Kids and Hands On Learning

-

Mum, what are you doing? That's music to parents' ears during these turbulent times in schools. Use the questions to sneak in real education like census and other topics that require answering questions on government, bank and other forms.

Hands on training is redundant, I know. YouTube is here with instant answers. Education is preparing kids for the future, away from home, navigating life in the same city, another city, next state/province, or even in another country.

That’s why home schooling should include how to fill in paper and online forms. Forms usually want information that will determine if you are eligible for something, it could be school, business or personal.

Our lives are online now, even buying a handkerchief, but there are still forms that arrive in the mail. Parents should make it a habit to ask kids to open utility and store bills. Bank statements are forms but most people get them online. Canada had a census in 2021 so they sent out paper forms telling households about the online questionnaire. Get a copy online, for this blog.

What’s in the forms?

Young kids will enjoy checking the mail with you because they still believe that the sun rises and sets with you. Savour it, because they don’t have a cellphone yet.

We will use the census letter for example. It has a date when it was mailed. Why is the date important? Forms will help kids add new words to their vocabulary, like logos. All forms have logos to show who sent them. The government of Canada in this case. How do kids know that place that sells hamburgers and fries? They recognize the sign, the logo. That's why parents avoid driving past it.

Canadian parents will ask kids to read the right side of the census notice. They can’t because it’s in French. Why is that? Parents will explain Canada’s French and English history. The census notice is signed by Anil Arora on behalf of the government. New vocabulary, what is a signature? Why do we sign things?

The census notice is one example. There are many letters we get in the mail, directing us to fill forms online. Start the kids with paper forms. It will make filling online forms a breeze.

Nonqaba waka Msimang

Executive Blogger 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Elections And Political Bullies

-
Image
Forget democracy.   It should be called political bullying. We are watching it in the prelude to the Canadian election on the 19 th of October, 2015.   Americans have also started their political bullying for the looming presidential election next year. So many trees wasted on books about democracy.   Some countries have big budgets for invading other countries ‘ to defend democracy’ but it is seldom practised in campaigning for elections.   Calling opponents names and printing flyers attacking each other is behaviour that will not be tolerated in kindergarten, but it is all legal, in campaigning.   It is irritating and such a let-down to the whole notion of democracy.   Grown-up men and women behaving like Grade One kids. It is also misleading because many voters believe it is real hatred.   Don’t let that fool you.   These politicians play golf together, attend the same dinner parties, eat and drink at the same social events, share jokes and cut deals in parliament.   They
Read more

Comfort Food As Regret Food

-
Image
Chicken curry. Comfort food is good for the soul, which usually bleeds in winter from icy roads, bad drivers that want to annihilate pedestrians, frozen fingers and toes that take a sabbatical.   What happened to my toes?   I thought I was wearing special socks for boots? We therefore have a right to comfort food which throws doctors’ orders out of the window and has no loyalty to calories.   No calculator on the table, thanks very much.   Piece of bread 5 calories, half a banana 10 calories, sugar-free cheesecake 2,000 calories.   Ah! Ah!  We only live once. Naw!   Comfort food is old school food with its compulsory second helping.   It involves licking fingers and giving a big sigh, about the good life, which is shelter, food, love and debt.   The problem is the zip.   The jeans remind you that comfort food can also be called you will regret food .   Home sweet home is even sweeter in winter after surviving blowing snow and bumper to bumper traffic. What is more welcoming th
Read more

No Air Miles

-
Image
I don’t have Air Miles.   I’m considering putting that on a T-Shirt because I cannot go to the drugstore (chemist) or coffee shop without the cashier asking me if I have air miles. We waited for about two minutes the other day, while this guy looked for his Air Miles card in his overweight wallet.   For what?   For a few points. I don’t have air miles because Mathematics is a foreign language.   I was never good in numbers. That is why I squashed the idea of being an investment banker very early in life.   I understand you can invest in cornfields before the soil is turned up or pork bellies even before a baby pig is born. That is how I view air miles, investing in tomorrow or the unknown.   I’m the dumb one.   Some people understand this air miles’ thing so well, I overheard one customer saying: I can even convert my points into cash. Points and air miles are the same thing in Canada and the U.S.   Drugstores or clothing stores even give you a card to collect point
Read more