AIDION M A G A Z I N E STEVE KITETO MY HOME SCHOOLING JOURNEY COMPETENCY BASED CURRICULUM ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CBC I s s u e 0 2 | 2 0 2 2 UNDERSTANDING YOU CHILD'S LOVE LANGUAGE AND SO MUCH MORE t h e E D I T O R ' S N O T E Kenya is transitioning from the 844 education system to the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). During the previous two months, Paidion has held parental seminars where experts from different education systems in Kenya came to educate parents. The experts described the CBC education system, IGSCE and homeschooling using different curriculums, including Accelerated Christian Education (ACE). This season, The Paidion Magazine will present some of the findings from our experts and generally describe education in the Kenyan context. We will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each curriculum with a particular focus on home- schooling since the majority of our audience was interested in home-schooling. An exciting home-school form called the cottage system blends traditional schooling and home-schooling. Jebichii Kimulwo In the magazine, we have also discussed other informal forms of education a parent can use to increase their children's knowledge and understanding. We hope you will enjoy 2022 | ISSUE 02 CONTENTS PAIDIONMAGAZINE OUR HOMESCHOOLING JOURNEY CURRICULUMS IN KENYA EVA OBWASO -MY HOMESCHOOLING EXPERIENCE 02 00 EDUCATION + HOMESCHOOLING + CBC EDITOR'S NOTE 15 11 01 19 EXCLUSIVE! HOMESCHOOLING IN KENYA 03 CBC DEMISTIFIED: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CBC 06 UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHILD'S LEARNING SYTLES Trio complex, near garden city Nairobi engage@paidionfoundation.org www.paidionfoundation.org IS A UNIVERSITY EDUCATION STILL RELEVANT? 09 ABOUT KIZAZI KIPYA 17 08 WHY IGCSE WHAT IS YOUR CHILD'S LOVE LANGUAGE 18 WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO START EDUCATING YOUR CHILD? 23 DEVOTIONAL: MARY'S WONDERFUL DOLL Babies and Children are Highly Impressionable Knowingly or unknowingly, children start learning immediately after they are born. They learn who their parents are, what their parents sound like and even who to trust and who not to. As they grow up, they get sleep trained and potty trained and learn to develop social skills and many other skills which get refined as they grow It is said that babies and children are highly impressionable and the earlier you start to educate them, the better. Medical experts have claimed that the peak of brain activity in infants is during the 5th month of gestation and this continues until they are five years old. Children learn best through play : use toys, games and activities to motivate your child to learn. Play is fun, identify playful ways to teach them numbers, letters, simple house chores and social skills Do not force it : Children learn at different paces, some fast and some slower than others. So do not force your child to learn at the same pace as your other children or neighbors Utilize the child’s interest s: is your child interested in birds, use the opportunity to teach them more about birds. Are they interested in letters? Then teach them letters. So here are a few tips to help you as you educate your child The Paidion Magazine P A I D I O N | 1 CURRICULUMS I N K E N Y A COMPETENCY BASED CURRICULUM (CBC) HOME SCHOOLING INTERNATIONAL GENERAL CERTIFICATE OF SECONDARY EDUCATION (IGCSE) P A I D I O N | 2 Early years education. These are the first five years which include pre-primary 1 & 2 (PP1 and PP2) and the Lower Primary which constitutes of Grade 1 to Grade 3. Middle school Education. This stage comprises both the Upper Primary from Grades 4-6 and Lower Secondary from Grades 7-9 Senior school Education. Here students choose three pathways Arts, Sports, and Science Social sciences STEM - science technology engineering, and mathematics. Tertiary Education. The student will get to choose between going to university for 4 years or 2 years of college. The Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) has been the subject of conversation since it was rolled out in 2019. Having replaced the former 8-4-4 curriculum, many parents are yet to understand the goals and structure of the new curriculum. Important to note however, is that CBC aims to expose students to high standards of global education. It aims to prepare holistic children who can adapt to the world as global citizens. Unlike the 8-4-4 curriculum which was teacher-based, CBC is learner-centered and encourages collaborative learning. The CBC curriculum has four major divisions, Develop numeracy, logical thinking, and literacy skills Explore individual talents for leisure and fulfillment and career growth Apply and promote healthcare strategies Demonstrate and appreciate the diversity of people and cultures Manage pertinent and contemporary issues responsibly. Obtain career guidance and expose them to related subjects to guide them in making informed choices. Develop ethical behavior and good citizenship Applied appropriate and effective verbal and nonverbal communication skills in digital literacy and diverse contexts including ICT. Critical thinking and creativity Safety, Hygiene, sanitation, and nutrition skills Instill moral values, social, physical, spiritual, and emotional skills, and development Developing skills in digital literacy and utilizing ICT. The Goals of CBC The goals of CBC are to help the student: B y N k i r o t e M b a e W H A T Y O U N E E D T O K N O W A B O U T C B C P A I D I O N | 3 CBC DEMYSTIFIED CBC Learner-Centered: The curriculum focuses on the learner and creates an environment for teacher-learner collaboration. Focuses on Competencies: CBC lays emphasis on the strengths of the learner and aims to improve and encourage the talents, abilities, skills, and interests of the learner. It encourages creativity Digital Based: CBC advocates for digital literacy and ICT. Parental Engagement and Participation: The curriculum creates room for parental involvement in their children’s education motivating the children for learning. Encourages problem-solving and decision-making skills: Through its goals of logical and critical thinking, the curriculum instills relevant life skills to the learners. Embraces and appreciates diversity in terms of race, culture, religion, gender, ethnicity. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Teachers attitude: Some teachers have not fully embraced the curriculum because some are not digital savys and others are just not quick to adapt to change. Teachers feel unequipped to do what they need to do to teach CBC. Not all teachers have received the required training for the curriculum. Parents are facing challenges in terms of being fully involved in their children’s learning with some citing finances and time as the leading cause of concern. While private schools are still working to adopt it, public schools are facing challenges in terms of the training required, for teachers, the challenge of the high numbers of children and the attitude of the teachers. 1. 2. 3. 4. Challenges Faced So Far Benefits of CBC P A I D I O N | 4 “ T H E F U N C T I O N O F E D U C A T I O N I S T O T E A C H O N E T O T H I N K I N T E N S I V E L Y A N D T O T H I N K C R I T I C A L L Y I N T E L L I G E N C E P L U S C H A R A C T E R - T H A T I S T H E G O A L O F T R U E E D U C A T I O N ” MARTIN LUTHER KING P A I D I O N | 5 Visual learners: These learners learn best by seeing; they can see and easily visualize what is being taught. Use both images and written language to promote learning. Learning is best done by using charts, pictures, videos and written material Did you know that everyone has a learning style that is unique to them? Have you ever tried to figure out your learning style? I am a kinesthetic and tactile learner; I cannot sit and learn; I have to write something or do something. My learning styles are so different from the traditional classroom setups and because of this, I sometimes struggle to learn. What about your child? What are their learning styles? let us look at the four learning styles and how to apply them UNDERSTAND YOUR CHILD’S LEARNING STYLE By Jebichii Kimulwo P A I D I O N | 6 Auditory learners: auditory learners learn best through listening. They learn best when participating in discussions and by talking things through. Most auditory learners are chatterboxes, they love talking to others and sometimes, you will even find them talking to themselves. Use music, recitations, reading aloud and discussion to promote learning 3. Tactile learners : These are learners who learn best through touch; kids who are tactile learners have fiddle fingers; they love to push buttons, play around with things, and love to tap their fingers. 4. Kinesthetic learners: these are learners who learn best by doing and moving. Most kinesthetic learners cannot sit still by themselves, so do not let them sit down for long. Use games, activities, crafts and movements to promote learning. So to promote learning, keep their hands busy, let them make things with their hands, use finger painting, building projects drawing, games, and other hands-on activities 1 . 2 . N E L S O N M A N D E L A "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." P A I D I O N M A G A Z I N E | 5 P A I D I O N | 7 The International General Certificate for Secondary Education (IGCSE) instills its learners with problem-solving skills and aims at boosting the learner's creativity. It stretches the creativity of students and forces them to think beyond the box. It also caters for the learner's strengths and abilities. Abilities are identified very early and nurtured all through to the point where learners advance to higher levels of learning. IGCSE encourages inquisitive and investigative learning where its learners are encouraged to investigate concepts and prepare content that they present to their classmates. This type of approach helps the learners to think wider and more critically about concepts. The curriculum encourages students to observe, investigate, research as well as prepare, present and collaborate with fellow learners through group work. IGCSE is practicable because it offers ‘Beyond books courses’ which not only broaden the minds of learners but also offer life skills. These courses and life skills include sports, drama, innovation, creativity, responsibility, people skills, situational awareness, and digital literacy. Similarly, IGCSE embraces diversity by integrating different cultures, races, and religions from all over the world. This gives students exposure on how to interact with people from all over the world. Because of this diversity, a student can fit in any course anywhere in the world. In Kenya, a hundred percent of students under IGCSE excel and transition to high school, colleges, and universities. IGCSE is a widely accepted British Curriculum that gives children exposure and adaptability to the global ways of learning. W R I T T E N B Y N K I R O T E M B A E O R I G I N A L C O N T E N T B Y C A T H E R I N E S I M I Y U ( P A I D I O N P A R E N T A L S E M I N A R ) The most notable disadvantage for this curriculum is that it is quite expensive This is because the materials and resources used sourced from the United Kingdom. Students are also required to have laptops for class presentations and schools also have to purchase books from the UK and pay for the websites that they use for teaching and learning. WHY IGCSE ? P A I D I O N | 8 B y P h o e n e O w a r e University education is increasingly, questionably relevant with no clear alternatives. This calls for openness and responsiveness to emerging trends and awareness of the pros and cons of various education pathways. Despite grim media portrayals of university graduates, the benefits of university education remain high. While not always relevant for job performance, a university degree is widely viewed as an indicator of competence and therefore a basic requirement to enter the job market. University training is also very relevant for highly specialized careers. Although traditionally university graduates have out-earned their peers without tertiary education, recent research paints a more complex picture. A 2020 report by a policy analyst from the Manhattan Institute found that while this trend holds, earnings by university graduates relative to high school graduates vary significantly by occupation and in some cases are even lower. Such findings, coupled with general discontent among some university graduates warrant consideration of alternatives to higher education. P A I D I O N M A G A Z I N E | 9 Short courses have burgeoned in recent years, providing specialized skills training on almost any subject. In a fast-paced world where market skills requirements change faster than a 4-year degree programme can be adapted, such training carries tremendous promise. Apprenticeship, that is, acquiring hands-on experience by shadowing an expert, if well executed can offer all-rounded training for young people who are keen on developing a craft or nurturing their entrepreneurial skills. Though promising, these alternatives have many challenges. Despite few companies no longer having degree requirements, many are reluctant to hire candidates with alternative skills training, particularly when such candidates have no noticeable prior success in their field. Challenges relating to apprenticeship, include difficulty in identifying individuals or organizations that can facilitate such learning, as well as suitably paring apprentices with mentors. IS A UNIVERSITY EDUCATION STILL RELEVANT? " T H E B E A U T I F U L T H I N G A B O U T L E A R N I N G I S T H A T N O O N E C A N T A K E I T A W A Y F R O M Y O U " B . B . K I N G P A I D I O N M A G A Z I N E | 1 0 My Homeschooling experience Eva Obwaso is a Christian and a home- schooling parent whose greatest desire is to bring up her children in godly ways. She is married to Sammy Obwaso and together they are blessed with three children aged; 18 years, 14 years ad 10 years. Her interest and curiosity towards home-schooling began after meeting her friend’s home-schooled son. She mentioned that the boy was very polite and hospitable, she could not believe that a teenager could display such virtues. Her friend was home-schooling her children using the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE). She, later on, found out about Faith Ventures Christian Academy which used the ACE curriculum. Eva and her husband, later on visited the school and were immediately sold out to the culture and values upheld by the institution. They enrolled their first born into the school. Later on, her husband got some work assignments outside the country and needed to relocate with their whole family. The school advised them to home-school their child while they were away and gave them the educational material and training for the same. When they came back after a year, the child plugged back into school seamlessly. They also took their second-born daughter to school then. After their two children were in school for a year, the principal of the school challenged them to consider home-schooling their children with the school’s curriculum. She told them that the home-school option provided a conducive environment for training and discipling their children. They took on the challenge and started home- schooling their children. P A I D I O N | 1 1 Written by Alex Kibebe 1 2 3 They have been home-schooling their children since then and have utilized Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) Curriculum under Oaks Excellence Academy formally known as the Home-schooling Academy. Oaks Excellence Academy trains home-schooling parents and provide the material for educating your child/children. They also provide academic counseling and group activity programs for home- schooled children. Eva is a volunteer counselor at Oaks Excellence Academy and she helps the new parents in their homeschooling journey. Some of the advantages that Eva sees from her homeschooling journey include; The teacher-student ratio is high and because of this, she can give more attention to each child. The children can learn at their own pace without the limitation of the school calendar year. Homeschooling offers flexibility to the learner and thus other family activities, and doctors’ visits among others can still be done without interfering with learning 4 Homeschooling can be done in different settings and environments therefore if parents need to travel to another town or country without interfering with their children’s learning 5 Homeschooling allows the child to participate in more talent- based and extra curriculum activities P A I D I O N | 1 2 Communication skills Empathy Confidence skills Self-efficiency Discipline Persistence and perseverance Is the teacher the only educator? We are made to believe that education occurs only in school. However, this is not true; long before formal education, children were educated by the environment, uncles and aunties, grandparents and parents in the traditional African society. We are losing this vital source of education. Parents now rely on school teachers, Sunday school teachers and the media. Parents are understandably too busy to spend time with their children, uncles, aunties and grandparents live far away, and town living has separated children from interaction with the environment Does this mean that all is lost? No, this means that parents will have to be more intentional in ensuring that their children are holistically educated. So what are some of the things you may need to teach your children? Here is a list of a few items among so many Most of these listed skills are not provided by formal education. However, teaching these skills to your children will make them stand out and eventually, they will become successful and reliable people. I S S C H O O L E N O U G H ? B y J e b i c h i i K i m u l w o P A I D I O N M A G A Z I N E | 1 3 5 S I M P L E A N D S A F E R E C I P E S T O T E A C H Y O U R C H I L D Home- Made Pizza Sandwiches Wraps/tacos Egg salad Making pizza with your child is a simple and easy task. Your child will enjoy the process of making the pizza and will really enjoy eating it as well. Wraps are so easy and simple to make, all you need is some left over chapati. You can add any topping you want, let the child add the toppings and roll up the wrap. You can have them as snacks or even with fries on the sides. Do you wish to introduce your child to healthy eating, are you struggling to make your child eat vegetables? Then make an egg salad with them and see how your child will be so excited to eat some vegetables. Make some boiled eggs, add any vegetable of your choice, top it with some sauce and seasoning and see your child devouring the meal You only need a few ingredients to make sandwiches. Making sandwiches is so simple and easy. Make them using different combinations of vegetables, meats and sauces. You can even make it as simple as adding butter, peanut butter or honey. You will be surprised when your child can make a sandwich for themselves or their friends H O M E & L I V I N G P A I D I O N M A G A Z I N E | 1 4 This drink is perfect for a cold weather. On a cold Saturday afternoon, all you need is a blanket, a movie and a warm drink. Hot chocolate with marshmallows is the perfect drink, it will leave you feeling warm and cosy. You can make this drink with your child and even pair it up with a sandwich for that complete afternoon snack Hot chocolate with marshmallows Our Homeschooling Journey Steve and his wife's decision to have their children homeschooled came from a series of events and experiences. Firstly, they were in agreement from the word go that they did not want their young kids to be carrying big bags and being picked up by a school bus at 5 am and going round estates for 2 hours picking up other children before getting to school - and the cycle is repeated in the evening. They also desired not to have their kids start school early but rather remain at home at least until when they were 5 years old. This somewhat gave them a feel of what homeschooling would look like. Later on, a friend of theirs started to homeschool their children and this would give them more exposure and confidence. The friend also invited them to a Homeschooling conference and being an annual event, the Kitetos’ attended the conference year after year. They got an opportunity to hear from and interact with Kenyan homeschooling parents some of whom had homeschooled their children to college. A lot of their questions were answered and they warmed up to the idea of homeschooling their own children. They decided to try homeschooling for an extra year and they have been extending this experience to date - their firstborn is now 12 years. As the years have gone by, they have continued to affirm the decision that homeschooling was the right choice. STEVE KITETO P A I D I O N | 1 5 Written by Alex Kibebe There is currently so much debate on whether children should be allowed to use mobile devices. Many people, for legitimate reasons, are against their children using mobile devices. However, times are changing, and the digital environment will soon be more real and acceptable. Even as we still debate and attempt to identify better ways of approaching the issue, mobile devices can be used to enhance education and learning in our children. Therefore, here is a list of five mobile apps that promote learning and are fun. MOBILE APPS THAT PROMOTE LEARNING IN CHILDREN Thinkrolls Play & Code: Khan academy: Many experts have rated this as one of the best free educational apps for children. It offers different subjects based on the child’s grade. Subjects range from preschool courses to college- level subjects Busy shapes: The course is for children between 2-5 years, and it uses shapes to promote critical thinking in children. The creators of this app have termed the app a digital playground Science 360 Is your child interested in science and engineering? The app is aimed at children above the age of 12 years; it educates them on science and engineering topics while giving them news on the latest scientific discoveries. PAIDION 2022| ISSUE 02 Would you want your child to learn to code? Is your child between 3-8 years old. Then this is one of the best and free apps to promote creativity and problem-solving in your child. The app contains more than 1000 arcade puzzles and mazes. NASA Visualization Explorer: This is one of the coolest apps that older kids enjoy. The app features stunning images and animations from space. The app is appropriate for children above the age of 7 years P A I D I O N | 1 6 How do you prefer to be ‘loved’? Do you know your child has a love language? Do you love your child based on their love language? According to Dr. Chapman’s book “The 5 Love Languages”, there are five ways to love your child and we shall explore them and discuss how to use them to love your child 1. Quality time: These Are Children Who love to hang around you; they feel very good when spending time with you. So do things together with them, play games, cook, watch movies and read together 2. Acts of service : have you noticed that your child loves to do things for you? Do they bring your socks or blanket when you feel cold? Do they offer to help you out? Maybe acts of service are their language of love. Then, doing things for them would speak to them that you love them, cover them when they are cold, make them their favorite snack, make their bed and help them with school work 3. Physical touch: Does your child love to sit on your lap, hold your hand, hug you, or even cuddle with you? Then your child’s love language is physical touch. Then, give them lots of hugs and kisses, allow them to sleep in your bed once in a while, cuddle with them and you will see your child gleaming with joy and excitement 4. Gifts: Does the child hold on to gifts? Have you noticed them picking flowers for you or bringing you a snack they had at a birthday party or school? Then, your child’s love language is gifts, so buy them gifts, toys, books. You do not have to make it so expensive; you can make them a painting or bring them a beautiful rock for their collections 5. Words of affirmation : Children whose love language is words of affirmation love to complement their parents, friends and siblings. They openly say that they love you, that you are beautiful, or love your dress. So give them positive verbal feedback, tell them that you are proud of them or that you love them and let them hear you speaking positive things about the P A I D I O N M A G A Z I N E | 1 7 What is Your child's Love language? By Jebichii Kimulwo