Brain Buzz - The Boy at the Back of the Class, by Onjali Q. Raúf

 “A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.”

– C.S. Lewis

In this age of technology and the varied distractions that come with it, it seems a daunting task for young children to find the time to be captivated by the world of books. They are bombarded with social media activities - appropriate or inappropriate- or distracted by games and TV shows. And as a result, you wonder why it’s a chore to engage them in a world of books.

Conversing with an 11-year-old student of mine on the joy derived from reading books was a bit incomprehensible, as he would only read books as recommended by the teacher. He could not see what could be ‘joy-giving in a pile of papers. However, with a little encouragement, his mom took him on an adventure to the @tabithaskids, a fantastic bookstore where you can just get lost in a world of your own imagination. He picked a few attractive titles and began an exciting journey.

One of the books he got from the bookstore was titled The Boy at the Back of the Class, by Onjali Q. Raúf. This book fits what C.S Lewis said about children’s books. As my young student read the book, you could tell it was a book to have, and he passed it on to me when he was done. And I was enthralled. It is indeed a page-turner.

The Boy at the Back of the Class, by Onjali Q. Raúf

Mrs. Khan’s classroom has an empty seat at the back of the class which was later occupied by nine-year-old Ahmet, a Syrian refugee. His presence sparked a sense of curiosity among his classmates as everyone wanted to know about the boy at the back of the class. Who was he? Who are his parents? Where did he even come from? Questions everywhere!

The children’s curiosity was later satisfied when they found out he fled the war in Syria, without his mother, father, and sister. And as a result, a group of his classmates decided to come up with the Greatest Idea to reunite Ahmet with his family. They felt like they were special agents sent on an assignment by the government!

The Boy at the Back of the Class talks about friendship that knows no borders. It’s a story about a little kindness that goes a long way. And in this fascinating book, the author used humour to remind us of the power of kind humans in showcasing the effect of the refugee crisis, as well as treating one another right. It’s a beautiful story that I recommend to every child and adult. Believe me, it will be worth your time.

This book has opened my 11-year-old student to a world he is ready to interact with, and I am super glad!

...Ms Patience is a teacher and a child development expert.

Event Coming This Month

 

PROTESTING SAFELY

• Always wear your face mask

• Create space (prevent overcrowding and observe social distance)

• Locate all possible exit routes and identify medical service points

• Have cash

• Write an emergency contact number on your body or Have a form of ID on you always

• Share your location with a loved one while on protest grounds

• Have a backup battery source. Charge your cell phone.

• encrypt/remove or hide sensitive information on your devices

• Always stay hydrated

• Have an inhaler, epipen, insulin, etc (if needed)

• Try to find areas of shade periodically to avoid heatstroke or overheating

• Have a protest buddy/group and learn each other’s names. Never get separated

• Don’t put vaseline, mineral oil, oil-based sunscreen or moisturizers on the skin as they can trap chemicals

• Don’t wear contact lenses, which can trap irritating chemicals underneath

• In the event that shooting occurs, flatten to the ground immediately and crawl out of the way instead of running

• Watch for signs of physical and mental problems in yourself and others. Cooldown others who exhibit panic behaviour.

Courtesy @feminist_co feministcoalition2020.com

Developing Motor Skills - Brain Buzz Article

Developing Motor Skills 

by Ms. Patience 

Over the years, I’ve worked with pre-teens, and I have come to observe a few of them struggle with simple activities, which shouldn’t pose a challenge to them. Then I realized that their gross and fine motor skills were not developed early.

Early childhood development includes acquiring fine and gross motor skills. While both these skills involve movement, they do have differences.

 

So what are these skills?

Fine motor skills involve the movement of the smaller muscle group in children’s hands, fingers, and wrists while Gross motor skills involve the movement of the larger muscle group like the arms and legs. It’s these larger muscle groups that allow babies to sit up, turn over, crawl, and ultimately walk.

 

Both types of motor skills enable children to become more independent.

 

Fine motor skills are especially important because the ability to use the smaller muscles in the hand allows children to perform self-care tasks without assistance.

 

To help your child develop his/her gross and fine motor skills, there are activities you can schedule to build them developmentally. This is why schools have Early Years sections. Believe me, they are not ‘playing’, like most people think. Serious learning is taking place. A child’s development begins here.

 

Babies and toddlers develop fine and gross motor skills at their own pace. Some children develop some skills earlier than others and that’s perfectly normal. Children usually begin to attain these skills as early as one ore two months old and continue to learn additional skills through preschool and primary school.

 

According to early childhood development experts, the most important fine motor skills children need to develop include the following:

 

·      The Palmar Arches which allows the palms to curl inwards. Strengthening these helps coordinate the movement of the fingers, which is needed for writing, unbuttoning clothes, and gripping.

·      Wrist stability develops by early school years. It allows children to move their fingers with strength and control.

·      Skilled side of the hand is the index finger, and other fingers together for precision grasping

·      Bilateral hand skills permit the coordination of both hands at the same time

·      Scissor skill develops by age four and teaches hand strength and eye coordination.

 

It looked like past generations are tough and sturdy because of the activities they did growing up. Activities such as climbing trees, playing ten-ten, suwe (hopscotch), Ludo, rolling tires, cooking with flowers, playing with clay, catapulting, and even football. It didn’t seem like it but we were learning as we played. However, with the advent of the Internet, most kids today are stuck indoors, sitting for hours playing Fortnite or Tik Toking. Nothing wrong with these but access to the technology should be limited for children in growing years. Let children play, they learn in the process, thereby developing themselves.

 

For materials to help your child develop motor skills check Coco Resources @co2resources

 

Brain Buzz

HELP! 

by Ms. Patience 

Growing up as a child in Lagos, I had a neighbor whom I believed was the most beautiful girl ever. She was dark and lovely. However, she had challenges academically. In fact, she was labeled dumb because she couldn’t read. She also believed God did not give her intelligence. Naysayers made it worse by insinuating that her family ‘used her head’ to make the family business prosper. Eventually, she dropped out of school and joined the family business. And she really prospered. 

So, over the years, I’ve wondered: would life had been somewhat different for her if the teachers were equipped enough to discover she may have had Dyslexia? 

Dyslexia is a combination of strengths and difficulties that may affect learning, reading, writing, spelling, and word finding. It is a spectrum that includes children of all abilities. It's thought to affect about ten percent of the population. 

Often one of the first signs that a child may have dyslexia is when you notice a big difference between that child's general intelligence and their poor performance in reading and writing tasks. This discrepancy can seem surprising or hard to explain. 

In our next edition, we will find out the signs to look out for in a child who may be struggling with dyslexia. 

Brain Buzz

DYSLEXIA?

By Ms Patience

Growing up as a child in Lagos, I had a neighbor whom I believed was the most beautiful girl ever. She was dark and lovely. However, she had challenges academically. In fact, she was labeled dumb because she couldn’t read. She also believed God did not give her intelligence. Naysayers made it worse by insinuating that her family ‘used her head’ to make the family business prosper. Eventually, she dropped out of school and joined the family business. And she really prospered.

So, over the years, I’ve wondered: would life had been somewhat different for her if the teachers were equipped enough to discover she may have had Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a combination of strengths and difficulties that may affect learning, reading, writing, spelling, and word finding. It is a spectrum, which includes children of all abilities. It's thought to affect about ten percent of the population.

Often one of the first signs that a child may have dyslexia is when you notice a big difference between that child's general intelligence and their poor performance in reading and writing tasks. This discrepancy can seem surprising or hard to explain.

In subsequent editions, we will find out the signs to look out for in a child who may be struggling with dyslexia.