The beauty of small rituals in our lives
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With the declining mathematics matric pass rate in South Africa, COVID-19 stress, and the national lockdown leaving parents and children housebound and home-schooled, it’s no secret that school results and academic development is a topic of concern as we continue to adapt to this new way of life.
Parents across the country are trying their best to manage from home, with many running out of ideas to keep kids interested and engaged in between managing their own work schedules. This overnight shift from parent to full-time teacher and invigilator has proven far from easy for many across the country!
Smartick is for children (4 – 14 years) to learn and master maths from home and has opened up the platform for a two-week free trial, giving parents struggling to motivate and keep children educated and entertained a helping hand while we’re all locked indoors. To combat lockdown learning fatigue, parents are able to sign up for a free two-week trial to carry them through. More information can be found at https://za.smartickmethod.com/.
Also read: The best online learning resources to make homeschooling easier
The programme includes just the right amount of gamification to serve as a reward for concentration and hard work. Based on the premise that 15 minutes a day is that sweet spot of time needed for learning, Smartick promotes learning during lockdown, significantly improving math, reasoning, and logic skills while exposing children to the fundamentals of coding.
They earn ticks during their daily session which is connected to their Virtual World, where they can play scientifically designed games to improve their cognitive skills, personalise their avatar, participate in maths competitions, and train their memory etc.
All that is needed is a computer or tablet with internet and, even cooler, parents have access to the Parent Page to monitor view a child’s progress in full detail, adjust settings, organize schedules, manage payments, and monitor their Virtual World activity among other things.
A post-coronavirus would may look very different to what we’re used to, but the need for a solid foundation in STEM subjects will be one thing that remains unchanged – especially when considering the digital skills needed for the next generation to remain competitive in the job market.
A quick 15-minutes a day can ensure your child has a leg-up on the rest post-lockdown and beyond, simultaneously raising the standard of maths in South Africa and futureproofing children across the country.
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