing: Keep your home safe for your baby! appeared first on All4Baby.

The post The milestones of your little rocket scientist appeared first on All4Baby.

The early years of a child’s life are critical for future learning. Do you know that the latest Harvard research indicates that between birth and four years of age, brain development is at its optimum function?

Why then, are we not taking advantage of this period? Maybe the question is rather, how do we take advantage of this period?

The window of opportunity

“At BrainBoosters we capitalise on the first four years of a baby’s life. We call this period “the window of opportunity” – during this period, babies are able to absorb information, making all learning effortless, “says BrainBoosters Co-founder and Head of Product Development, Karina Strydom.

Colours, shapes and numbers

The BrainBoosters methodology is focused on introducing concepts such as colours, shapes and numbers to children from the time they are born. “Our methodology is based on introducing colours, shapes and numbers in isolation. Our parenting programme allows parents to interact with their children, while teaching these important concepts, “says Karina.

According to The Scientific American Mind, children who learn their colours, shapes and numbers earlier tend to do better at school.  “Colours, shapes and numbers are all around us. These concepts form part of a vital foundation that is needed in order for future learning to take place, “says Karina.

What is so special about these concepts? Why are they important for kids to learn? According to research, colour is not in itself a mathematical concept, but is used in activities such as sorting, matching, grouping and classifying. The ability to recognise and discern the difference between shapes is necessary to see physical differences between objects.

“We teach children ten shapes with our method. Recognising the difference between a hexagon and a pentagon will help children to distinguish between a “b” and a “d” and a “6 “and a “9”,” says Karina.

A simple process centred on play

This might seem really complicated to teach to a baby, but it really is a very simple process. “All our programmes are centred on play. We believe that learning is child’s play and have created products and activities that facilitate active engagement between parent and child, while important concepts are being learnt” says Karina.

For more information on Brain Boosters, visit: www.brainboosters.co.za

The post Maximise your baby’s learning potential appeared first on All4Baby.

Geoffrey Holtes, brand manager for the baby skincare brand, Krayons, says that babies and small children should be encouraged to explore a variety of materials and textures while at play. “Free and creative play is not only fun for the child, but also stimulates the senses and develops a rounded tactile awareness. Of course, you still need to be mindful of what is safe for your child”

Keeping the fun outdoors helps to ensure that the mess is easily mopped up, but cleaning your little one might take a little longer! Geoffrey says that there are a range of bathtime products that are specifically developed to assist in keeping babies and tots clean and moisturised, especially after an afternoon in the garden.

Those that leave a baby’s skin soft and smooth, protecting it from dryness throughout the day or night are ideal.

When bathtime is over, remember to pat your baby’s skin down with a soft towel and once dry, apply a layer of Aqueous cream over your baby’s body. Don’t forget to apply a generous layer of petroleum jelly before securing the nappy.

For more information on Krayons products visit KrayonsBabies on Facebook.

The post Let your baby and tot develop through messy play appeared first on All4Baby.